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Early America: The Puritans

Early America: The Puritans. 1620-1800. Who were the Puritans?. Wrote mostly diaries and histories, which expressed the connections between God and their everyday lives

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Early America: The Puritans

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  1. Early America: The Puritans 1620-1800

  2. Who were the Puritans? • Wrote mostly diaries and histories, which expressed the connections between God and their everyday lives • Sought to “purify” the Church of England by reforming the simpler forms of worship and church organization described in the New Testament • Saw religion as a personal, inner experience • Believed in original sin and “elect” who would be saved; did not know who “elect” were

  3. What were the core beliefs? • “We are a society of the damned” • God presented as malevolent: Believed God hated them; FEARED falling from grace • Society of punishment • Believed women were inferior; they were one of Satan’s chief ways to tempt men • Land belonged to the people • Theocracy: Blend of religion and government

  4. Puritan Literature • Read the Bible as a narrative tale • “Read” their own lives the way a literary critic reads a book • Used writing to explore inner and outer lives for signs of God • Diaries and histories most common

  5. Puritan Plain Style • (1) Characterized by short words • (2) Direct statements • (3) References to everyday objects and experiences

  6. What influences did the Puritans leave? • Work ethic: • Believed material success/self-improvement was good • Individualism and hard work • Performance of “god-given” task: • Implicit intolerance of those who don’t pull their weight • Strong sense of right and wrong • Idea of Sabbath • Sunday is kept a little bit “holier” – no mail, businesses close earlier, etc.

  7. Ann Bradstreet • Came to America w/ her husband in 1630 • She wrote poems for herself, not publication • Poetry reflects the Puritans’ knowledge of the stories and language of the Bible AND the concern for the relationship between earthly and heavenly life • She is the first American poet

  8. Jonathan Edwards • Sermons of “Fire and brimstone” • Religious zealot and believer in science/reason • Grew up in Connecticut in atmosphere of discipline

  9. Rhetorical Triangle

  10. Elements of Triangle • Speaker/Author • Who is the author? What do you know about her? • Is she credible? Why? • Audience • Who is the audience? How do they feel about the subject? • How does the speaker/author want them to respond? • Purpose • Does the speaker propose something? • Does the author try to convince you of something?

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