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Encounters and Foundations

Unit 1: Elements of Literature. Encounters and Foundations. Timeline:. American Indians pre-date European exploration 1500-1800 (European infiltration; first “literature” of the New World appears) “Literature” is comprised of journals, diaries, poetry, and narrative captivities).

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Encounters and Foundations

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  1. Unit 1: Elements of Literature Encounters and Foundations

  2. Timeline: • American Indians pre-date European exploration • 1500-1800 (European infiltration; first “literature” of the New World appears) • “Literature” is comprised of journals, diaries, poetry, and narrative captivities)

  3. American Indian Literature: • No written language • A rich oral tradition • Morality tales and life-lessons passed down from generation to generation • Absence of written language caused “contamination” of tales when Indians and whites interacted • Whites believed that Indians should either be forced to become Christians OR be wiped out.

  4. Puritans Come to the New World: • Puritans left England in the 1600s after being physically tortured (noses and ears sliced off) • Settled in Holland, but left when their children began acquiring “Dutch” language and customs • Headed to the New World in two ships: the Mayflower and the Speedwell • Speedwell leaked badly and returned to port • The Mayflower mast broke, but was repaired by with an enormous screw that was on board

  5. The Voyage on the Mayflower • Fraught with peril: many were ill • One passenger died and one crew member died • One child was born: Oceanus (lived only about a year)

  6. “Puritans” became the Pilgrims • Landed at Plymouth Rock in November 1620 • Created the Mayflower Compact (signed while on board ship) which outlined how they were to be governed. This document was echoed in the Constitution years later. • Founded Plymouth Plantation • The moral, ethical, and religious beliefs of the Puritans shaped the American culture. To this day, people who are industrious and thrifty are seen as exhibiting the “Puritan ethic.”

  7. Puritans, continued: • Came to the New World as a religious “pilgrimage,” but they also came as a bold business venture • Puritans viewed wealth as a sign of God’s favor • People in power often held harsh and uncompromising views • Puritans believed that the Bible provided the model for their lives • Puritans favored a “plain” style of writing to bring in new converts

  8. Salem Witch Trials: • In 1692, about 150 people in Salem, Massachusetts were accused of witchcraft • Eventually, 20 people were executed, and one person was “pressed” to death • In the 1950s, Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, appears on stage, using the Salem Witch Trials as a way to condemn the “Red Scare”

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