Colonial Unit

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Colonial Unit
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John Smith The General History
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John Smith bio notes

• English soldier and adventurer
• Sailed in late 1606 for America
• Southern colonist
• First man to successfully promote the permanent
  settlement of America
• Founded Jamestown, VA the first English colony

• Gave New England its name
• Captured by Indians in VA (leader Powhatan)
• Rescued by Powhatans daughter, Pocahontas, and
  made Powhatans son
• Wrote The General History (1624)

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Bio, cont

• Smiths writing encouraged people to settle in
  America
• Appealed to the sense of personal and national
  glory
• Appealed to the hope of economic advancement

• Writing aimed to clear up myths about America
  (specifically w/ The General History)
• learned that you need patience, a sense of glory,
  an experienced commander, and hard work to make
  America thrive

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The General Historythe basics

• Set in VA
• Written in third person to appear more objective
  (as if he is telling someone elses story as
  opposed to his own)
• Writing is very verbose (wordy) and descriptive
• PAY ATTENTION AS YOU READ!!!

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What Happened Till the First Supply

• Within 10 days of landing, the men are weak,
  sick, exhausted, and hungry (50 people died in
  the 1st 4 months)
• While the ships are there the men have ample food
  and supplies
• When the ship leaves the common kettle dwindles
  and the president keeps the good stuff for
  himself
• President Wingfield

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• Wingfield was removed from power because he acted
  selfishly (hoarded food and tried to escape with
  one of the small ships)
• He was replaced with Ratcliffe
• At this point all of the food is gone, the ships
  have left shore, and the Indians are lurking

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• Smith attributes the Indians change of heart to
  Gods blessing.
• The Indians fed the colonists instead of killing
  them.
• when God, the patron of all good endeavors, in
  that desperate extremity so changed the hearts of
  the savages that they brought such plenty of
  their fruits, and provisions, as no man wanted
  (17).

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The ill-advised journey

• Smith considered this journey to America
  ill-advised because it
• was unfamiliar territory
• was not necessary to their well-being
• wasted time (very long journey)
• was not well provided for

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• Captain Smith (John Smith, the author), sets out
  to explore the Chickahominy River and is taken
  prisoner by Indians
• Powhatan, Indian chief, is characterized as
  brave, strong, intimidating, wise, respected,
  wealthy and generous
• Irony though Indians previously had a change of
  heart, they were not sufficiently impressed with
  Smith to spare his life (they tied him to a tree
  in preparation to kill him)

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• Once they bring him back to Powhatan, Pocahontas
  (Powhatans daughter) ultimately saves Smiths
  life
• Smith gives Powhatan two guns and a grindstone
• Powhatan bestows Smith two things the country of
  Capahowosick and the respect of making Smith his
  son

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Upon Smiths return

• Colony is in chaos
• Ratcliffe is preparing to flee (like Wingfield
  did before him)
• Colonists tried to put Smith to death for the
  deaths of Robinson and Emry (see page 18)

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The Puritan Philosophy
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The Puritan Age

• Basic Timeline

1630 The Great Migration to New England
(Puritans)
1690
1745
The Great Awakening
1636 Harvard College founded
1692 The Salem Witch Trials
1620 Mayflower lands (W. Bradford) with 100
pilgrims
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Puritanism a definition

• As a religion it stems from Roman Catholic
• Catholics Church of England (Anglican)
  Puritan (to purify)
• As a way of life it is based on God and his
  teachings
• Puritans lived in a THEOCRACY
• Church State
• Elders
• Ministers government/law
• Bible teachings

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Puritan Views

• View of God
• All-powerful
• All-knowing
• Revengeful
• Just/fair

• View of Man
• Sinful
• Unworthy of salvation

• View of Nature
• - Used by God as a way to punish or reward man

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Puritan Tenets (beliefs)

• The Bible is the inerrant (without errors) word
  of God and an outline for living
• Special people (good Puritans) have been chosen
  by God to carry out certain actions
• Your eternal destiny is decided before you are
  born. How you live life hints to this destiny.
• In all aspects of life, be pragmatic (practical)
  and avoid frivolous (unnecessary) activities.
• Work is necessary and good for you.

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Puritan reasons for writing

• Puritan literature is both PRAGMATIC and
  THEOCRATIC
• Reasons for writing are
• Loneliness
• To describe the new land
• For support from Europe
• To explain action (esp. W. Bradford)
• For religious purposes (esp. J. Edwards)

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Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God
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Jonathan Edwards bio

• Born in East Windsor, Connecticut
• Puritan minister
• Believes that everything in Gods universe exists
  for some purpose (stated _at_ age 11)
• Went to Yale College _at_ 13
• Early 20s he married Sarah Pierrepont, a woman as
  absorbed in God as he
• Was an important part of the Great Awakening
  (1735 1742)

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Bio, cont.

• The Great Awakening was the attempted revival of
  Puritanism
• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was a
  powerful sermon that moved many people ? it
  aroused a listening frenzy
• 1750 Edwards was dismissed as preacher of his
  Northampton church because of his insistence on
  grace as the essence of religious life

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

• Edwards sermon begins with a thesis God is
  all-powerful and keeps you from harm
• He attempts to persuade his congregation through
  fear
• Humans, his congregation, take their good health
  as a sign that they will be kept from hell
• In reality, if it were not for God, all would
  fall straight to Hell
• wickedness is as heavy as lead
• A simile comparing wickedness to a tangible
  (touchable) item
• Lead drops just as people weighted with sin would

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• Mans attempt to keep out of Hell is ineffective
• Edwards compare it to a spiders web stopping a
  falling rock impossible
• Imagery black clouds of Gods wrath, full of
  storm and thunder (meant to instill fear)
• God keeps the storm from rushing
• upon you
• The wrath of God is like great waters dammed His
  power, over time, builds
• God may temporarily withhold his vengeance, but
  your guilt builds greater and greater

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• God is the only one that keeps you from death
• YOUspider, loathsome insect, hateful venomous
  serpent
• If you are not born again (achieve grace) then
  you are in danger of receiving Gods wrath
• Not all people have the opportunity to repent for
  their sins those that do are lucky
• Edwards end with hope for his congregation to
  receive salvation