Transcript A Gathering of voices - Thomasville High School

UNIT 1:
A GATHERING OF VOICES
Literature of Early America
Beginnings to 1750
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“We shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all
people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely
with our God in this work we have undertaken and
so cause him to withdraw his present help from us,
we shall be made a story and a by-word through
the world.”
John Winthrop
Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
So…why should we study American
Literature?
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Because it’s more than just studying about major
American writers.
It’s more than just reading about major literary
movements that shaped this nation.
It’s even more than just learning how history and
cultural events shaped the writers of the past.
It’s about….
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Learning how you feel, how you react, and how you
respond to the literary, historical, and cultural
movements of yesterday….
It’s about learning how take those events from
yesterday and using them to become better men
and women…
So that one day you can be the writers, leaders,
and great thinkers that our children read, analyze,
and write about tomorrow.
Questions for Consideration
Who is an American?
 What is American literature?
 When does “American” literature begin?
 Who is great and who is not so great?
 What forces shaped American writers?
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What is an American?
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Are Christopher Columbus and
John Smith Americans?
Are early Native American tales
American literature?
Were the Puritans Americans?
Was Thomas Paine an American
writer?
First Explorers and Settlers
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Columbus, Smith, early missionaries and early settlers
thought of themselves as Europeans
They thought, wrote, acted, and worked as and for
Europeans
Columbus wrote as propaganda, to gain more funding
and political backing for his trips
Smith also wrote for propaganda purposes: to gain
backing and settlers
The First Americans
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When Chris Columbus reached North America in 1492, the
continent was already populated by several Native
American tribes.
Though unknown when the first Americans came to what is
now the United States, Native Americans have been here
30x longer than their European counterparts
What were they doing all that time? No one really knows.
What we do know is that they treated the Europeans as
friends.
Pilgrims and Puritans – Farmers and Religious
Reformers
Pg. 7-8
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Small group of Europeans sailed on the Mayflower in 1620.
Religious reformers known as Puritans
 Became critical of the Church of England
 Instead of “purifying” within, they chose to withdraw
 Established settlement in Plymouth Massachusetts
 Believed human beings exist for glory of God and
Predestination
Massachusetts Bay Colony founded by religious reformers –
still apart of Church of England
Pilgrims and Puritans – Farmers and Religious
Reformers
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The Southern Planters
 Southern Colonies differed from New England colonies
 Climate, crops, social organization, and religion
 Prosperous costal cities grew up in the South
 Beyond the cities lay large plantations
 Plantation: a large scale agricultural enterprise and center
of commerce
1st Black Slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619
A year before Plymouth Rock
 By 1750, Puritanism was out and the plantation system was a
way of life.
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Literature of the Period
An odd melting pot
The Melting Pot
pg. 9-13
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Native American Tradition
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Explorer’s Accounts
Viewed mainly as folklore
 95% oral – no fixed versions
exist
Christ Columbus backed by
Queen Isabella set sell in 1492
 Wrote his experience in his
Journal of the First Voyage to
America
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Famous orators
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Logan and Red Jacket
The Puritans
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Writing dominated Puritan’s
life
Consisted of theological
studies, hymns, and histories
Anne Bradstreet and Edward
Taylor
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Southern Writers
 John
Smith
 Wrote
The General History of
Virginia
 John
Byrd
 The
LIne
History of the Dividing
Names and Terms to Know
pg. 3
Christopher
Columbus
 Massachusetts Bay
Colony
 Anne Bradstreet
 Native Americans
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The Great
Awakening
 Edward Taylor
 Puritans and Pilgrims
 Explorers’ Accounts
 John Smith
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Important Dates to Remember
p. 4-5
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1492
 Christopher
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Columbus lands in the Bahamas
1565
 1st
permanent settlement in U.S. established in Florida
by Pedro Menendez
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1586
 English
Colony at Roanoke Island disappears; known as
the Lost Colony
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1590
 Iroquois
Confederacy established to stop warfare
among the Five Nations
Important Dates to Remember….
Pg. 4-5
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1607
 1st permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia
1619
 1st Black Slaves brought to Virginia
1636
 Harvard College founded in Massachusetts
1639
 First printing press in English-speaking N. America arrives in
Massachusetts
1692
 Salem witchcraft trials result in execution of 20 people
1741
 Great Awakening, a series of religious revivals begins to sweep the
colonies
Are you still with me?
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Name 3 key developments in colonial life?
 Founding
of Harvard University
 First permanent English settlement
 First printing press
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What was the cause of the of executions in 1692
 People
were convicted of witchcraft
Susan Power – Native American
Writer and Poet
Born in Chicago, Susan Power was greatly influenced
by parents representing two distinct cultures. Her
mother: Native American. Her father: A descendent
of the New Hampshire governor of the Civil War.
What we’ll be reading
The Earth on Turtle’s Back - Onondaga
When Grizzlies Walked Upright - Modoc
from The Navajo Origin Legend – Navajo
from The Iroquois Constitution - Iroquois
Museum Indians – Susan Powers
A Journey Through Texas
About:
Early Native American Literature
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Background
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There were more than 2000 independent tribes of about one
million natives, living here for about 2000 years already.
They spoke 500 different languages from 50 different
language groups. But, no Indian tribes had a written
language until Sequoyah invented a syllabary for the
Cherokees in 1821.
Different tribes had different literary tastes. The Sious
preferred war tales; the Ojibwas preferred stories about sex;
and the Menominis liked tales of the supernatural.
Styles of Native American Writings
The Oral Tradition Links the Past with the Present
The Art of Storytelling….
How Native American retold History
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Through Song
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Sacred Symbols on Tanned Hides
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Literary religious scriptures were placed on tanned hides or stone
tablets to ensure customs and religious traditions
Winter Count
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Dakota Indians at a chief’s funeral would sing the life and
accomplishments at the chief’s funeral
Indian version of a history book
Tanned buffalo hide with symbols, one picture for each year to
represent the most significant event during that year
Oral Tradition
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Earliest form of American Literature
Native Americans:
Two Literary Traditions – 1 Culture
The Oral Tradition
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Begins earlier in time
Requires language but not
a system of writing
Based on memory
Includes folklore, proverbs,
and chants
Uses strong rhythms and
repetition to help memory
Orator can vary
presentation in response to
audience
The Written Tradition
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Begins later in time
Requires language and
system of writing
Based on texts that can be
written, read, & copied
Includes novels, short stories,
history books
No variation
Materials fixed in a single
version
Literary Analysis Term:
Origin Myths
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Origin myths
 Tradition
Stories that recount the origins of earthly life.
 Passed down from generation to generation,
 Often explain phenomena:
 The
beginning of human life,
 The customs and religious rites of a people
 The creation of natural landmarks
 Events beyond a people’s control
Reading Strategy
Recognize Cultural Details
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Literature reflects the culture that produces it.
When we read the three Native American myths
there are several cultural details that indicate how
the Native Americans lived as well as what they
valued.
When you read, you need to begin to pay attention
to cultural details:
 References
to objects, animals, or practices that signal
how people live, think, or worship
 You do this to gain insight into their culture