Lit Usa Wyklady

8/3/2019 Lit Usa Wyklady

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10/03/2011

1) Native Americans songs, prayers; nothing written down;

- orally transmitted generation from generation, forming what is called

an oal teadition- the figure of the story teller within Natives is a healing and story

telling

2) The beginnings of colonization- brought by the White People. They brought

their culture, literary traditions.

They came from the South - Spanish People

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca: Explorer

Alvar Nuez Cabeza de Vaca was a Spanish explorer who sailed to North America

from Spain, leaving in 1527.

The expedition of 250 to 300 men was led byPanfilo de Narvaez. After surviving a

hurricane near Cuba, the expedition landed on the west coast ofFlorida (near Tampa

Bay) in April 1528, claiming the land for Spain.

A series of hurricanes and fights with Native Americans killed many of the crew, and

the pilot of the ship sailed to Mexico without the 250 to 300 men. The stranded menhastily made 5 make-shift rafts on which they sailed west, hoping to reach a Spanish

settlement in Mexico.

Three rafts sank, but the two surviving rafts (carrying 80 men) landed at Galveston

Island (off what is now Texas). Narvaez did not survive.

After a very cold winter with very little food, only 15 men survived. In spring, the

men traveled west by land, walking along the Colorado River. By 1533, there were

only four survivors, includingEstevanico, Carranza, Cabeza de Vaca, and Alonso

Castillo Maldonado. The men were enslaved for a while by some Indian tribes alongthe way, and were helped by other tribes. They were the first non-natives to travel in
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this area of the southwestern North America. Da vaca and his fellow travelers were

the first Europeans to see thebison, or American buffalo.

The four men finally reached the Spanish settlement of Culiacan in early 1536 (8

years after being stranded in Florida). Later that year they reached Mexico City,

where they were welcomed by the Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza.

After serving as a Mexican territorial governor, Cabeza de Vaca returned to Spain (in

1537) and published an account of his travels, noting the appalling treatment of

Indians by the Spanish. His writing encouraged many other Spanish expeditions to the

Americas, including those ofHernando de Sotoand Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.

In 1540, Cabeza de Vaca was appointed governor of the Spanish settlement on the

Rio de la Plata (now called Paraguay). He explored along the Paraguay River (in

1542, he was the first European to see Iguacu Falls). The settlers threw him out of

office in 1545, and he was put on trial - he was charged with many offenses, including

usurping the authority of the King of Spain. He was found guilty and died soon after.

FIRST RECORDS OF AMERICAN NATIVES AND WILDLIFE OF USA.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/bison/Bisoncoloring.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/desoto.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/desoto.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/coronado.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/coronado.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/bison/Bisoncoloring.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/desoto.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/coronado.shtml


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3) 1607 - 3 ship loads landed in Virginia founded JamesTown forst

permanent British colony. Man in charge of it was Cpt John Smith

He published an account of the voyage A true realtion of Virginia (1608)

Most famous record of his exploration is A description of New England

(1616).John Smith explored the coast as far as to Cape Cod. He created maps. Than

he went back to England. His impact in literature was tremendous. His intention was

to encourage ppl to come to America.- kind of A PROMISED LAND, land he

advertised the America. - Myth of the American Dream- which may come true if you

put an effort to colonize it.

Captain John Smithwas an English adventurer and soldier, and one of the founders of

the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement - 1607. Smith also led expeditions exploring

Chesapeake Bay and the New England coast.

Smith was one of 105 settlers who sailed from England on December 19, 1606, and

landed in Virginia on April 26, 1607. When they reached North America, the group

opened sealed instructions and found that Smith was chosen as one of the seven

leaders of the new colony. This was controversial since Smith had been accused of

mutiny on the voyage.

The settlers established Jamestown on May 24, 1607; it became the first permanent

English settlement in North America. Jamestown was located on an island in the

James River in what is now Virginia. Smith was the colony's leader and also led

hunting and exploration expeditions around the area. He traveled as far as what is now

Richmond, Virginia (1607). On another trip later that year, Smith was taken captive

by the Chief of the
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Powhatan Indians and was condemned to death. Pocahontas (1595-1617), daughter of

the Indian chief, saved Smith's life. (Pocahontas eventually married the English settler

John Rolfe and later died of smallpox.)

By the end of the first year, most of the settlers had died of starvation or disease. After

that disastrous first year, Smith imposed order by forcing everyone to work.

In 1608, Smith led a small expedition exploring the Chesapeake Bay area (as far north

as Baltimore). On their return trip, they also went up the Potomac River (up to

Washington, D.C.). Smith almost died while returning to Jamestown; he caught a

stingray that stung him and almost killed him. That area of the Rapahannock River is

still called Stingray Point. After returning to Jamestown, he set out again to explore

more of Chesapeake Bay, mapping much of the area.

More settlers arrived at the Jamestown colony in August, 1609. There was noagreement on who should be in charge of the colony. Smith was injured in a

gunpowder explosion in September, 1609, and left for England in October, 1609.

