American Revolutionary Writers

1. American Revolutionary Writers THE AGE OF REASON

2. A time of change • Politically active writers (and time period) • Benjamin Franklin • Patrick Henry • Thomas Paine • Thomas Jefferson • Writing represented new collective identity as Americans • Pamphlets • Essays • Songs • Poems • Speeches • Like Puritans, wrote to understand and report on their lives in North America • But more focus on single events and less focus on wilderness • More focus on science, ethics, or government and less focus on religion

3. The Age of Reason • Period after Puritanism collapses leads to tremendous change in America • Different government: no more religion-based theocracy • Forget Heaven: Focus on life here on Earth • Reason: the human mind – logic – is our best bet • Using this requires freedom: to think, speak, choose religion, experiment • This way, we can understand and improve our world • Create a fairer society • Increase our knowledge • End superstition • These European ideas strongly influence Americans

4. John Locke Not him • English philosopher in the late 17th century who famously asked: Why do we need government? • In a world without government, we would have constant fighting • So we need rules – life, property, and the freedom to pursue happiness • These rules come from God; you can’t take them away – they are natural, inalienable • Here are the new rules: you can’t take people’s stuff, kill them, enslave them, force them to take on a particular religion, etc.

5. John Locke (continued) • Let’s agree to set up a government with the power to enforce the rules • All people who voluntarily choose to live within a society have implicitly or tacitly entered into its agreement, and thereby consented to submit themselves and their property to its governance! • What if the government starts abusing this power? • Then it’s betrayed its function: protecting the people’s rights! It’s broken that agreement. It should be overthrown! • ONCE A GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO ABUSE ITS POWER OR TAKE AWAY RIGHTS, IT BECOMES ILLEGITMATE • THE PEOPLE THEN HAVE A RIGHT OF REVOLUTION • This agreement among society’s members to set up a government with the power to enforce rules and defend rights is called the social contract

6. England’s Abuses • Colonists were given the chance to test their ideas and progress by creating a new society • England rules the colonies even after Puritan theocracy collapses • Americans can make some decisions, but Britain has the final word • They tax the crap out of us to pay for their many wars, like the French and Indian War

7. America’s Retaliation • Americans protest and English soldiers kill 5 at the Boston Massacre • The infamous tea tax leads to the Boston Tea Party • British close down Boston’s harbor, cutting it off from food, trade • Massachusetts loses all governing power • The colonies hold a congress in Philadelphia, 1774, to decide what to do • Patrick Henry, Virginia lawyer, argues for violent rebellion • England has broken the social contract • Revolution of the arts: inspired people to express ideas; cities grew swiftly; population almost doubled