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Early American Literature
Pre 1800

Introduction: The Main Theme
Themes
 Religion
 Early colonists left England to separate from the Church of England
 Authors were intrigued by theology
 The Great Awakening influenced many writers
 Politics
 English politics
 The Revolution
 The Constitution
 Science
 Studies of natural sciences were popular
 Many new inventions

Early American History
1600-1700

1600-1700 America
 English settled on Jamestown,
Virginia 1607
 Colonist were dying from
diseases, starvation, attacks.
 Captain John Smith meets
Pocahontas.
 1612, The Dutch use Manhattan as a
fur trading center.
 Eventually becomes New
Amsterdam
 Tobacco planted for the first time
by English colonists in Virginia.
 1620 - November 9, the Mayflower
ship lands at Cape Cod,
Massachusetts, with 101 colonists.

Cont’d
 1630 - John Winthrop leads a Puritan
migration of 900 colonists to
Massachusetts Bay.
 1636 – Roger Williams found Rhode
Island
 1638 – Anne Hutchison banished from
Massachusetts

Cont’d
 1638, The first colonial printing
press is set up in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
 1640 - 1659 - English Civil War
erupts between the Royalists of
King Charles I and the
Parliamentary army.
 1646 - In Massachusetts, the
general court approves a law that
makes religious heresy punishable
by death.

Cont’d
 1652 - Rhode Island enacts the first
law in the colonies declaring slavery
illegal.
 1660 - The English Crown approves a
Navigation Act.
 1663 - Navigation Act of 1663 requires
that most imports to the colonies must
be transported via England on English
ships.

Cont’d
 1664 - Maryland passes a law
making lifelong servitude for black
slaves mandatory.
 1673 - Dutch military forces
retake New York from the British.
 1681 - Pennsylvania is founded as
William Penn, a Quaker, receives
a Royal charter with a large land
grant from King Charles II.

Cont’d
 1686 - King James II begins
consolidating the colonies of
New England into a single
Dominion depriving colonists of
their local political rights and
independence.
 1693 - The College of William
and Mary is founded in
Williamsburg, Virginia.

Early American History
Timeline: 1700 – 1800

Colonies Expand
 1700 - The Anglo population in the
English colonies in America reaches
275,000, with Boston (pop. 7000) as
the largest city, followed by New York
(pop. 5000).
 1706 - January 17, Benjamin Franklin
is born in Boston. In November, South
Carolina establishes the Anglican
Church as its official church.
 1712 - In May, the Carolina colony is officially divided into North
Carolina and South Carolina.
 1714 - Tea is introduced for the first time into the American
Colonies.

England Fears for Control
 1727 - King George II ascends
the English throne.
 1729 - Benjamin Franklin
begins publishing The
Pennsylvania Gazette, which
eventually becomes the most
popular colonial newspaper.
 1731 - The first American
public library is founded in
Philadelphia by Benjamin
Franklin.
 1739 - England declares war on Spain. As a result, in America,
hostilities break out between Florida Spaniards and Georgia
and South Carolina colonists.

War on the French
 1750 - The Iron Act is passed
by the English Parliament,
limiting the growth of the iron
industry in the American
colonies to protect the English
Iron industry.
 1754 - The French and Indian
War erupts as a result of
disputes over land in the Ohio
River Valley.
 1758 - In July, a devastating defeat occurs for English forces at Lake George,
New York, as nearly two thousand men are lost during a frontal attack
against well entrenched French forces at Fort Ticonderoga. French losses are
377 men.

War Tax
 1760 - The population of colonists in America reaches 1,500,000. In
March, much of Boston is destroyed by a raging fire.
 1763 - The French and Indian War ends with the Treaty of Paris.
Under the treaty, France gives England all French territory east of
the Mississippi. The Spanish give up east and west Florida to the
English in return for Cuba.
 1764 - The Sugar Act is passed by the English Parliament to offset
the war debt brought on by the French and Indian War (This taxed
the import of textiles to the colonies.)

Rise to Revolt
 1770 - The population of the American colonies reaches 2,210,000
persons.
 1773 – The Tea act is passed allowing the East India Trading Co. a
three penny per pound tax on tea. During the Boston Tea Party
colonial activists disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians then board
the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the harbor.
 1774 - September 5 to October 26, the First Continental Congress
meets in Philadelphia with 56 delegates, representing every colony,
except Georgia.

