Native American Literature Research Paper

Benjamin Franklin was a very important man in the Enlightenment period due to his vast knowledge of science and politics. The American Enlightenment provided the structure for the colonists of America to evolve into a unique American character by 1763 through the circulation of reading materials, the scientific discoveries that lead to unique inventions, the development of a different government, and the tolerance for many religions. This evolution can be assessed by the life of Benjamin Franklin, a key proponent of the Enlightenment. The 18th century was when Britain and its colonies grew closer because of the circulation in letters, newspapers, and books.

Early American Literature consists of the themes: settlement, war, race, identity, slavery, and the American Dream. As an Early American Literature teacher trying to organize my course for next semester can be difficult. All the themes above are important because they are all a part of history. Authors have expressed one or more of these themes in their writing. This next semester three themes will be emphasized along with the authors that discuss them in their works of literature.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. It is also worth to notice that John Hawthorne, one of the Salem Witch Trial Judges, was his great-grandfather (Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography). Since Salem was his hometown, he developed his writing through the gospel of American Puritanism and intend to spread those principles through his literature which also gives the focus of his literature. Hawthorne’s writing style was unique and was well-regarded for several reasons. First of all, Hawthorne induces readers to use their own imagination to interpret the meaning of the tale, as it is evident in “The Minister’s Black Veil”.

How has the American literary tradition evolved throughout time and what influenced it? That is the question that the writings presented throughout the course serves to answer. In his article, “Is There an American Literary Tradition?” Sanford Pinsker comments on what Gushing Strout thinks defines American literature. Strout lists some of the different characteristics that appeals which includes “the lure of upward mobility; religion and the lovers’ triangle; reforming the relation between the sexes…fictionalizing history; and the American dilemmas of slavery and race”

The Story of Tobacco in America is a book written by Joseph C. Robert, and published in 1949. The author provides great information for the reader by dividing the book into nine detailed chapters, from -The Discovery of “That Bewitching Vegetable”in 1492, to “The End of the Tobacco Road”, in 1948. Robert’s book shows the impact that tobacco had in establishing the early lives of American settlers and for the country as a whole. The tobacco plant has shaped the various events throughout American history, while still doing so to this very day. Roberts goal was to provide history to the reader on how tobacco has influenced man and it’s effects on political, economical, and social life of America.

The eighteenth century America saw may changes in terms of reformation. People like Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were the pioneers of this intellectual era who established scientific and rational understanding. The era showed the revolution in literature and people's understanding of mankind. The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening helped in religious revival and help in establish sense of morality. The era argued against the medieval scholasticism and brought people from rural culture into communal identity.

The Evolution of American Literature American literature has changed over many years. Some of these works have helped to shape how we live, work, and think. Others are a reminder of a past that may have been grim or pleasant, depending on how the writer may have seen it. Some works of literature that show the evolution of Americans and our religion could be The World on the Turtle’s Back, The Crucible, and Self-Reliance.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary a novel is defined as "A long fictional prose narrative, usually filling one or more volumes and typically representing character and action with some degree of realism and complexity. " The American novel has developed greatly over time and first emerged in the United States of American at the ending of the eighteenth century. According to the book A Companion to the American Novel, "It is the genre that scholars most often turn to when they try to define the distinctive characteristics of American life and the specific qualities that mark the American imagination. (Benixen, 2012)” Two great American novelists William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald are not only regarded as American writers because

The new country had to create a new government. The Americans made the Article of Confederation, which established a national government known as the Congress of Confederation. They met from 1781 to 1789. The Congress of Confederation helped the U.S. through the revolutionary war, but during the time of peace, the Continental Congress became less and less

What was the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance was an interesting movement which started in the early twentieth century. It ended in 1935 after seventeen years. This movement focused on African American creative art contributions.

All of the above is good, but how did the Puritans affect the surrounding New England area, which would intern start the Revolutionary War? The Puritans affected New England economically,

Protestant Reformation to shape the landscape which they lived in. Protestants and Catholics were constantly trying to reinvent to common social norms that were already in placed in order to please their denomination. In the 1630s the Puritans, led by John Winthrop, settled in Boston with hopes of reforming the Church of England and emplacing their religion and its social values with of those who are already there (primarily Native Americans). Around twelve years later some Puritans, such as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Thomas Hooker, tried to reinvent the morals and theology of the Puritan Community. Years later in the 1730s and 1740s there is a revival called the Great Awakening which focused on reinventing the way people conducted their life and a call for personal choice.

In the novel The kingdom of Matthias by Paul E. Johnson & Sean Wilentz, captures the importance of the Evolution in early American history and the second Great Awakening. The reason this book is important is because it highlights the start of America going from rural to urban during the 19th century and the influence that religion had on America during this time period from the action of prophet Matthias and other like him. Furthermore the novel begins with the young man Elijah Pierson which comes from a strict Calvinist family. Following he moved to New York and he was known as one of the best for the religouis reforming that he conduct.

“Paine 's writings had great influence on his contemporaries, especially the American revolutionaries. John Adams’ prediction that history would attribute the revolution to Paine’s incendiary pamphlets was borne out by Thomas Alva Edison’s The Philosophy of Paine (1925), which remarked that Paine “was the equal of Washington in making America liberty possible. Where Washington performed Paine devised and wrote. The deeds of the one in the Weld were matched by the deeds of the pother with his pen.”

Supporters of American Exceptionalism have used Winthrop 's "city upon a hill" to suggest that the United States, much like the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, serves as a beacon for the rest of the world. Without a doubt, American Exceptionalism can be traced to Puritan roots. The Puritans believed that God had made a covenant with their people and had chosen them to serve as a beacon for the world. Therefore, John Winthrop’s metaphorical “city upon a hill” is often used to promote superiority in a sense. The Puritans ' deep moralistic values remained part of the national identity of the United States for centuries, remaining an important part of American life to this