Early american literature to 1700

American Literature I
Pilgrims & Puritans

1. Early American Literature to 1700

2. Puritan Doctrine and Literature Pilgrims were Separatist, believed Church of England (Anglican) was beyond reform and so disassociated from it; poor and less educated than Puritans; founded Plymouth Colony Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England from within; were wealthy, well-educated; founded Massachusetts Bay Colony Both groups are often referred to as Puritans, and both groups accepted the main doctrines of Calvinism: Natural depravity (all are both in original sin and can do nothing to save themselves. Unconditional election. God in his absolute sovereignty , damns some and saves others Predestination: God knows from the beginning who has been elected. Grace: Mankind cannot earn this saving grace, nor can he refuse it God continuously directs the affairs of mankind. (A thriving business might indicate divine favor and approval.) The Bible was the guide for virtually all aspects of life (See typology.)

3. William Bradford 1590 - 1657 Of Plymouth Plantation Written between 1630-1646, but not published until 1856 Tells of the Pilgrim (Separatist) voyage and settlement in Plymouth, Massachusetts; the major history of the Pilgrims Book I 1. The Voyage on the Mayflower , 1620 (65 days) 2. God’s providence : the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth; a manifestation of divine care or direction 3. Bradford’s Pause : “ But here I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amazed at this poor people’s present condition, and so I think will the reader, too, when he well considers the same. . . . Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men?”

4. William Bradford, Of PLymouth Plantation (continued) Book II 1. The Mayflower Compact, 1620 first governing document of Plymouth 2, Dealings with the Natives Samoset, Squanto, Massasoit Peace treaty with the Indians 3. Thomas Morton of Merrymount Pagan, “Atheism,” Maypole Gun dealing and alcohol use Encouraging indentured servants to leave the Pilgrims 4. Destruction of the Pequots , 1637 5. Bestiality and turning away from right living

5. John Winthrop 1587 -1649 A sermon Winthrop gave aboard the Arbella , 1630 Most famous metaphor, still famous in the United States : the City on the Hill “A City upon a Hill” is a phrase from the parable of Salt and Light in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:14, he tells his listeners , " You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." The metaphor, as used by Winthrop, looks back to the Bible, but in American history, it looks forward as the basis of the philosophy of American exceptionalism. “A Model of Christian Charity”

6. “’American exceptionalism ’ is a term used to describe the belief that the United States is an extraordinary nation with a special role to play in human history; a nation that is not only unique but also superior. Alexis de Tocqueville was the first to use the term ‘exceptional’ to describe the United States and the American people in his classic work Democracy in America (1835–1840), but the idea of America as an exceptional entity can be traced back to the earliest colonial times. Jack P. Greene's analysis of a wealth of contemporary materials has established that by ‘the beginning of the nineteenth century the idea of America as an exceptional entity had long been an integral component in the identification of America .’ Many scholars of the belief in American exceptionalism argue that it forms one of the core elements of American national identity and American nationalism. Deborah Madsen, for example, contends that exceptionalism is ‘one of the most important concepts underlying modern theories of American cultural identity.’ It is a central part of the American belief system or what Benedict Anderson calls its ‘imagined community.’" - Encyclopedia of New American Nation Optional r ead more: http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Exceptionalism.html#ixzz3CmQbjqdS American Exceptionalism

7. Early American Literature 1700-1800

8. Elizabeth Ashbridge 1713-1755 Some Account of the Fore Part of the Life of Elizabeth Ashbridge (written in 1754, 1774 first publication) https :// openlibrary.org/works/OL2980003W/Peculiar_power Genre: spiritual autobiography “ Spiritual autobiography is a non-fictional form which rose to prominence in seventeenth-century England, although its roots can be traced as far back as such works of the early Christian tradition as St. Augustine’s Confessions . The form’s basic concern is to trace the progress of an individual believer from a state of sin to a state of grace, where the conviction takes hold that salvation has been guaranteed by God. Given the concentration on the individual, the form appealed most to Protestants, in particular the more militant sectarian movements (Baptists, Quakers, etc.) who broke away from the Church of England over the course of the seventeenth century - a period of marked religious division in English history .” The Literary Encyclopedia: Exploring literature, history, and culture http ://litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1377

9. Elizabeth Ashbridge (continued) Major Themes, Historical Perspectives, and Personal Issues Choice between husband and conscience Threat to patriarchal order Conflict in religious doctrine between Anglicans and Quakers Quest for religious freedom “Elizabeth Ashbridge’s Account underscores the importance of life-writing as a tool of female vindication in a patriarchal culture. For its candor and emotional power, for the integrity of the religious sensibility it conveys, and for its illuminating portrayal of domestic relations in colonial America, the narrative merits a significant place in our literary history .” - Liahna Babener and Wendy Martin The Heath Anthology of American Literature , 5 th edition

10. “Timeline 1732: Ashbridge sailed to New York as an indentured servant, owned first by a woman in the slave trade and later by the ship's captain . 1735: After a failed attempt to travel to England, they moved to Boston in 1735, then back to Rhode Island later that year, where Ashbridge once again joined the Church of England . 1740: Ashbridge’s religious beliefs caused much turmoil in her marriage, and, in a drunken stupor, Sullivan enlisted himself as a soldier and left for Cuba in 1740 . 1746: On May 7, 1746, Elizabeth married Aaron Ashbridge , a well-known member of the Quaker community in Chester County, Pennsylvania . 1752: After becoming an authoritative speaker at the Goshen, Pennsylvania Quaker meetings, she appeared with other prominent Quakers such as John Woolman , Jane Fenn Hoskens , and Anthony Benezet at the General Spring Meeting of ministers and elders in Philadelphia in 1752 . 1753: In 1753 she became a recorded minister of the church and, with the consent of her husband, traveled through England and Ireland speaking at meeting houses testifying to her spiritual journey . 1755: Elizabeth Ashbridge died in 1755 .” --“Elizabeth Ashbridge ,” Wikipedia http :// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Ashbridge