Overview

This foundational period of American literature includes Native American oral traditions, early colonial writings, religious tracts, captivity narratives, and revolutionary political texts. The literature of this era reveals the intersections of indigenous heritage, European colonization, Puritan ideology, and Enlightenment thought shaping the new American identity.

Key Themes and Authors

• Native American Oral Traditions: Myths, origin stories, and songs passed through storytelling; emphasized harmony with nature, communal values, and cyclical worldviews.
• Puritan and Colonial Writings:
  • William Bradford – Of Plymouth Plantation: A chronicle of early Pilgrim life and spiritual purpose.
  • Anne Bradstreet – The first published American poet; blended Puritan values with personal reflection.
  • Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: A fire-and-brimstone sermon of the Great Awakening.
• Captivity and Travel Narratives:
  • Mary Rowlandson – The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: A gripping account of captivity by Native Americans with religious interpretation.
  • Accounts by John Smith and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca provided insights into New World encounters.
• Revolutionary and Enlightenment Thought:
  • Benjamin Franklin – The Autobiography: Celebrated reason, self-improvement, and democratic ideals.
  • Thomas Paine – Common Sense: A call for independence that shaped American revolutionary thought.
  • Phillis Wheatley – The first African American woman to publish poetry; combined classical style with a voice of liberty and faith.

Quick Tip

This era established the roots of American literary tradition. Focus on how religion, survival, identity, and the Enlightenment converged in the voices of early American writers and shaped the emerging national consciousness.