UNIT 1:A GATHERING OF VOICES

Literature of Early America

Beginnings to 1750

John WinthropGovernor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

“We shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.”

So…why should we study American Literature?

Because it’s more than just studying about major American writers.

It’s more than just reading about major literary movements that shaped this nation.

It’s even more than just learning how history and cultural events shaped the writers of the past.

It’s about….

Learning how you feel, how you react, and how you respond to the literary, historical, and cultural movements of yesterday….

It’s about learning how take those events from yesterday and using them to become better men and women…

So that one day you can be the writers, leaders, and great thinkers that our children read, analyze, and write about tomorrow.

Questions for Consideration

Who is an American? What is American literature? When does “American” literature

begin? Who is great and who is not so

great? What forces shaped American

writers?

What is an American? Are Christopher Columbus

and John Smith Americans? Are early Native American

tales American literature? Were the Puritans

Americans? Was Thomas Paine an

American writer?

First Explorers and Settlers

Columbus, Smith, early missionaries and early settlers thought of themselves as Europeans

They thought, wrote, acted, and worked as and for Europeans

Columbus wrote as propaganda, to gain more funding and political backing for his trips

Smith also wrote for propaganda purposes: to gain backing and settlers

When Chris Columbus reached North America in 1492, the continent was already populated by several Native American tribes.

Though unknown when the first Americans came to what is now the United States, Native Americans have been here 30x longer than their European counterparts

What were they doing all that time? No one really knows. What we do know is that they treated the Europeans as friends.

The First Americans

Pilgrims and Puritans – Farmers and Religious Reformers

Small group of Europeans sailed on the Mayflower in 1620.

Religious reformers known as Puritans Became critical of the Church of England Instead of “purifying” within, they chose to

withdraw Established settlement in Plymouth

Massachusetts Believed human beings exist for glory of God

and Predestination Massachusetts Bay Colony founded by religious

reformers – still apart of Church of England

Pg. 7-8

The Southern Planters Southern Colonies differed from New England

colonies Climate, crops, social organization, and religion Prosperous costal cities grew up in the South Beyond the cities lay large plantations Plantation: a large scale agricultural enterprise

and center of commerce 1st Black Slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619

A year before Plymouth Rock By 1750, Puritanism was out and the plantation system

was a way of life.

Pilgrims and Puritans – Farmers and Religious Reformers

An odd melting pot

Literature of the Period

The Melting Potpg. 9-13

Native American Tradition Viewed mainly as folklore 95% oral – no fixed versions

exist Famous orators

Logan and Red Jacket

Explorer’s Accounts Christ Columbus backed by

Queen Isabella set sell in 1492

Wrote his experience in his Journal of the First Voyage to America

Southern Writers John Smith

Wrote The General History of Virginia

John Byrd The History of the

Dividing LIne

The Puritans Writing dominated Puritan’s

life Consisted of theological

studies, hymns, and histories

Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor

Names and Terms to Knowpg. 3

Christopher Columbus

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Anne Bradstreet Native

Americans

The Great Awakening

Edward Taylor Puritans and

Pilgrims Explorers’

Accounts John Smith

Important Dates to Rememberp. 4-5

1492 Christopher Columbus lands in the Bahamas

1565 1st permanent settlement in U.S. established

in Florida by Pedro Menendez 1586

English Colony at Roanoke Island disappears; known as the Lost Colony

1590 Iroquois Confederacy established to stop

warfare among the Five Nations

Important Dates to Remember….Pg. 4-5

1607 1st permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia

1619 1st Black Slaves brought to Virginia

1636 Harvard College founded in Massachusetts

1639 First printing press in English-speaking N. America arrives in

Massachusetts 1692

Salem witchcraft trials result in execution of 20 people 1741

Great Awakening, a series of religious revivals begins to sweep the colonies

Are you still with me?

Name 3 key developments in colonial life? Founding of Harvard University First permanent English settlement First printing press

What was the cause of the of executions in 1692 People were convicted of witchcraft

Born in Chicago, Susan Power was greatly influenced by parents representing two distinct cultures. Her mother: Native American. Her father: A descendent of the New Hampshire governor of the Civil War.

Susan Power – Native American Writer and Poet

The Earth on Turtle’s Back - OnondagaWhen Grizzlies Walked Upright - Modocfrom The Navajo Origin Legend – Navajofrom The Iroquois Constitution - IroquoisMuseum Indians – Susan PowersA Journey Through Texas

What we’ll be reading

About: Early Native American Literature Background

There were more than 2000 independent tribes of about one million natives, living here for about 2000 years already.

They spoke 500 different languages from 50 different language groups. But, no Indian tribes had a written language until Sequoyah invented a syllabary for the Cherokees in 1821.

Different tribes had different literary tastes. The Sious preferred war tales; the Ojibwas preferred stories about sex; and the Menominis liked tales of the supernatural.

The Oral Tradition Links the Past with the Present

Styles of Native American Writings

The Art of Storytelling….How Native American retold History

Through Song Dakota Indians at a chief’s funeral would sing the life and

accomplishments at the chief’s funeral Sacred Symbols on Tanned Hides

Literary religious scriptures were placed on tanned hides or stone tablets to ensure customs and religious traditions

Winter Count Indian version of a history book Tanned buffalo hide with symbols, one picture for each

year to represent the most significant event during that year

Oral Tradition Earliest form of American Literature

Native Americans: Two Literary Traditions – 1 Culture

Begins earlier in time Requires language but not

a system of writing Based on memory Includes folklore,

proverbs, and chants Uses strong rhythms and

repetition to help memory Orator can vary

presentation in response to audience

Begins later in time Requires language and

system of writing Based on texts that can

be written, read, & copied

Includes novels, short stories, history books

No variation Materials fixed in a

single version

The Oral Tradition The Written Tradition

Literary Analysis Term: Origin Myths

Origin myths Tradition Stories that recount the origins of

earthly life. Passed down from generation to

generation, Often explain phenomena:

The beginning of human life, The customs and religious rites of a people The creation of natural landmarks Events beyond a people’s control

Reading StrategyRecognize Cultural Details

Literature reflects the culture that produces it.

When we read the three Native American myths there are several cultural details that indicate how the Native Americans lived as well as what they valued.

When you read, you need to begin to pay attention to cultural details: References to objects, animals, or practices that

signal how people live, think, or worship You do this to gain insight into their culture