--The 18th Century American Literature

1、,The 18th Century American Literature,The American Revolution,Definition: The American Revolution, also termed as the American War of Independence, which started in the year 1775, was a war between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies in North America.,Brief Introduction,People in America, star

2、ted complaining about the way in which they were treated by British, and how they were not given the same rights as that of the Britishers. The English of course had a different view. They wanted to rule their colonies in a way which would help heir parliament 议会as well as the crown皇冠.,Tired of bein

3、g treated in this manner, the Americans raised the slogan of No taxation without representation and in the year 1775, the American Revolutionaries seized control over each of the 13 colonies and formed the Continental Army and also set up the Second Continental Congress and by 1776, they declared th

4、emselves independent and formed the United States of America. The other European nations who were under the rule of the British, also joined the Americans in their fight against the English. The Britishers were able to fight back, as they had a very strong hold over the navy.,Some more facts about t

5、he American Revolution are that, by 1778 the countries of France, Netherlands and Spain had also joined the war against the Britishers and slowly, America, along with their allies, were able to defeat the British. In 1783, the war finally ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic r

6、epublic-the United States of America. Some people also say that the American Revolution was a civil war fought on foreign soil and that the Britishers could not have been defeated had the Americans not have had the French support.,Features: The separation of the colonies from Britain was inevitable,

7、 but the way in which the colonies separated was radical and bloody, not gradual and peaceful. This revolution was a culmination 顶点of events and policies. Significances: American Revolution was the struggle of thirteen American colonies against Great Britain. The term American Revolution also includ

8、es the American War of Independence, and resulted in the formation of the United States of America. Leading Figures: In 1772, Samuel Adams created the first Committee of Correspondence and within a year the committee led to dozens of similar discussion groups throughout the colonies.,The major cause

9、s of the American Revolution,Why did the American Revolution take place? The Puritans The explorers,Why did the Puritans come to America? Puritans was the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants（新教徒，基督教徒） within the Church of England who thought the English Reformation（英国宗教改革）

10、had not gone far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church. They wanted to purify their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence. In the 17th century many Puritans emigrated to the New World, where they sought to found a holy Commonwealth in New England.,I

11、n short, to escape religious persecution, in search of religious freedom, to reform the church in England, to have an entirely new church, the Puritans came to America.,Influence on American Society,Puritanism in New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island

12、) made a great influence on American culture. The Puritans hoped to build a city upon hillan ideal community. New England also established another American traditiona strain of often intolerant moralism. The Puritans believed that government should enforce Gods morality. The American values such as

13、individualism, hard work, and respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.,Influence on American Society,Puritanism remained the dominant cultural force in that area into the 19th century. Puritans believed that human beings were predestined by God before they were born. Some were Gods

14、 chosen people (Gods elect 上帝的选民)while others were predestined to be damned to hell. The Puritans confirmed the contract thinking and related rights which made contribution to the American Revolution.,The explorers,In 1492, when the Americas were discovered by Christopher Columbus, avarice and explo

15、itation of colonization soon found their way to the New World. The discovery of the Americas, the two continents, was no less than the discovery of gold! This was at a time when industrialization was directed towards revenue commitment and profit. The need for new markets and lands to provide raw ma

16、terials was at the apex of all interactions, especially in the case of European powers like the British and the French.,This new and heady power game was responsible for the British landing on American soil and establishing thirteen colonies. And, similar to the strategies followed in the other colo

17、nies, here too they governed in the name of the crown and imposed rules, regulations and taxes- the factors that led to the American Revolution.,Influence on American Economy,The growth, particularly the industrial growth, led to intense strain with England. The British government wanted the colonie

18、s to remain economically dependent on the mother country. Hence, politically , the British government forced dependence by ruling the colonies from overseas and by taxing the colonies without giving them representation in Parliament.,In short, the explorers accumulated the wealth through plantation.

19、 However, following the Seven Years War, England need to recover some of their finances which were lost due to the war. England passed many Acts that were ill conceived and had long term effects on the relationship between England and the colonies. The most controversial of these were direct taxes (

20、tea tax, sugar tax, stamp tax) that led to the American Revolution.,The Puritans (religious reason) The explorers (economic reason),They could not tolerate the oppression and mistreatment by the Great Britain. Politically, they could no longer tolerate the colonial dominance. However, the Britain wa

21、nted the colonies to remain politically and economically dependent on the mother country. The American Revolution broke out.,The major causes of the American Revolution,American Enlightenment,Enlightenment,Enlightenment is a progressive intellectual movement flourished in France in the second half o

