Early and Revolutionary American Literature – Flashcards

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How was early native american literature spread and shared? What was lacking as a medium?
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No written literature Literature was shared and told through oral tales, myths and lyrics
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What was often the leading role in Native American literature?
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Nature
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What is the Irquois Constitution? What is another name for it?
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It was a piece of literature created in the 15th century by the the leaders of 5 Native American nations that united to form the League of Five Nations It contained 117 laws and customs about everything throughout their life Its purpose was to further the security of an end to internal warfare and to a hold the strong alliance against outside enemies It was also called the Great Binding Law
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What was the goal of 5 nations uniting to form the League of Five Nations? What did they create to ensure this unity?
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To end internal warfare and to form a strong alliance against outside enemies To further their goals they created the Iroquois Constitution
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Who was William Bradford?
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Credited with some of the first accounts of colonial life in the New World Traveled to America after living in Holland as a Separatist from the Anglican Church Once in America he was elected governor and served 30 terms Wrote his historical account of the colony he governed called Of Plymouth Plantation which talked about Thanksgiving, early encounters with Natives, and their arrival in america He traveled on the Mayflower Compact with his wife who drowned before reaching the shore.
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Anne Bradstreet
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considered to be the first American poet Married to the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritan-->although she still wrote about other things than God which was unusual -->wrote about her family and home
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Edward Taylor
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Puritan pastor of a "frontier" church in Massachusetts for over 50 years Born in England Moved to American because he refused to sign the Act of Uniformity (so he couldn't teach anymore Graduated from Harvard Devote Calvinistic and Puritan beliefs Wrote Upon a Spider Catching a Fly which was about sinners being caught by Satan's trap and God giving us a way to break the cord Also wrote Huswifery which was about his desire to be closer to God and based off of daily tasks that were expected of a Puritan housewife
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Jonathan Edwards
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Born in Connecticut Attended Yale Focused on connecting his Protestant beliefs to the Enlightenment concepts of Newton and Locke Leader of the First Great Awakening Died of complications of small pox vaccine
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What was the First Great Awakening
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It was an attempt to draw believers to a more emotional connection to the church and away from a simple adherence to doctrine and ritual Saw nature as a source of revelation Jonathan Edwards' views are important part of religious philosophy in the colonies and helped from protestant concepts to the present day
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Cotton Mather
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Not a important literary figure but a prominent puritan that opposed the use of the smallpox vaccine like other puritans he saw the vaccine as avoiding the wrath of God and doing harm to one's self because of the way
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What was known as "the formative era of the American nation"? What were the writings like at the time
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Revolutionary Literature Era, during this time the writings were not humorous or poetic (sure there were pieces written that were these styles but they did not breech the conscience of the European peoples) Literature of the time were often inspired heavily by the ideas of the Enlightenment, and expressed via oratory
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During the revolutionary period of literature in America what was the chief retorical skill used?
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Oratory
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Rene Descartes
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Philosopher and mathematician "Father of Modern Philosophy" Searched for the truth Doubted and questioned everything "Cogito ergo sum"--> I think, therefore I am Part of the thinkers of the Enlightenment
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What does "corgito ergo sum" mean?
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I think, therefore I am
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John Locke
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Philosopher and political theorist "Tabula rasa"--> blank slate Believed in the government being run by the consent of the governed Advocated religious freedom Concept of individual rights including the right to "life, liberty, and property (product of a person's labor)" Part of the thinkers of the Enlightenment
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Montesquieu
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Wrote on types and classifications of government Tripartite system with separate powers for executive, legislative, judicial branches of government Part of the thinkers of the Enlightenment
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Voltaire
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Writer, philosopher, iconoclast Opposed absolute authority in both church and gov Advocate of freedom of speech and freedom of religion Part of the thinkers of the Enlightenment
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Benjamin Franklin
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Printer, writer, publisher, entrepreneur , civic leader (helped Philophedia organize first library, fire department philosophical society, insurance company, hospital, abolotionist group), inventor, scientist, diplomat, revolutionary, and all around cool dude Born in Boston Secretly wrote popular letters to the editor under the pseudonym Silence Dogood Ran printer shop, a general store, a book store, and the Pennsylvania Gazette
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What newspaper was the first to publish political cartoons? Who ran this news paper and how successful was it?
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The Pennslyvania Gazette Ran by Benjamin Franklin Most successful newspaper in the colonies
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What was Poor Richard's Almanac?
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It was the yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard." Offered a mixture of seasonal weather forecasts, practical household hints, puzzles and sayings
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Political life of Ben Franklin
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Became involved in politics and spent 1757-1775 as sa colonial representative to England Became a hero to many colonists when he was instrumental in repealing the Stamp Act of 1765 Developed concept of uniting the colonies - in the 1770s was ardent in advocating indpeendence Served in the Continental Congress On commitee that wrote the Declaration of Independence After declaration of independence he served as the ambassador to France--> most important influence in the French decision to ally with the Americans against Britian
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What was Ben Franklin's role in the Revolutionary War?
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Ambassador to France Was the most important influence in the French decision to ally with the Americans against Brit
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Phillis Wheatley
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Brought to America as a slave girl at the age of 8 Purchased by tailor John Wheatley as a domestic servant for his wife Recognized her intellect and taught ther to read and write By the time she was 187 she was well known throughout the colonies and in England She was a favorite of abolitionists including Ben Franklin Freed in 1774 but died of poverty becuase she had no means to make a living and feed her family
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Patrick Henry
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Known for his passionate speeches against the Stamp Act and for the independence from England the resulting conflict His famous line is "give me liberty, or give me death" in that speech Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
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Olaudah Equiano
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African slave taken from his home Spent the next 7 years working as a servant of a ship captain travelling around Atlantic and parts of Europe Sold to a Quaker merchant in Philadelphia Eventually bought own freedom and traveled the world with a scientist Published his autobiography and traveled around England as an author and abolitionist until his death
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Thomas Jefferson
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He listed 3 accomplishment for whuich he most wanted to be remembered -drafting the Declaration of Independence -founding the University of Virginia -writing the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom Was a honorable figure he was a president and a good one at that but didnt focus on that
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J Hector St John Crevecoeur
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Letters from a American Farmer was a book written by him French immigrant to America Perhaps the first American to have literary successin Europe with the publication Opposed slavery, joined Parisian organization Notes the qualities of American lie which offer hope to the poor and oppressed
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Slant rhyme
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words that "almost" rhyme
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Sight rhyme
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words that look as if they should rhyme, but don't
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Inversion
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changing the word order in a phrase for poetic effect
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Hyperbole
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exaggeration for poetic effect
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Couplet
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pair of rhymed lines
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Caesura
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pause in the middle of a line of poetry
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Enjambment
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continuation from one line of poetry directly into the next
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Alliteration
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repetition of sound
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Onomatopoeia
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word which sounds like its defintion
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Allusion
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Reference to historical or literary event
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End-stopped
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Poetry with an intended pause at the end of the line
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Explication
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detailed analysis of a poem
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Imagery
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descriptive, figurative language, designed to create a mental picture for the reeader
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Personification
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Giving human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object
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Metaphor
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comparison
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Paradox
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apparently contradictory concepts that work together
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Refrain
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recurring phrase or verse
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Sonnet
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14 line poem with a specific rhyme scheme
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