Transcript grd 9 Col 1 Lit Focus - Ms. Saravia's English 11

Unit 1
Literary Skills Focus Essays
Chapter 1: Native American Oral Traditions
Chapter 2: American Narrative Tradition
Chapter 3: Political Writing
Chapter 3: Political Writing
Influences on Early American Political Writing
• Ideas and principles from Europe’s Age of
Reason, particularly the ideals of rationalism
• Emergence of deism and its influence on
America’s leaders and writers
• Conflict between British rule and American
Colonists seeking independence
• Spread of self-published political writing
Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The American Revolution was fueled by influential
political writings supporting independence.
The writers who
inspired the colonists’
revolt based their
arguments on the
ideals of rationalism.
Political Writing
The Power of Reason
Rationalist thinkers believe that humans
• can discover truth using reason
• can use reason to understand
natural laws and guide their lives
• need not rely only on religious
faith or intuition
The rationalist movement
marked the beginning of the
Age of Reason in Europe in
the seventeenth century.
Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The rationalists were not non-believers.
Like the Puritans…
rationalists believed that
God created the natural
world and its laws.
Unlike the Puritans…
rationalists thought the
universe operated without
divine intervention.
These beliefs—which were shared by many of
America’s Founders—are known as deism.
Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The rationalist idea that all people are free to use
reason to better their lives was part of the
justification for independence.
It’s also the foundation of two of
the most important political
documents in American history
and literature:
• the Declaration of Independence
• the U.S. Constitution.
The Argument for Revolt
Early American leaders spread
their ideas by publishing their
words and distributing them to
the Colonists.
The Granger Collection, New York
Political Writing
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet
Common Sense, published in
1776, is considered by many to
be the most important written
work justifying independence.
Political Writing
The Argument for Revolt
Paine applied both rationalist
thought and deist principles
to his arguments in favor of
revolution.
Common Sense, only 47
pages long, sold 500,000
copies at a time when the
population of the Colonies
was a little over 2 million.
Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
Some early American
political writers—such as
Paine—aroused passion for
independence.
Other revolutionary leaders
used words—spoken and
written—to lay the foundation
for the new nation.
Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
In 1775, as the Virginia
Convention was debating
compromise with Britain,
Patrick Henry delivered his
famous speech:
The Granger Collection, New York
“Give me liberty, or give me death!”
Like Paine, Henry used rationalism to persuade
the delegates to arm the Colonists.
Henry’s speech was a key step on the road to
independence, and his words became a battle cry.
Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
The next year, the Second Continental Congress
appointed a committee—including Thomas
Jefferson—to draft a declaration
of independence.
As one of the main authors,
Jefferson infused the document
with rationalist ideals.
The authors took the ideas that
inspired their revolt and used them
as a basis for the new government.
Independence Hall,
Philadelphia
Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
The Declaration of Independence was the first
American document to describe an ideal relationship
between the people and their government.
Underlying this relationship, which
emphasized the rights of
individuals, was the rationalist
belief in humans’ capacity—and
freedom—to reason for
themselves.
Political Writing
Ask Yourself
1. In what ways did the philosophies of rationalism
and deism contribute to American independence?
2. What role did pamphlets and political speeches
play in the decision to declare independence
from Britain?
3. How did political writing allow individuals to
affect the development of an entire nation? How
does this power of the individual reflect the
principles upon which the United States was
founded?
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