Explore the literature produced in America from the colonial period to the early 19th century, including works by authors such as Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards, and Washington Irving.
Early American Literature – Overview & Key Points
| Period | Major Events | Literary Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial Era (1607‑1763) | • Settlement of Jamestown (1607) • Pilgrims at Plymouth (1620) • French & Indian War (1754‑1763) |
• Writing primarily functional (laws, sermons, diaries) • Emergence of Puritan religious prose and poetry |
| Revolutionary Era (1763‑1789) | • American Revolution (1775‑1783) • Declaration of Independence (1776) |
• Political pamphlets, essays, and speeches become central (e.g., Common Sense) • Birth of a distinct “American voice” |
| Early Republic (1789‑1830) | • Constitution ratified (1788) • Westward expansion, the “Frontier” • Rise of nationalism |
• Romanticism, nationalism, and the “American character” dominate • Growth of periodicals and a reading public |
| Genre | Characteristics | Representative Works |
|---|---|---|
| Religious & Moral Prose | Didactic, Biblical allusions, sermons | The Bay Psalm Book (1640), Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741) |
| Travel & Frontier Writing | First‑hand accounts, wilderness description, “sublime” nature | Letters from an American Farmer (John Dickinson, 1768) |
| Political Pamphlet | Persuasive, concise, aimed at public opinion | Common Sense (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
| Essay & Periodical Literature | Emerging magazines, literary criticism, cultural commentary | The Port Folio (1795‑1827), The North American Review (1815‑) |
| Poetry | Simple meter, biblical rhythm → later more varied forms; emphasis on nature & patriotism | The Day of Doom (Samuel Danforth, 1662), The Song of Hiawatha (Longfellow, 1855—though post‑early period, shows legacy) |
| Early Fiction (Novels & Short Stories) | Moral instruction, sentimentalism, frontier adventure | The Power of Sympathy (William Hill Brown, 1789), The Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper, 1826) |
| Native American Oral Traditions (transcribed) | Myth, legend, oral storytelling; later recorded by European settlers | The Iroquois Confederacy narratives (recorded by Joseph Brant, 1780s) |
| Author | Lifespan | Notable Works | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Winthrop | 1587‑1649 | A Model of Christian Charity (1630) | Articulated “city upon a hill” ideal; foundational Puritan political theology |
| Anne Bradstreet | 1612‑1672 | The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America (1650) | First published poet in the colonies; blended personal voice with biblical themes |
| Jonathan Edwards | 1703‑1758 | Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741) | Exemplifies the “Great Awakening” rhetoric; powerful revivalist sermon |
| Thomas Paine | 1737‑180 |