Unit 1: Colonialism and Early America

Who were the first?

• American literature begins with Native American literature and their experiences living with the land.

Pilgrims and Puritans• Mayflower: carried about 100 passengers

called pilgrims- meaning travelers. Some were Puritans- but not all. They landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in Dec. 1620. Before that winter was over half were dead.

Who were the Puritans?

• Puritans objected to what they saw as corruptions in the Church of England.

• They were known to be separatists who wanted to purify their lives.

Puritans, cont.

• They came to America seeking religious freedom and wanted to establish a God-centered society- a New Jerusalem- the city of God on earth.

Puritan Beliefs

• Grace- a gift given by God that guaranteed salvation “ticket into heaven”

• Original sin- idea that man is born evil due to Adam and Eve’s sin committed in the Garden of Eden.

Puritan beliefs, cont.

Predestination: only the people who are elected by God are saved and go to heaven. The only way an individual could know if he/she was saved was by directly experiencing God’s grace in a religious conversion.

Puritan beliefs, cont.

• The Elect- a select group of people God had chosen to give grace to. The group chosen to go to heaven.

• Plainness- in church decoration, clothes, speech and writing. Wrote in plain style.

Puritan government

• Bible- the ultimate authority in religion and government

• Theocracy: No separation of church and state. In other words, break Biblical law, you go to jail.

Puritan writing• Puritan writing was practical. It was to instruct

others or to examine their own personal lives.• First book published in America was the Bay

Psalm Book (1640)- a translation of the book of Psalms.

• They wrote no fiction (no novels, plays, short stories); they also did not approve of reading fiction.

Puritan writing, cont.

• They avoided ornate style (decorated, complicated); they wrote in plain style- which was to communicate ideas as clearly as possible.

Puritan lifestyle• Although grace was a gift, Puritans strove to prove

they were worthy of it. Their lives consisted of work and prayer.

• They believed prosperity was a sign of election or God’s special favor.

• Strong home life with the father as head of the household.

Puritan lifestyle, cont.

• Passed laws against things that might be a distraction away from God:

• Bowling• Dancing• Plays and acting• Hunting for sport

NO!!

Characteristics of a Puritan

• Hard work, self sacrifice, material success, family life, community, service

• They wore severe black clothing• Intolerant of other religious views but came to America for

religious freedom

Puritan firsts

• First colony to establish the printing press• First to provide free public education• First college- Harvard