2. 
 The earliest American literature was an
interesting mixture of travel accounts and
religious writings produced mainly by
immigrants from England.
Colonialism, Puritanism, and
Revolutionary Nationalism
(16th to Early 19th Century)

3. 
Characteristics
 The Colonial period was dominated by Puritan
beliefs and thus literature of this period is usually
historical, religious, or didactic.
 The most common genres were tracts, polemics,
journals, narratives, sermons, and some poetry.
 Imaginative literature was rare; in some colonies, it
was banned for being immoral.
Colonial Period

4.  William Bradford- the first
historian of America, described
in his book History of Plimmoth
Plantation the travel of the
pilgrims from the time they set
sail for the new land to their
landing on the coast of America
in 1620.
 William Bradford's descendants
include Noah Webster, Julia
Child and Supreme Court
Justice William Rehnquist.
Colonial Prose Writers

5. 
 Captain John Smith –
described the truthful
accounts of his adventures
in A Description of New
England. (1616)
 Francis Higginson –
described America’s wealth
of natural resources in New
England’s Plantation (1630).
Colonial Prose Writers

6. 
 Cotton Mather - wrote
Magnalia Chisti Americana, a
massive collection of
cultural, supernatural and
religious literature.
 Jonathan Edward –
considered as the greatest of
Puritan religious leaders,
whose tracts and semons
reflected his conversion to
Calvinism.
Colonial Prose Writers

7.  Anne Bradstreet – America’s
first notable poet, captured
the colonial experience in
verses in her collection of
poems, The Tenth Muse Lately
Sprung Up in America, which
is reflective of her own piety.
 Michael Wigglesworth –
achieved wide popularity
among his contemporaries
with his poem The Day of
Doom (1662), a description of
the day of judgement.
Colonial Poets

8. Characteristics
 This period begins with the passing of the Stamp
Act in England and ends in 1790.
 The Revolutionary period usually refers to
writings that are politically motivated, either in
support of British rule, in support of American
patriotism and independence, or relating to the
Constitution.
 The Age of Reason—style of writing referred to as
“logical reasoning”.
 The best known writer of the Revolutionary era
outside of the political field is Ben Franklin.
Revolutionary Period

9.  Writing was meant to be public: during this
period over 50 newspapers were published in coastal
cities. Besides newspapers, most published writings
were pamphlets, magazines, and speeches (oratory).
 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was influential in
swaying public opinion in favor of independence.
 This period produced political documents for the
ages. However, no American novels or plays of
importance had been written.
Revolutionary Period

10.  Thomas Paine – known for his
works, Common Sense and The Crisis,
which urge colonials to rebel.
Interesting Facts About Thomas Paine
 He nearly died of typhoid fever on
his first trip to America.
 Paine was also an inventor. He
received a patent for a bridge design
and invented a smokeless candle.
 Paine's writings also influenced
future Americans such as Abraham
Lincoln and Thomas Edison.
Revolutionary Writers