Backgrounds to American Literature. Colonialism and the Revolutionary Period.pdf

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COLONIALISM
AND THE
REVOLUTIONARY
PERIOD
(BEGINNINGS–1800)
Jerry Phillips, Ph.D.
General Editor
Department of English
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Michael Anesko, Ph.D.
Adviser and Contributor
Director, Honors Program in English
Pennsylvania State University
Karen Meyers
Principal Author
697451682.002.png
Colonialism and the Revolutionary Period
(Beginnings–1800)
Copyright © 2006 by DWJ BOOKS LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Meyers, Karen, 1948-
Colonialism and the revolutionary period :
beginnings to 1800 / Karen Meyers.
p. cm. — (Backgrounds to American literature)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8160-5667-6 (alk. paper)
1. American literature—Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775—History and criticism. 2. American literature—
Revolutionary period, 1775-1783—History and criticism. 3. United States—History—Revolution,
1775-1783—Literature and the revolution. 4. Revolutionary literature, American—History and criticism.
5. American literature—1783-1850—History and criticism. 6. United States—Intellectual life—18th century.
7. United States—Intellectual life—17th century. 8. Imperialism in literature. 9. Colonies in literature. I. Title.
II. Series.
PS185.M49 2005
810.9'001—dc22
2005020816
Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses,
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You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com
Printed in the United States of America
VB PKG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Acknowledgments
pp. 11, 15, 27, 39, 43, 51, 65, 71, 79:
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
p. 21: North Wind Picture Archives
DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED BY DWJ BOOKS LLC
CONTENTS
1. The First 300 Years
4
2. The Literature of Puritanism 18
3. Aspects of Colonial
American Culture
33
4. The Literature of the
American Enlightenment
47
5. The Literature of the
American Revolution
60
6. Literary and Cultural Visions
of the New World
73
Timeline
84
Glossary of Terms
87
Biographical Glossary
89
Further Reading
94
Index
95
PREFACE
The five volumes of Backgrounds to American Literature explore 500
years of American literature by looking at the times during which the
literature developed. Through a period’s historical antecedents and
characteristics—political, cultural, religious, economic, and social—
each chapter covers a specific period, theme, or genre.
In addition to these six chapters, readers will find a useful time-
line of drama and theatrical history, poetry and prose, and history; a
glossary of terms (also identified by SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS throughout
the text); a biographical glossary; suggestions for further reading; and
an index. By helping readers explore literature in the context of
human history, the editors hope to encourage readers to further ex-
plore the literary world.
1. THE FIRST 300 YEARS
From the “discovery” of America in the fifteenth century to the begin-
ning of the nineteenth century, the world changed from one domi-
nated by religious belief to one shaped by scientific knowledge;
governments evolved from absolute monarchies to democracies; and
men and women began to think of themselves in a new and different
way, not as peasants attached to the land of a lord but as free peo-
ple with the right to self-determination.
American literature, as it developed over the first 300 years, was
influenced by a number of factors. Certainly, like America itself, Amer-
ican literature is a “melting pot,” a complex fusion of the native cul-
tures of the original settlers and the many groups of immigrants who
populated the new land. It was also influenced by the very existence
of the wilderness, vast stretches of land, populated by Native Ameri-
can peoples who were alternately inspiring and frightening. The first
settlers in New England brought with them an intense religious belief
and a piety that has seldom been equaled in religious history, along
with ideas about morality and conduct that permanently affected how
Americans think and feel and how American writers write. Enlighten-
ment philosophy, imported from Europe, took root in America and
grew to shape its founding documents and spur a revolution that
changed the world. From this sea of change came a literature of rev-
olution and rights—and a new mythology, a new vision of what a
human could be and do.
4

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