Smith sailed to America again in 1614, traveling to what he called New England, the

area from Maine andMassachusetts. He returned to England with furs (but he never

returned to Virginia).
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4) 1620 William Bradford led a group of Pilgrims from Holland to Virginia;

They were first Puritans Holand-> USA>, but they never made it.

They landed in Plymouth from the name of Plymouth in England.

Before they left the ship they signed a document principles of DEMOCRACY The

Mayflower Compact agreement to form a government in new land and to followdemocratically elected leader. William became FIRST GOVERNOR.

As a member of the Separatist movement within Puritanism, Bradford migrated to

Holland in 1609 in search of religious freedom and lived 11 years in Leiden. In 1620

he helped organize the Mayflower's expedition to the New World.

To bind the group into a political body, Bradford helped draft the To bind the group

important Mayflower Compacten route to America.

Political body, Bradford helped draft the important Mayflower Compacten route to

America. Once on land, he helped select the site for the new colony. In 1621, after thecolony's first, disastrous winter, he was unanimously elected governor, and he served

in that position for some 30 years between 1621 and 1656. His remarkable tact,

honesty, and political ability proved indispensable in assuring the colony's survival,

and he helped avert numerous potential disasters. He was instrumental in establishing

and fostering the principles of self-government and religious freedom that

characterized later American colonial government.

Though lacking in formal education, Bradford possessed native literary ability. His

vivid account of the early settlement,History of Plimoth Plantation,1620-1647, not

published in full until 200 years after his death (1856), has been a unique source of

information about the Puritans' voyage and the challenges that faced the settlers.

1624 The Dutch established New Amsterdam as a capital of New Netherlands

later renamed to New York

1630 - History of Plymouth Plantation

1636 Harvard first University

Literature : diaries, travel accounts, spiritual autobiographies focus deeply on spiritual

life.

Plain style, simplicity in their architecture, food.


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Puritans were devoted Christians they wanted to purify the Christian church.They

wanted to escape from prosecution of church in England.They were highly educated

people. They established schools.They produced more books than all people in

colonies all together.

Puritans treted writing as an extension of religion. The predominant subject wasTHEOLOGY and HISTORY. They wrote not for enetertainment but to instruct

others and themselves and they wanted to testify the experience of divine grace. They

were looking for signs as being ELECTED.They believed in PREDESTINATION -

god makes the decision whether one goes to hell or heaven. They believed in signs of

grace which could be seen during the entire life. One of the sign of being the chosen

ones was the economic success- if you become rich, gain recognition,respect it can

be a sign of gods grace. Religious matters stricly connected with material matters.

CAPITALISM - the sign that god was on their side.- east colonies success..

Puritans were not interested in antagonizing their culture with Natives.


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17/03/2011/, 24/03/2011

What was the Great Awakening? :

The Great Awakening was a period of great revivalism that spreadthroughout the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. It deemphasizedthe importance of church doctrine and instead put a greaterimportance on the individual and their spiritual experience.

Why did the Great Awakening Occur? :

The Great Awakening arose at a time when man in Europe and the American

colonies were questioning the role of the individual in religion and society. It began

at the same time as the Enlightenment which emphasized logic and reason and

stressed the power of the individual to understand the universe based on scientificlaws. Similarly, individuals grew to rely more on a personal approach to salvation

than church dogma and doctrine.

Who was Jonathan Edwards? :

Jonathan Edwards was a key American revivalist during the Great Awakening who

preached for close to ten years in New England. He emphasized a personal

approach to religion. He also bucked the puritan tradition and called for unity

amongst all Christians as opposed to intolerance. His most famous sermon was

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," delivered in 1741. In this sermon heexplained that salvation was a direct result from God and could not be attained by

human works as the Puritans preached.

Who was George Whitefield? :

A second important figure during the Great Awakening was George Whitefield.

Unlike Edwards, Whitefield was a British minister who moved to colonial America.

He was known as the "Great Itinerant" because he traveled and preached all around

North American and Europe between 1740 and 1770. His revivals led to many

conversions and the Great Awakening spread from North America to the European

continent.


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What is the Significance of the Great Awakening? :

Following are significant facts to remember about the Great Awakening:

It pushed individual religious experience over established church doctrine,thereby decreasing the importance and weight of the clergy and the church in

many instances.

New denominations arose or grew in numbers as a result of the emphasis on

individual faith and salvation.

It unified the American colonies as it spread through numerous preachers

and revivals. This unification was greater than had ever been achieved

previously in the colonies.


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ENLIGHTMENT

Much of XVIII century literature serve political purposes. Its time of struggle for

independence. Many works carried a spirit of Declaration of Independence (need to

be economically, spiritually, culturally independent of New England).

Its and emphasis on rationalilty, established model of life, vision, attitude against

reality. Need to reform, change the life.

1776- Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson inalienable truths.

The role of the government is to follow principles from Declaration. If the gov failes

ppl have the right to choose new one.

Henry David Thoroeou -

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