AMERICAN LITERATURE

EARLY AMERICAN AND COLONIAL PERIOD 1500???-1776

Information taken from America.gov Archives

Native Americans
American literature begins with the orally transmitted myths, legends, tales, and lyrics (always songs) of Indian cultures. There was no written literature among the more than 500 different Indian languages and tribal cultures that existed in North America before the first Europeans arrived

Native Americans Continued

Tribes maintained their own religions worshipping gods, animals, plants, or sacred persons. Systems of government ranged from democracies to councils of elders to theocracies. These tribal variations enter into the oral literature as well.

Native Americans Continued

Still, it is possible to make a few generalizations. Indian stories, for example, glow with reverence for nature as a spiritual as well as physical mother. Nature is alive and endowed with spiritual forces; main characters may be animals or plants, often totems associated with a tribe, group, or individual

The Colonists
The Puritan definition of good writing was that which brought home a full awareness of the importance of worshipping God and of the spiritual dangers that the soul faced on Earth. Puritan style varied enormously from complex philosophical poetry to ordinary journals and crushingly dull religious history.

The Colonists
Whatever the style or genre, certain themes remained constant. Life was seen as a test; failure led to eternal damnation and hellfire, and success to heavenly bliss. This world was an arena of constant battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, a formidable enemy with many disguises.

Authors of the Time Period

William Bradford (1590-1657) Elected Governor of Plymouth (MA Bay Colony) shortly after landing. Deeply religious, self-educated man who learned several languages. Recorded the Mayflower Compact which served as a model for the Declaration of Independence a century and a half later.

Authors of the Time Period

Cotton Mather (1663-1728) From a long line of famous clergymen. Graduated Harvard at 15 Wrote of New England in over 500 books and pamphlets. Overly-religious and paranoid. Believed, as did many others at the time, that witchcraft was wide-spread but secretive.

Authors of the Time Period

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) Also highly educated Devoted to law and authority His sermons had huge impact causing whole groups of worshippers to get hysterical. His harsh sermons ended up alienating people from his beliefs and a more liberal and tolerant society emerged.