1. Houston Moore

2.  This was a war fought between England and its American Colonies for the independence of the colonies.  Ultimately the Colonies defeated England and won their independence.  The war caused a change in culture and thus a change in the literature of the time.

3.  This time period produced several famous authors including Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Thomas Paine, etc.  Many of the writings of the time are written from the battlefront or from a perspective of the revolutionary.  Many less famous pieces were written from English loyalists and are equally important to understanding the literature of the time.

4.  Unfortunately many of the writing of the time are lost because they were written on the battlefront and mail was unlikely to be delivered  John Bowater wrote, “You must not sent out of the way when anything is going home and it is at least a thousand to one you do not receive this.”

5.  During this time many of the writings especially at the beginning of the revolution are call-to-arms are very stirring to the soul.  They feature a strong sense of patriotism and of camaraderie among the colonists.  Many of these writings are almost pleading for support and loyalty

6.  "These are the times that try men's soul's. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and women“ –Thomas Paine  This is an excellent example of a call-to-arms  It not only calls on the potential soldiers but for others like wives and children to do what ever they can to further the revolution

7.  Paine was an avid patriot and wrote some of the most stirring pieces from the time period  In 1776 he wrote a 79 page pamphlet, Common Sense, a piece in which consisted of “nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense" on the idea of American independence from England.

8.  Paine was an active patriot serving in Washington’s army.  His writing was the most influential thing he did.  He wrote the Crisis Papers which spoke out against loyalists and inspired the colonists to continue fighting

9.  The Puritans also produced a great deal of literature during this time period.  Plain speech was highly regarded in this genre.  In other words the works of these authors got straight to the point.  The Puritans saw life as a constant moral struggle and attempted to portray this in their writings and represent true life.

10.  During the revolution Patrick Henry delivered one of the most important lines of speech to the American cause.  He said, “Give me liberty or give me death.”  He said this while speaking to the Virginia legislature while urging Virginians to arm themselves.

11.  During and shortly after the Revolution few great works emerged from American authors (with the exception of fantastic political writings).  This is likely because most books were reviewed in England which made Americans aware of how dependent they were on the British literary model.

12.  It was difficult for American writers to find a true American identity.  This was particularly difficult due to their overwhelming patriotism but were out of necessity self-conscious which caused many of the writings to in many ways flop.

13. Alison. "Thomas Paine's Influence on the American Revolution - Sons of the American Revolution, Connecticut." Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution - CTSSAR. Connecticut Sons of the American Revolution, 2000. Web. 01 Feb. 2012.. Campbell, D. "Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: 1750-1759." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. Washington State University, 19 Sept. 2007. Web. 01 Feb. 2012.. Lombardi, Esther. "The American Revolution: Writings from the War of Independence." Books & Literature Classics. About.com, 2012. Web. 01 Feb. 2012.. VanSpanckeren, Kathryn. "USIA - Outline of American Literature - Contents." Outline of American Literature. United States Information Agency. Web. 01 Feb. 2012.. Verney, Victor. "The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers." Compulsive Reader. The Compulsive Reader. Web. 01 Feb. 2012..