Colonial Period 1600-1750

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Colonial Period1600-1750

• Puritans and Planters

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Puritans

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Social/Political Climate

• Early settlers not searching for wealth
• Wanted to establish new society and church with
  available resources and freedom of worship
• Religious law civil law laws est. according to
  biblical law
• Bible is model for life and society

• Religion permeates all aspects of life
• Status in society ? position in church
• Seriousness, simplicity, hard work important
• Community judged as whole ? brothers keeper
• Close-knit towns

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Social/Political (cont.)

• Brought books from England
• Blame Puritans for schoolneeded literate
  population so ministry and church could flourish
• 1647 Mass. Bay Colony required school
• 1636 Harvard U. openedministry

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Social/Political (cont.)

• Plymouth and Bostontwo cities
• Persecuted? religious freedom
• Gods chosen people
• Visible saints
• Example to world? city on hill
• Model society

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Social/Political (cont.)

• Wilderness encouraged reliance on individual and
  community no one else to help
• New world offered improvement, bright future
• Abundance led to waste
• Witchcraft trials led to decline in strength of
  church over the state

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Religion

• sovereignty of God, all powerful influences
  every event in Mans life
• original sin driven by nature to do evil deeds
• the elect are chosen for salvation to escape
  eternal damnation
• Predestination? God grants eternal life to chosen
  few
• cannot earn grace through good works must pray
  and hope
• Grace is achieved through Gods work on soul?
  spiritual self examination

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Religion (cont.)

• Sloth is deadly sin idle hands..
• Wealth is sign of election and grace
• If you challenge community opposing God
• Dark side
• Bible is vital for salvation

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Characteristic of Literature

• To teach, NOT entertain
• Poetry? spirit. enlighten.
• Message important
• Writing works of piety and religious
  instruction
• Plain, simple, rational expression
• Imagery, similes, metaphor ? detract from
  purpose mainly used when taken from bible

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Char. of Literature (cont.)

• audience simple, plain people like farmers and
• More info better style
• Homey examples and expression that appealed to
  readers experience and understanding
• Drama slow to develop seen as chapel of Satan,
  corrupts playgoers

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Literature and Works

• Anne Bradstreet To My Dear and Loving
• Edward Taylor Huswifery
• Richard Mather Bay Psalm Book
• Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the Hands

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Southern Planters
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Social/Political/Religious

• Less religious
• Less rigorous climate, easier farming
• Relatively easy life
• Relaxed
• Less introspective
• Less critical of each other
• Lack of common purpose, beliefs of Puritans

• Gentleman manners important, public service
  important
• Plantation society
• Settlements spread out, few neighbors
• Plantation is center of commerce
• Many slaves

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Characteristics of Literature

• Writing seldom used for teaching
• Mostly journals, chronicles, letters
• Drama performed privately, sometimes challenged
  as immoral
• Practical writings

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Writers and Works

• William Byrd History of the Dividing Line
• John Smith The General History of VA

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Influence on today

• Puritan beliefswork ethic, hard work leads to
  successshaped Amer. society and culture
• America as model for rest of world
• How to live, important values to live by still in
  work of Amer. writers

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Influence on Today

• spirit of place ? wonder and diversity of land
• Concern with landFrost, Steinbeck
• Concern with religionHawthorne to Hemingway

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Relationship to Amer. Dream

• Hard work
• Frugality
• Self-improvement
• Self-reliance
• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?

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Changes that led to next period

• Liberal Protestants arrived and attracted
  followers
• Great Awakening
• Established societies had less harsh environment
• Discontent against conformity

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Next Period

• Revolutionary Period