American Literature Unit II A Nation is Born American Literature Unit II

Timeline 1752: Ben Franklin conducts his kite-key experiment 1754: French and Indian War (Seven Year’s War) begins 1755: Samuel Johnson publishes The Dictionary of the English Language. 1759-1763: France gives up claims to North American territory. 1765: Stamp Act is passed 1767: Townsend Acts imposed.

1769: James Watt develops an improved steam engine in Scotland. 1770: Ludwig von Beethoven is born. 1773: Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party 1774: First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia. 1776: Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. 1781: General Cornwallis surrenders British Army to Gen. Washington at Yorktown.

1783: Revolutionary War ends 1787: Constitutional Congress meets to draft Constitution. 1789: George Washington elected first president of the United States. 1793: Eli Whitney invents cotton gin. 1796: Napoleon comes to power in France 1800: Second U.S census shows population as 5,308,483.

The Age of Reason Great upheavals in history and thought. Groundwork for American Revolution is laid by European thinkers and writers. John Locke’s “Social Contract.” American leaders were seen as figures of Enlightenment (Franklin, Paine, Jefferson).

Toward a Clash French and Indian War was a struggle between England and France for control of North American, specifically Canada. War ends in 1763 and France gives up all claims to North America. The British government was in deep debt. Parliament decides to tax the Colonies in America. American’s did not like these taxes because they had, in essence, been allowed to govern themselves. Boston Tea Party

“Shot Heard Round the World” April 19, 1775: 700 British troops meet 70 colonial minutemen at the Battle of Lexington. A shot was fired, from what side no one knows, and a battle ensued. The British marched west to Concord where another skirmish took place. The Revolution had started. Americans fight at the Battle of Bunker hill in June of that year. Americans killed close to a thousand British but were forced to abandon hill. Washington is named leader of the Continental Army and first victory comes at Saratoga. (3-6) Washington effectively ends the war in 1781.

New Nation The path to self-government was not smooth. After the Revolution, Articles of Confederation were drafted. They were weak and gave power to the states. The Constitution was eventually drafted giving power to the Federal Government and setting up the government that is still in place today.

Literature of the Period Most of the literature produced during this period were public writings. Most popular writing was “Common Sense” written by Thomas Paine. 100,000 copies were sold in 3 months. Political writings become popular (Constitution, Declaration of Independence, speeches). Slave narratives begin to emerge during this time as well (Olaudah Equiano). By the turn of the 19th Centaury (1800), American begins to gain it’s own voice and writers begin to emerge. Cooper, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville.