Unit I: The Beginning: Forging the Nation
Overview of the Colonial Period (1600‑1700)
The Heath Introduction (pp. 1‑15) provides a concise survey of the political, religious, and social forces that defined early America. Key points include the establishment of Jamestown and Plymouth, the Puritan migration, the development of self‑governing colonies, and the emergence of a distinct literary culture rooted in religious conviction.
- Jamestown (1607) – first permanent English settlement; economic motives.
- Plymouth (1620) – Pilgrims seeking religious freedom; Mayflower Compact.
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- Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630) – Winthrop’s “City upon a Hill” vision.
- Puritan Theology – covenant theology, predestination, and the concept of a “visible saints” community.
These historical currents set the stage for the literary works examined in this unit.
William Bradford – Of Plymouth Plantation
Bradford’s history (pp. 324‑48) offers a providential interpretation of the Pilgrims’ journey. The text blends factual reporting with theological reflection, emphasizing God’s guidance.
“Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all that are.”
Key themes:
- Providentialism – events as manifestations of divine will.
- Community and mutual aid – the “general relief” of the colony.
- Perseverance amid hardship – the “starving time” and subsequent recovery.
Bradford’s plain style reflects the Puritan ideal of clarity and humility.
John Winthrop – A Model of Christian Charity
Winthrop’s sermon (pp. 309‑17) lays out the moral foundation for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The famous “City upon a Hill” metaphor frames the colony as a exemplar for the world.
“We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”
Core concepts:
- Covenant: A binding agreement between God and the community.
- Charity: Mutual love and support as a religious duty.
- Social Order: Hierarchy tempered by Christian love.
Winthrop’s rhetoric employs a balanced, periodic style that reinforces authority while inviting communal participation.
Mary Rowlandson – A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration
Rowlandson’s captivity narrative (pp. 437‑68) combines personal trauma with typological interpretation, presenting her ordeal as a test of faith.
“I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: …”
Analytical points:
- Typology – Rowlandson likens her experience to biblical Israelites.
- Gender and agency – a woman’s voice asserting spiritual authority.
- Cultural encounter – descriptions of Native American life filtered through Puritan lens.
- Narrative structure – alternating between despair and hope, reinforcing providential reading.
The work became a bestseller, influencing later captivity and frontier narratives.
Anne Bradstreet – Selected Poems
Bradstreet’s poetry (pp. 402, 406, 409) reveals a sophisticated engagement with domestic life, maternal love, and material loss, all filtered through Puritan piety.
“The Author to her Book”
Bradstreet personifies her work as an imperfect child, expressing both affection and critique.
“Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain, / Who after birth did’st by my side remain,”
Key devices: metaphor, apostrophe, self‑deprecating tone.
“Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
Meditation on mortality and maternal hope.
“If ever two were one, then surely we.”
Themes: conjugal love, fear of childbirth, reliance on God.
“Verses upon the Burning of Our House”
Response to material loss, reaffirming spiritual wealth.
“And when I could no longer look, / I blest His grace that gave and took,”
Formula for Bradstreet’s thematic balance (expressed in code):
Theme = (Domestic Detail × Religious Consolation) – Material Attachment
Her use of iambic pentameter and regular rhyme aligns with neoclassical tendencies while maintaining a personal voice.
Edward Taylor – Selected Poems
Taylor’s metaphysical poetry (pp. 479‑80) employs elaborate conceits to explore divine grace in everyday life.
“Huswifery”
The poet compares his soul to a spinning wheel, seeking divine transformation.
“Make me, O Lord, Thy spinning‑wheel complete.”
Conceit: the domestic act of spinning as a model for spiritual refinement.
“Upon Wedlock, & Death of Children”
A meditation on marriage, loss, and resurrection hope.
“Lord, thou hast made me to be a glad and thankful man.”
Key features:
- Complex metaphorical structure.
- Alternation of joy and sorrow.
- Use of code‑like internal rhyme and intricate meter.
Taylor’s work exemplifies the “plain style” elevated by metaphysical wit.
Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Edwards’ sermon (p. 666) is a quintessential example of the Great Awakening’s fiery rhetoric.
“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked.”
Rhetorical strategies:
- Imagery: Vivid, terrifying depictions of damnation.
- Repetition: Reinforcement of key phrases (“the wrath of God”).
- Appeal to Fear: Designed to provoke immediate conversion.
- Logical Structure: Syllogistic movement from human frailty to divine justice.
The sermon’s impact underscores the tension between Enlightenment rationality and Puritan fervor.
Sarah Kimble Knight – The Journal of Madam Knight
Knight’s travel journal (pp. 584‑601) offers a rare secular, female‑authored perspective on colonial mobility and social observation.
“I have observed that the people here are very civil, and their manners are very agreeable.”
Notable aspects:
- Travelogue genre – detailed descriptions of roads, inns, and encounters.
- Humor and irony – Knight’s witty commentary on provincial pretensions.
- Gender perspective – a woman navigating a predominantly male public sphere.
- Social critique – subtle observations on class, manners, and the emergence of a consumer culture.
Her journal bridges the Puritan introspection of earlier works and the emergent Enlightenment sensibility of the eighteenth century.
Synthesis: Forging a Nation
Collectively, these texts illustrate how early American literature served multiple functions:
- Religious Instruction: Sermons, histories, and poems reinforced Puritan doctrine.
- Identity Formation: Narratives of providence, captivity, and labor constructed a sense of chosen people.
- Emotional Expression: Personal lyric and domestic poetry allowed individuals to reconcile faith with lived experience.
- Public Discourse: Travel journals and polemical sermons contributed to a growing public sphere.
A useful analytical model for this period can be expressed as:
Literary Impact = (Religious Fervor × Narrative Clarity) + (Personal Voice × Cultural Observation)
By manipulating these variables, colonial writers forged a literary foundation that would later evolve into the distinct voices of the American Renaissance and beyond.
Discussion Questions
- How does Bradford’s providential history compare to Winthrop’s utopian vision in terms of community formation?
- In what ways does Rowlandson’s captivity narrative both reinforce and challenge Puritan gender norms?
- Analyze Bradstreet’s use of domestic metaphor in “Huswifery” and Taylor’s “Huswifery.” How do their theological aims differ?
- What rhetorical techniques does Edwards employ to elicit an emotional response, and how might modern readers critique those methods?
- How does Knight’s journal reflect shifting attitudes toward travel, commerce, and social mobility in the late seventeenth century?
Further Reading
- Heath, Joseph. Introduction to Colonial American Literature. pp. 1‑15.
- Bercovitch, Sacvan. The Puritan Origins of the American Self.
- Gura, Philip F. American Transcendentalism: A History (for later contrast).
- Richter, Daniel K. Facing East from Indian Country (Native perspectives).
- Stannard, David E. The Puritan Way of Death: A Study in Religion, Culture, and Social Change.