From the Earliest Days

1. From the Earliest Days 1600 - 1750 “The Puritans”

2. English Settlements • 1607 = First English Settlement • Jamestown, Virginia • 105 colonists • Within seven months, all but 32 were dead • 1620 = Pilgrims settled Plymouth, Massachusetts

3. Dutch, Scots-Irish, and German immigrants came to the colonies. • Africans captured and taken to America by force. • By 1750, one-fifth of the population was slaves.

4. Slavery • Laborers, particularly Virginia, began buying slaves. • Many disapproved • 1688- Quakers issued first anti-slavery protest • Slaveholders began to fear revolt

5. Religion • Puritans = religiously strict • Predestination • Only a select few are chosen by God to be saved • Vanity is a sin

6. Lifestyle of Puritans • Plain, dark clothing/ Layers of petticoats • No jewelry/ Hair under a hood • All of life centered around religion

7. Literature of the Time • People are Reading... • Fliers and Pamphlets • Promote delights of new life in the “new world.” • Religious Books • English Translation of the Bible by King James • Bay Psalm Book • People are Writing... • Journals and Diaries • Puritans kept diaries about their religious experiences. • Letters • Allowed settlers to remain in contact with family in Europe

8. Literary Characteristics • Simplicity in Writing • Communicating Ideas as Clearly as Possible • Religious Instruction • Following God in the Puritan Way • View of Country as a land filled with earthly blessings of unlimited possibilities

9. A New Nation 1750 - 1790 “The Revolution”

10. Road to Revolution • Colonists were angry • Wanted land of freedom and opportunity • Labored hard and endured hard conditions to build a life • British Parliament passed a series of unpopular laws forcing Colonists to house British soldiers and taxing everyday items • Colonial political leaders refused to comply with British demands • Britain dissolved the colonists’ powers • 1770 - Boston Massacre - British troops fired on a disorderly mob in Boston

11. Boston Tea Party • Parliament levied more taxes on items like tea and paint • December 1773 - the colonists dumped fifteen thousand pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor

12. War • King George created the Intolerable Acts of 1774 - series of laws meant to punish colonists for disobedience • When the British troops fired on the colonial militia on April 19, 1775, the colonists responded with force. • American leaders justified revolt in the “Declaration of Independence,” approved on July 4, 1776. • The U.S. went on to win the war with a group of ragtag soldiers against a large, well outfitted British army

13. Setting up a Government • In 1781, the Second Continental Congress met to establish a government • Created the “Articles of the Confederation” • Provided for a weak central government • Met in Philadelphia in 1787 • Created the Constitution • In 1789 - George Washington elected as first president

14. Time Line • 1754 - French and Indian War • 1765 - Stamp Act imposed • 1775 - Revolutionary War begins • 1776 - Declaration of Independence signed • 1783 - US won independence

15. Life of the Time Fashion • Pioneers wore simple clothing. • People in the east wore wigs, satin breeches, and brocaded dresses Food • On frontiers meals consisted of corn from fields and meat from hunting and/or livestock • In the South, evening meals on plantations began at 3:00 and were so large they lasted many hours.

16. Literature of the Time • People were Writing . . . • About America – • Impressions of the new country • About Politics – • Expressions on issues of the day

17. Characteristics of Literature • Freedom/Patriotism • Logic over Faith/Religion