The Revolutionary Period 1750-1800 American Literature

Major Authors Benjamin Franklin Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Patrick Henry

Types of Literature Autobiography Speeches Pamphlets Poems Almanack Declaration Letters public & private

The Age of Reason or Enlightenment Writers valued reason over faith This was a major change from the Puritan period and the belief in God for salvation Belief in the power of science to further human development

What does it mean to revolt? 1. To attempt to overthrow the authority of the state; rebel 2. To oppose or refuse to accept something

Why do you think people revolt Why do you think people revolt? What are things in your life that you feel you should revolt against? What are the consequences of revolt?

Literary Terms Rhetorical Devices Diction- style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer. Persuasion-the action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something. Charged words--any word that can evoke a strong or powerful emotional response from the reader/listener (tool used often in media to manipulate opinions) Rhetorical Devices Repetition- a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer. Restatement- restating an idea, sometimes in a new or different way. Parallelism- the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Rhetorical Question- asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected.

Patrick Henry 1736-1799

His influence on the Convention Considered to be the most powerful orator (public speaker) of the American Revolution. 1775 he delivered his most famous speech at the Virginia Provincial Convention

His influence on the Convention Henry played a key role in turning colonial sentiment against negotiation with England and toward armed resistance to England He begins his speech with a respectful rebuttal to the previous speeches and then defends his call for independence.

He argues that the colonists have exhausted every other option and war is all that is going to solve their problems. He goes on to say that the British are already preparing for war which undercuts any argument for peaceful compliance.

The Virginia Convention The Virginia Conventions were a series of five political meetings in the Colony of Virginia during the American Revolution. Because the House of Burgesses had been dissolved in 1774 by Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, the conventions served as a revolutionary provisional government until the establishment of the independent Commonwealth of Virginia in 1776.

House of burgesses? The first representative-based government group in the American Colonies. The first time they were allowed to make legislative decisions without the King.

Who attended the convention Burgess: a representative from the group—usually rich landowners Famous Delegates: Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson

What was discussed British “Intolerable Acts” had been instated Organized by the Virginia House of Burgesses Purpose: To decide what to do about Britain’s increasing pressures

The revolutionary war April 19, 1775 (one month from the day of Henry’s speech), the Revolutionary War began at the Battle of Lexington.

Repetition God War Slavery Chains Freedom Liberty Reconciliation Struggle

The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson

Cries for a New Nation Focus of politics and writing The Declaration of Independence – 1776 Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence was drafted and sent to King George III of England politely requesting independence from English rule. It asserted a philosophy of government that said that any government can only rule with the consent of the governed and that the basic purpose of government is to protect people's rights. It gave many examples of how the government of Great Britain had violated the rights of the colonists and so lost their consent. It then proclaimed that, as a result of this, the colonies were free and independent states. To be specific, there were two reasons for the Declaration: To declare to the world, that the British Colonies in America were declaring themselves an independent nation. To explain (by listing the grievances against the King) why the colonies were declaring independence.

Declaration of Independence Drafted by Thomas Jefferson All government power comes from the people King had trampled the peoples’ natural rights. Colonists now had the right to rebel

LITERARY CHARACTERISTICS emphasis on logic and rational thought, not emotions; emphasis on the social/good of the community, not the individual “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

Literature of the American Revolution: in an age of revolution, literature was of course greatly influenced by political texts  non-fiction texts