Revolution
 1775 – April 18th, Paul Revere rides to Lexington, to warn Sam
Adams and John Hancock about the British invasion of a weapons
depot in Concord. At Dawn on the 19th 70 Massachusetts Militia Men
stand guard and an un-ordered shot starts the revolutionary war.
 1776 – July 4th. The founding Fathers sign the declaration of
independence.
 1776 – 1784 July 14 – The Revolutionary War wages. France and
Spain ally the United States in their struggle for independence. The
War lasted for 8 years; the forces under the command of General
Washington, Count de Grasse, and Rochambeau are responsible for
allied rebellious victory.

Reconstruction
 1786 - Americans suffer from post-war
economic depression including
a shortage of currency, high taxes,
Bankruptcies, and farm
foreclosures.
 1787 – A draft of the constitution is
drawn up. Federalists agree with a
centralized government, similar to
that of Britain minus the Monarchy.
Anti-Federalists oppose centralized
government in exchange for more
power to state Govt.
 1788 – The Federalist prevail as the
Bill of rights is Ratified by a vote of
89 – 75.

Civil Reform
 1789 – April 30th, George Washington, at age 57, is sworn in as the
first President of the United States.
 1789 - The U.S. Army is established by Congress. Totaling 1000
men, it consists of one regiment of eight infantry companies and
one battalion of four artillery companies.
 1790 – April 17th, Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.
His funeral draws over 20,000 mourners.
 1793 - Cotton Gin invented November 16. Fugitive Slave Act passed,
this made it a federal crime to help a runaway slave.

Out with the Old in with the New
 1796 - December 7. John
Adams is elected second
president of the U.S.
Jefferson is elected vice
president.
 1800 - The U. S. capital is
moved from Philadelphia to
Washington, D.C.
 1799 - December 14.
George Washington dies at
Mount Vernon, at Age 67.

Early American Authors
1600-1700

Captain John Smith (1580-1631)
 Captain John Smith (c. January 1580–June 21,
1631) Admiral of New England was an English
soldier, sailor, and author
 Remembered for his part in making the first
permanent English settlement in north America at
Jamestown, Virginia, and his brief association with
the native American girl Pocahontas when they
were hanging out with the Powhatan Confederacy
and her father, Chief Powhaton
 He was a leader of the Virginia Colony between
September 1608 and August 1609, and led an
exploration along the rivers of Virginia and the
Chesapeake Bay
 With his books, he helped get people to follow trails
like he did
 He gave the name New England to that region, and
encouraged people with the comment, "Here every
man may be master and owner of his own labor
and land...If he have nothing but his hands, he
may...by industry quickly grow rich.“
 His message attracted millions of people in the next
four centuries.
 His writings:
 A True Relation of Such Occurrences and
Accidents of Note as Happened in Virginia
(1608)
 A Map of Virginia (1612)
 The Proceedings of the English Colony in
Virginia (1612)
 A Description of New England(1616)
 New England's Trials (1620, 1622)
 The General historiy of Virginia, New England,
and the Summer Isles (1624)
 An Accidence, or the Pathway to Experience
Necessary for all Young Seamen (1626)
 A Sea Grammar (1627) - the first sailors'
word book in English
 The True Travels, Adventures and
Observations of Captain John Smith (1630)
 Advertisements for the Unexperienced
Planters of New England, or Anywhere (1631)

Edward Winslow (1595-1655)
 Edward Winslow was a Pilgrim leader on the
Mayflower and was governor of Plymouth colony in
1633, 1636, and 1644
 He was born in Droitwich, Worcestershire, England,
on October 18, 1595
 His first wife was Elizabeth (Barker) Winslow
 She accompanied him on the Mayflower, and died
soon after their arrival in Plymouth
 Winslow remarried in May 1621 to Mrs. Susannah
White - this was the first marriage in the New
England colonies
 Winslow later founded what would become Marshfield
in the Plymouth Colony where he lived on an estate
he called Careswell.
 In 1655 he was the chief of the three English
commissioners whom Cromwell sent on his expedition
against the West Indies to advise with its leaders
Admiral Venables and Admiral William Penn, but died
near Jamaica on May 8, 1655, and was buried at sea
 His fragments of writings are very important to
historians of the Plymouth colony
His Writings:
 Good News from New England, or a True Relation of
Things very Remarkable at the Plantation of
Plymouth in New England (1624)
 Hypocrisy Unmasked; by a True Relation of the
Governor and Company of Massachusetts against
Samuel Gorton, a Notorious Disturber of the Peace
(1646), to which was added a chapter entitled "A
Brief Narration of the True Grounds or Cause of the
First Plantation of New England“
 New England Salamander (1647)
 The Glorious Progress of the Gospel amongst the
Indians in New England (1649).

