1492 Christopher Columbus lands in the

Bahamas1607 – Jamestown

established1620-Pilgrims land

1636-Harvard College founded

Background Information on the Puritans

Who were the Puritans?From EnglandStruggled for years to

purify the church of England

InfluencesMartin Luther who

believed men are inherently evil and God is omnipotent

John Calvin who believed in predestination-belief that your afterlife has already been determined before birth

Believed in original sin, the consequences of sin, and that man sinning was inevitable because of Adam and Eve’s sin

Believed that hard work leads them to virtue

Feared wrath of God and His divine providence in their lives, both physical and eternal

Why did the Puritans seek permanent settlement in the Colonies?

Many suffered from physical religious persecutionPhysical mutilation-

noses slit, ears cut, burnings

Thrown in jail

Freedom to practice religionSought to simplify and

purify the churchModel directly after

God’s wordCreate a “new Eden”No intermediary

between the individual and God

Pilgrims (A.K.A. Separatists)-Plymouth, Massachusetts

1620-A small group of religious reformers who were critical of the Church of England. Having given up hope from purifying the church from within, they chose instead to withdraw from the church-earning the name SEPERATISTS (a.k.a.-Pilgrims).

“They knew they were pilgrims.” -William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation

The Separatists established a settlement at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. With the help of the natives, the pilgrims were able to survive the harshness of North America.

Eventually, Plymouth was engulfed by the Mass. Bay Colony, a much larger settlement to the north.

Belief system of the Puritans

Idea that humans exist for the glory of God and the Bible is the sole expression of God’s will.

Believed in predestination-John Calvin’s doctrine that God has already decided who will achieve salvation and who will not.

Those who are to be saved cannot take their salvation for granted. Thus, all devout Puritans consistently search their souls for signs of grace.

Characteristics of Puritan LiteratureDiaries and histories

important because they were records of workings of God

Saw direct connections between Biblical events and their own lives - TYPOLOGY

Written in plain style- way of writing that emphasizes simple sentences and the use of every day words from common speech

An ornate or clever style of writing would be a sign of vanity and, as such, would not be in accordance with God’s will.

Puritans and EducationThe Puritans had a strong belief in education

for both men and women.1636-Puritans founded Harvard College to

ensure a well educated ministry.1639-Puritans set up their first printing press

in the colonies.1647-Free public schools were established in

Mass.1690-First primer is published: Combined

instruction in spelling and reading with moralistic teachings, such as “In Adam’s Fall/We Sinned All.”

Bay Psalms Book-One of the first books printed in the colonies.

Colonial WritingFour Major Types:

PoetryDiariesHistoriesSermons

Names / Terms to Know…

William BradfordAnne BradstreetJonathan Edwards

Mary Rowlandson

John SmithEdward Taylor

Historical Narrative

Plain StylePuritan/ Separatist

TypologyThe Great Awakening

John Smith / William Bradford

Smith helped to establish the first English settlement in America

He also was a famous explorer responsible for mapping much of New England

Bradford lead the Puritans to Massachusetts

He was elected governor by the Pilgrims

He is credited with helping the early Pilgrims survive

Edward Taylor / Anne Bradstreet

He was educated both in England and in America at Harvard

He is considered the best colonial poet.

He was a highly religious man

Came to America with her husband at the age of 18

Her works were published without her consent by her brother-in-law

She is the most famous woman poet of the period

The Great AwakeningA series of Puritan religious revivals led by such people as Jonathan Edwards-

“Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”- (Sermon used as motivation by Edwards as revivals swept through colonies around 1720.)

Mary RowlandsonCaptured by Indians during a raid…

Provides an account of her experiences-“Narrative of the Captivity”-attempts to show God’s purpose / work in her life, even in midst of such horrible and difficult circumstances

Native Americans…

Origin myths – stories that explain how life began that were passed down from generation to generation.

Oral Tradition – Stories, poems, and songs that convey a people’s values, concerns, and history by word of mouth

Lecture Notes: Puritan Writing

Unlike most of us today, Puritans had few possessions, dressed uniformly, and frowned on creative expression.

Because they left so little behind, they remain a mystery.

Poetry, Diaries/Histories, Sermons

The Puritan Plain Style The Puritan plain style of writing reflects their plain style of

living: Sparse, Simple and Straightforward. The Puritan Plain Style is characterized by short words, direct statements, and reference to everyday, ordinary objects.

For Example, poetry should serve God by clearly expressing only useful or religious ideas – poetry appealing to the senses or emotion is dangerous.

Southern Writers Most southern writing was of a practical nature but unlike

the Puritan writers, southerners did not oppose fiction or drama. As such, in…

John Smith-The leader of the settlement at Jamestown. He wrote The General History of Virginia to describe his experience.

William Byrd-The Planter from Westover William Byrd was the predominant writer from the pre-

revolutionary south. Byrd lived in Westover, a magnificent plantation on the James River given to him by his father.

Byrd was commissioned to survey the dividing line between Virginia and N. Carolina. He kept a running journal which served as the basis for his humorous book, The History of the Dividing Line, a story about a man from the north of England who out of curiosity explored the Dismal swamp, where Byrd later did his surveying.