Unit 1

1. Unit 1 A Gathering of Voices Literature of Early America Beginnings to 1800

2. Snapshot of the Period • In 1492 (Columbus) America was populated by several hundred Native American tribes • Used Bering Land Bridge from Asia • Spoke several different languages • Referred to as “Indians” by Europeans • By 1699 European colonies were spread along east coast and some as far west as New Mexico. • In 1776, 13 colonies declared independence

3. Peoples of North America • The map on page 3 shows Native American tribe locations and influx of settlers • Spanish – Florida, California, Texas • French – Maine and Gulf of Mexico • Dutch – New York and Delaware • English – Virginia, New England, Pennsylvania

4. Historical Beginnings • First Americans – unknown arrival (possibly 12000+ years ago. • Rich cultural presence • Oral literature – myths, legends, songs • First settlers learned agriculture and woodworking from natives • Corn, squash, canoes • First settlers probably wouldn’t have survived without help of natives

5. Pilgrims, Puritans, and Planters • 1620 – Mayflower lands in Plymouth, Massachusetts • Reformers who tried to purify Church of England • Initially referred to as Puritans, but were called Pilgrims in the New World • 1720 – Puritanism had declined, but Great Awakening brings new converts (only hard work and self-reliance though) • Southern Colonies – different crops, climate, and religion • Plantations • 1619 – slaves first brought to Virginia

6. Creating a Nation • Europeans wanted to create a “city upon a hill” – an ideal community founded on moral and religious values • What would they think of modern times? • Colonists were assisted by the Native Americans and created small farms and plantations • The Enlightenment shocked Puritan beliefs – idea that people are basically good and can use reason to create a better society

7. New World Natural Environment • Place of Wonder • Long shores and sandy beaches with vast forests • Mountain ranges and fertile valleys • Lots of plants, fish, birds, and animals • At one with the place • Native Americans believed people belonged to the land • Lands, waters, and animals were a part of the community

8. Colonists’ attitudes • Dream vs. Reality • Dream was to create a theocracy (community governed by religious principles) • Reality was starving, cold, disease, and animals • Independent place and people • 18th C. Europeans had firm foothold in America • Built towns, roads, and churches • Worried less about survival and more about self-government

9. American Literature • Native American – myths and legends • People communicate with land, animals, and nature • People and nature are in harmony • Nature – in particular forests and wild places • Played a large role in both physical and symbolic • Place and Nation – living here turned Europeans into Americans

10. American literature • Theme – central idea, message, or insight that a literary word reveals • Wilderness – insights into the nature and meaning of the wilderness • Community – central message that America was a unique combination of community and independence • Individualism – self-reliance and individualism are fundamental American values

11. Roles of American writers • Oral poet and historian – Native American – vital role in society (related history and honored heroes) • Preacher and lawmaker – wanted to articulate the will of God (made audiences tremble with fear) • Autobiographer – wanted to make reader question what should be learned and why something happened

12. Part 3 - • Types of speeches • Political – focuses on an issue relating to government or politics • Address – formal speech that is prepared for a special occasion • Sermon – speech usually based on a scriptural text and is intended to provide religious instruction

13. Persuasive techniques • Persuasion – speech or writing that tries to get the audience to think or act in a certain way • Persuasive techniques • Logical appeal – builds a well-reasoned argument based on evidence, such as facts, statistics, or expert testimony • Emotional appeal – attempts to arouse the audience’s feelings, often by using loaded words that convey strong connotations • Ethical appeal – directed at the audience’s sense of morality or values

14. Rhetorical devices • Rhetorical devices – patterns of words and ideas that create emphasis and stir the audience’s emotions • Repetition – restating an idea using the same words • Restatement – expressing the same idea using different words • Parallelism – repeating a grammatical structure • Antithesis – using strongly contrasting words, images, or ideas • Rhetorical questions – asking questions for effect, not to get answers