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)
 Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612 – September 16,
1672) was a writer and the first notable
American poet and the first woman to be
published in Colonial America
 Born in Northampton, England
 Married Simon Bradstreet when she was
sixteen
 Had smallpox when she was younger, and
when she got it again later her joints became
paralyzed
 She had eight children
 In 1666 her house burned down, losing
everything
 Her daughter died soon after, followed by
her son
 She found religious devotion, knowing that
her children were in heaven
 She wrote about politics, history, medicine,
and theology
 Died on September 16th, 1672 in Andover,
Massachusetts at the age of 60
 Her Writings:
 First work was published in London asThe
Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up into
America, by a Gentlewoman in such Parts
 Contemplations - collection of poems about
religion
 "Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety
of Wit and Learning", which included one of
her most famous poems, “To my dear and
loving husband”

Early American Authors
1700-1800

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1757)
 Early Life (1703-1730)
 Born October 5th, 1703 in New Haven, Connecticut
 Attended Yale College from 1716 to 1726
 Studied theology, philosophy, and natural sciences
 Supported Calvinism
 Became a minister in 1727 at Northampton
 Life During the Great Awakening (1730-1750)
 Took part in the religious revival movements in Northampton
 Wrote several sermons on the aspects of conversion
 A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1738)
 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)
 In the Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God (1741)
 Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival (1742)
 A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1746)
 Later Years (1750-1758)
 His church at Northampton dismissed him in 1750
 Worked as a missionary to the Mahican and Mohawk families
at Stockbridge, Massachussets
 Later works addressed the “Arminian controversy”
 A Careful and Strict Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of
that Freedom of Will… (1754)
 The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended (1758)
 Accepted presidency at the College of New Jersey (Princeton
University) in 1757
 Died on March 22nd, 1758 due to smallpox inoculation

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
 Early Life (1706-1723)
 Born on January 7th, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts
 His father put him school with the clergy but could not
afford the years of education he had to receive
 Became and apprentice printer, working with his brother
James, who owned the New England Courant
 His brother didn’t let him write in the paper
 In 1723, he ran away due to his brother’s abusive
personality
 Life as a Printer in Philadelphia (1723-1750)
 Found work as an apprentice printer
 Was sent to England by the governor to buy equipment
 Once he returned, he started his own printing business
 Bought the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729
 In 1733 he started publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac
 Helped out with various civil contributions
 Retired from work in 1749, focusing on science
 Stove, Swim fins, Glass armonica, Bifocals,
Electricity
 Life in England (1750-1775)
 From 1757 to 1775 he served as a representative for
Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts
 Persuaded Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act in 1765
 Got involved in the Hutchinson Affair
 Was condemned in public by the English Foreign Ministry
 Later Years (1775-1790)
 Elected to the Second Continental Congress
 Helped write the Declaration of
Independence
 Became Ambassador for the French in 1776
 Returned to America in 1783
 Became President of the Executive Council
of Pennsylvania
 Served as a delegate to the Constitutional
Convention
 Died on April 17th, 1970

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
 Notable Writings:
 Work Ethic
 Poor Richard’s Almanac (1732-1758)
 The Way to Wealth (1758)
 Criticism on the English
 Rules By Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One (1773)
 An Edict By the King of Prussia (1773)
 Native Americans
 Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America (1784)
 Slavery
 An Address to the Public (1789)
 A Plan for Improving the Conditions of Free Blacks (1789)
 Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim on the Slave Trade (1790)
 Other
 Autobiography (1790)

Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
 Early Life (1737-1775)
 Born on January 27th, 1737 in Thetford, England
 Attended school until age 12
 Became an apprentice corset maker
 Sailed out of England to become a privateer
 Returned to England, establishing his own corset
shop in 1759
 Became an excise (tax) officer in 1762
 The Case of the Officers of Excise (1772)
 Life in America (1775-1783)
 Emigrated to Philadelphia
 Started a career in journalism
 Became editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine
 Supported the American Revolution
 Common Sense (1776)
 The Crisis (1776-1783)
 Return to Europe (1783-1802)
 Supported the French Revolution
 The Rights of Man (1792)
 Moved to France to join the National Convention
 Imprisoned due to his opposition to the execution of
Louis XVI
 The Age of Reason (1794-1796)
 Freed in 1794 thanks to James Monroe
 Final Years (1802-1809)
 Returned to America in 1802 when
Thomas Jefferson invited him
 Became disliked due to his actions
before he moved back
 Died on June 8th, 1809

Early American Artists
(1600-1800)

John Trumbull (1756-1843)
 Born June 6, 1756 Lebanon Connecticut
 Father was the governor of Connecticut
 Famous for historical paintings
 Educated at Harvard
 Due to a childhood accident he lost use of one eye
which could have influenced his style
 Was a soldier in the American Revolutionary war.
 At the Battle of Boston he sketched the British
Fortifications to aid the revolution
 In 1780 he went to London to study under Benjamin
West who turned him on to the idea of painting small
pictures of the war of independence and miniature
portraits
 When British agent Major John Andre was captured and
hanged as a spy in America he was imprisoned for
seven months in London because he was a soldier of
similar rank in the continental army.
 He sold a series of 28 paintings and 60 miniature
portraits to Yale University which is the single largest
collection of his works.
 Died November 10, 1843 New York, New York

Gilbert Stuart (1775-1828)
 Born December 3, 1775 Saunderstown Rhode Island
 Did Lots and Lots of Portraits
 His most famous work is the portrait of George Washington on the 1 dollar
bill
 Made portraits of the United States first 6 presidents
 His dad Gilbert Stuart was a Scottish immigrant who worked in the snuff-making
industry
 His mom Elizabeth Anthony Stewart was part of a prominent land owning
family in Middletown, Rhode Island
 At 7 he moved to Newport, Rhode Island with his dad. He showed much
aptitude in painting and was tutored by Cosmo Alexander
 He moved to Scotland with his teacher in 1771 but his mentor died the
next year so he returned home
 At the onset of the American Revolution he left for England because the
revolution jeopardized his career
 While there he studied under Benjamin west for 6 years and soon gained
wide acclaim
 Despite his paintings selling so well he accumulated lots of debt and was in
danger of being sent to a debtors prison so he fled to Dublin, Ireland
where he continued to paint and fall further in debt
 Eventually he would move back to America and set up a studio in
Germantown, Pennsylvania
 It was here that he would paint many affluent Americans and become well
known as an American artist
 He moved to Boston in 1805 where he continued to grow in debt and
acclaim
 He had a stroke in 1828 that left him partially paralyzed but continued to
paint for another 2 years till he died
 Since he left his family in such debt he was buried in an unmarked grave
that was purchased cheaply
 Once his family recovered from debt they were going to move his body to a
family cemetery but couldn’t remember the location so they didn’t
 Died July 9, 1828 Boston, Mass.

John Wollaston
 Born in England
 Son of a portraitist John Wollaston
 He may have received instruction from a
painter in drapery in London before moving
to New York where he was a portrait painter
 Since those who could actually afford
portraits were the rich and affluent that’s
who he painted
 Died in England

Presentation Sources
 http://www.historyhotline.com/AmericanHistoryTimelines.htm
 http://www.apva.org/history/
 http://faculty.washington.edu/qtaylor/a_us_history/1600_1799_timeline.htm
 http://faculty.washington.edu/qtaylor/a_us_history/1700_1800_timeline.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_washington
 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-early.htm
 http://edwards.yale.edu/research/about-edwards/biography
 http://www.ushistory.org/paine/index.htm
 http://www.marylandartsource.org/artists/detail_000000073.html

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Early american literature pre 1800 (1)

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Early american literature pre 1800 (1)