22、f the 18th century and then spread throughout Europe. It was a continuation of Renaissance in belief in the possibility of human perfection through education.,English Enlightenment,background: economically, the first industrial revolution (1765-1840) began in England and then subsequently spread thr

23、oughout Western Europe, North America, Japan, and eventually the world, which created a specialized and interdependent economic life. politically,With the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the absolute monarchy was replaced by a constitutional monarchy （君主立宪政体）,English Enlightenment,features: fight again

24、st class inequality and old feudalism emphasis on reason enlighten the whole world with philosophical and scientific ideas value education leading figures of English literature: Alexander Pope Daniel Defoe Jonathan Swift,French Enlightenment,France was the center of the Enlightenment,compared with t

25、he Enlightenment of other countries，the Frances was the most splendid and influential，which could be the embodiment of the Europe Enlightenment. leading figures: Denis Diderot 狄德罗 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 卢梭 Voltaire 伏尔泰 Montesquieu 孟德斯鸠,American Enlightenment - an age of reason,Definition: The America

26、n Enlightenment is an intellectual movement in the thirteen American colonies in the period of 1714-1818, which originated in Europe and was then supported by all progressive forces of the country which opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious obscurantism.,In the 17th century many

27、 Puritans emigrated to America for religious freedom and determination to purify the religious practice in the church and establish new orders, which provide a premise for the two great philosophers Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin in eighteenth century in America. They embodied Puritan naive

28、idealism and crude materialism. Both were inheritors of the Puritan tradition. Both adapted it to the new ways of thinking that the 18th century had brought into being. Yet, with all kinds of factors, they moved in different directions,Deism-Benjamin Franklin,Calvinist beliefs and tenets-Jonathan Ed

29、wards,Jonathan Edwards,Edwards used Calvinist beliefs and tenets, which stressed original sin and predestination, to stage a series of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening in North America from 1735 to 1750.,Benjamin Franklin,Different from Jonathan Edwards, Franklin used Deism as an effe

30、ctive practical support to the new ideas of progress. Deism was the religion of enlightenment, a philisophical movement of the 18th century characterized by belief in the power of human reason. Deists held that God is the creator of the universe , the maker of the clock, yet He leaves it to operate

31、according to natural law. Thus the best way to worship God is to study the world He creates and to do good things to humanity.,they regarded education as principal means for the development of a society. they began to reconsider the relations among man, nature and God. The enlighteners advocated to

32、study man instead of God and pointed out that evils stemmed from social injustice, not from original sin, suggesting the principle of equality. these dealt a decisive blow to the puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature.,features-emphasis on reason,features-emphasis on

33、 reason,the Enlightenment required people to pay attention to social reality, advocated education and scientific research and believed that man could perfect himself and man could decide his own destiny. meanwhile, the Enlighteners passionately spread the views of social progress, humanism, and the

34、ideas of equality. the Enlightenment inherited the reasonable part of Puritism and carried on Puritian hard work, thrift, optimism, and self-disciplined.,The Independence of the American Enlightenment,The 18th-century enlightenment in Europe also developed in America. The American Enlightenment mobi

35、lized the American War of Independence. In the seventies of the eighteenth century the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War of Independence lasted for eight years(1775-1783) and ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic republic-the U

36、nited States of America. It also had a great influence on the establishment of the American democratic political system. Actually, the political systems after the war are all practices of the enlightenment.,The American Enlightenment,The American Enlightenment,The American Enlightenment dealt a deci

37、sive blow to the Puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature.tIt required people to pay attention to social reality and advocated scientific research. The enlighteners also advocated to study man instead of God and believed that man could perfect himself and decide his ow

38、n destiny.They passionately spread the views of social progress, humanism, and the ideas of equality.,American Enlightenment : It is an intellectual movement in the thirteen American colonies between1714 and 1818, which originated in Europe and was supported by all progressive forces of the country

39、which opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious obscurantism（蒙昧主义）.,The British Enlightenment,The Glorious Revolution and the first Industrial Revolution in Britain promoted the British Enlightenment politically and economically. In return, the enlightenment provided the bourgeoisie

40、 with ideological and theoretical preparation for their dominant position as well as the Industrial Revolution. The enlighteners use critical reason to free minds from prejudice, unexamined authority and oppression by Church or State. British Enlightenment: It is a struggle of the bourgeoisie agains

41、t feudalism during which rationality became standard for measurement of everything in 18th century.,Similarities: rationality, equality and freedom Difference: The American Enlightenment : It is a struggle for an independent government by replacing the old colony. The British Enlightenment: It is a

42、struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. The independence of the American Enlightenment: The American Enlightenment inherited the reasonable parts of Puritan traditions such as hard work, thrift, optimism, self-disciplined, individualism, and respect of education. It also features the explorer

43、s braveness, innovation and a spirit of adventure.,The American Enlightenment VS The British Enlightenment,Leading figures,Jonathan Edwards-Calvinism(加尔文主义）: Definition: Calvinism refers to religious doctrines of John Calvin, emphasizing the omnipotence (全能）of God and the salvation of the elect by G

44、ods grace alone. Features：Calvinists has a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestination . Significance: As the keynote of the American Enlightenment is reason, Calvinism exaggerated the status of God so it couldnt develop in the enlightenm

45、ent.,Leading figures,Benjamin Franklin-Deism(自然神论）： Definition: Deism refers to the belief that God created the universe but is not involved in it. Features: 1.Deism bases solely on reason; 2.God created the universe but assumed no control over life and natural phenomena; 3.Deism gives no supernatur

46、al revelation. Significance: Deism was used by Franklin as an effective practical support to the new ideas of progress. It was the religion of enlightenment, a philisophical movement of the 18th century characterized by belief in the power of human reason.,Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790),Identity: a pr

47、inter, postmaster, almanac writer, essayist, scientist, orator, statesman, philosopher, political economist, ambassador, parlor man, bussinessman, patriot, and man of the world. Contributions: He founded Junto-a club for informal discussion of scientific, economic and political ideas, which was also

48、 responsible for a number of practical civic improvement. He founded Americas first circulating library . He founded a college that was to become the University of Pennsylvania.,Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790),He invented the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses, a miniature printing pres

49、s, armonica. He first applied the terms positive and negative to electrical charges. He was the first man to study and map the Gulf Stream. He developed and improved the postal system. He supported the cause of independence, served in the Continental Congress, and aided Jefferson in writing the Decl

50、aration of Independence. . .,Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790),Literary works: In 1730, he was the editor and publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette. From 1732 to 1757, he wrote and published his famous Poor Richards Almanac, an annual collection of proverbs谚语. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin He ed

51、ited the first colonial magazine, the General Magazine.,Poor Richards Almanac,content: It is the book that gives vital information for the year, the seasons, the sunrise and the sunset, accurate information on tides, as well as information on how to cure hens, how to plant certain crops; all are pra

52、ctical information important to farmers. Style: It is clear, simple, rhythmic, humorous and satiric. Position: It is perhaps the most quoted of all his writings. It is only a simple piece of writing, however, and was intended to appeal to the common man of colonial America. Significance: It gives co

53、mmon people advice in common witticisms and maxims.,The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,Content: It is an inspiring account of a poor boys rise to wealth and fame and the fulfillment of the American dream. It is also a book on the art of self-improvement. Style: It has formal content but informal

54、 organization of its material. It is clear and even plain. Position: It is a classic of its kind in American literature. Significance: It demonstrated all the major principles of the enlightenment in America. It is an image of the rising America.,Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790),Position: Benjamin Frank

55、lin was a rare genius in America and in many ways it is him that best represents the spirit of the American Enlightenment: self-educated, social, assured, a man of the world, ambitious and public-spirited, speculative about the nature of the universe, but in matters of religion content to observe th

56、e actual conduct of men rather than to debate supernatural matters which are unprovable.,Thomas Paine Thomas Jefferson Philip Freneau,Thomas Paine (1737-1809),Position,Thomas Paine was anEnglish-American political activist, author, political theorist and revolutionary. He was the most persuasive rhe

57、torician for the cause of independence. He was the top propagandist of the American Revolution. He was a great adventurer in human freedom and an enthusiastic supporter of the revolution.,Career,In 1774, he emigrated to America, with the help of Banjamin Franklin and secured a job as journalist for

58、The Pennsylvania Magazine. In 1776, he published anonymously Common Sense. He also enlisted himself in the Revolutionary army and served as an aide-de-camp in the battles in New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania. (The American Crisis, a series of sixteen pamphlets). In 1787, when the war was over,

59、he returned to England, and wrote another successful work, Rights of Man. In1789，he was charged with treason in England, he fled to France, where he also took part in the early events of the French Revolution . In 1795, he completed The Age of Reason, a deistic(自然神论的) treaties, and he wrote his last important treaties, Agrarian Justice.,Literary Works,Common Sense,It boldly advocated a “Declaration for Independence” . Paines argument can be divided into four parts. The pamphlet came into cir