Transcript II. Literature of Colonial America (1620-1776)

II. Literature of Colonial America
(1620-1776)
• Puritanism
• Captivity Narratives
• Benjamin Franklin
Puritanism
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Beliefs
William Bradford
John Winthrop
Salem Witch Trials
The Great Awakening
Puritan Beliefs
• Natural depravity
(original sin)
• Predestination
(no free will)
• God acts in the world
• Typology
Puritanism
• Search for God’s grace
• Self-examination
• History important
William Bradford
• Led Pilgrims for first 30 years
• Wrote Of Plymouth Plantation—a history
of the Plymouth colony.
-typology (meaning of New England)
-documents community & changes in
ideals
-audience = ”backsliders”
John Winthrop
• Led Puritan ”Great
Migration” in 1630
• Not the same as
Pilgrims
• Delivered sermon on
ship before landing—
”A Modell of Christian
Charity”
Winthrop - 1630
”that men shall say of succeeding
plantacions: the lord make it like that of
New England: for wee must Consider that
wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the
eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if
wee shall deale falsely with our god in this
worke wee have undertaken and soe
cause him to withdrawe his present help
from us,”
”City Upon A Hill”
• Example to rest of world
• Interpretation of ”mission into the
wilderness”
• Survives to this day
Salem Witch Trials – 1692
• 19 people executed
• 1 dies during
interrogation
• Most victims female
• Most victims around
40 years old.
• Wealthier than in
previous witch hunts
Causes of witch trials?
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Anti-women?
Crusade against wealth?
Repressive religious environment?
Mass hysteria?
• Symptom of decline in Puritanism
The Great Awakening
• Religious revival sweeps
colonies
• 1720s, 30s, 40s
• Reaction to ”backsliding”
• Helps unify colonies
(common experience)
• Religious renewal
• Democratic tendencies
• Salvation now in man’s
hands
Captivity Narratives
What are they?
Captivity Narratives
• Whites captured by Indians
• Tale told as spiritual trial or test
• Advocates particular interpretation of
Indians (=devils)
• New literary genre
• ”Narrative of Mary Rowlandson”
What Captivity Narratives reveal
(and conceal)
• Racial attitudes
• Role of women
• Not everyone wanted to return
• Reversal of ”Pocahontas” myth
Captivity Narratives
Legacy of Captivity Narrative
• ”The Searchers”
(1956)
• Later used as
exploration of racial
attitudes
Modern Captivity Narrative
• Search for a mission
• Test of moral strength
• Search for home
Benjamin Franklin
• Born 1706
• Died 1790
• Famous for?
Benjamin Franklin
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Businessman
Printer
Inventor
Diplomat
Writer
Founding Father
Printer
• Published Poor Richard’s Almanck
• Introduced sayings into language
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”Early to bed, early to rise….”
”A penny saved is a penny earned”
”Time is money”
”Fish and visitors stink after three days”
”There was never a good war or a bad peace”
Inventor
• Experiments with
electricity
• Wood stove
• Swimming fins
• Bifocal glasses
• Lightning rod
• Folding chair
• Daylight savings
time?
Statesman
• Signed all major
documents creating
American state
 Declaration of
Independence
 Alliance with France
 Treaty of Paris
 Constitution
Writer
• Satire
• Autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin
Autobiography
• Conscious attempt to give country an
ideology
• First articulation of American Dream—the
self-made man
• Self-help manual
• Poor boy goes to new
city
• Same as
Puritan/Pilgrim story
• Combats hardships,
works hard
• Same as immigrant
story
• Succeeds
• Same as Hollywood
story
American Dream
• Leave the old world behind
– Persecution/poverty
• Recreate oneself
– Godly life/hard work
• Reward in end
– Heaven/material wealth
Autobiography
It was about this time I conceiv'd the
bold and arduous project of arriving at
moral perfection. I wish'd to live
without committing any fault at any
time; I would conquer all that either
natural inclination, custom, or company
might lead me into. As I knew, or
thought I knew, what was right and
wrong, I did not see why I might not
always do the one and avoid the other.
Autobiography
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1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling
conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business
have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what
you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e.,
waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all
unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you
speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are
your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you
think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or
unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates. . . .
Importance
• Articulation of American Dream
• Rags-to-riches images
• Move from religious to secular
-virtues maintained
-good works
-material reward for virtue
• Calling → career
Era characteristics
• Puritanism and its decline in North
• First new genre: captivity narratives
• Shift from religious to political writing
Key terms
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Puritanism
”City upon a Hill”
Mary Rowlandson
Franklin’s Autobiography
Next week:
• Literature of the New Republic
• Read ”Young Goodman Brown”