Phillis Wheatley, author of many poems during the 1700’s and Hector Crevecoeur, author of Letters from an American Farmer, both see British America as a praiseworthy destination, one far superior to the lands across the Atlantic Ocean. Both author’s view on the uniqueness of British America stems from religion. Wheatley’s text signifies that religion is the supreme importance in British American society allowing it to be a place of purity, goodness and salvation; on the other hand, Crevecoeur's text manifests an attitude of religious indifference, which allows British America to become a society of independence and prosperity. Through her poetry, Wheatley shows that the omnipresence of God is what makes British America unique and an attractive place. British America is a land where anyone can travel to, discover the salvation God supplies, and not only live a flourishing life on Earth but prepare themselves for a prosperous life in Heaven, too. Wheatley illustrates this in her poem addressed to T.H. Esq; on the Death of his Daughter by iterating, with the acceptance of God, one will be able to, “converse with heav’n, and taste the promis’d joy” [Wheatley 53, line 40]. At the most basic level, being pure and having a strong relationship with God will create a life filled with joy. In the majority of her poems, Wheatley addresses families grieving the death of a loved one by saying that since they are now in Heaven, they are in a much better place. This demonstrates the
Anne Bradstreet’s and Phillis Wheatley’s poems both share the themes of death and religion, but Bradstreet explores these themes by tying them to nature and her personal struggles with simplicity and a religious lens, while Wheatley incorporates race using a sophisticated, Christianity-saturated perspective often bordering on impersonal.
After receiving his PhD from Harvard in 1953, American historian, author, and academic specialist, Bernard Bailyn, continues to transform ideas of early American history with his award winning books. As we know, the foundation of today’s American Society leads back to the transfer of people from the Britain to the New World, in the early 1600s. In his book, Bernard Bailyn, author of The Peopling of British North America, An Introduction, gathers demographic, social, and economic history research to form four propositions relating to the migration. While identifying central themes of our history, he attempts to present an overview for American knowledge relating to the causes of migration to the new world and consequences of society created
One of the bloodiest conflicts in U.S history that occurred in the 17th century was Metacom's war (also known as King Philip's War). In Proportion to the population, it is also recognized as the deadliest war in American history. By the end of the war, the English population of New England had declined by thirty percent and the Native Americans population declined more than twice the percent as the English. The dreadful war was a violent and destructive conflict, which was triggered by the devotion of maintaining cultural identity and preserving authority and power, both in religious and society capacities in which one believed to be his land. As a result, this crisis has impacted Americans and the culture of themselves for many years. This essay will analyze the history of Metacom's war chronology from June 1675-August 1676 informing the readers with knowledge about King Philip, the cause and effects of the conflict, and the impact it has made towards Americans.
In 46 Pages author Scott Liell is able to poignantly illustrate the colonies metamorphosis from a dependent arm of the English Empire to an independent country, the catalyst for which was Thomas Paine's Common Sense. Liell is able to not only articulate the turning point of the American consensus towards independence, but he also very intelligibly depicts the sentiments of all facets of colonial dogma and the torrential effect that Common Sense had in loosening the cement that held those beliefs. Using fantastic examples of the opinions of Tories, Whigs, and those ambivalent towards independence, Liell efficiently and
In John Smith’s, “Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles,” and William Bradford’s, “Of Plymouth Plantation,” they discuss their lifestyle and adventure in the colonies. They also use specific literary styles and techniques to describe to the reader of their unbelievable experiences. In addition, both passages have many similarities and differences amongst each other involving their writing. They are similar because they both tell a story, have a narrative style, use imagery and repetition, and discuss religion. On the other hand, they are not alike because they have different styles, tones, and purposes.
Red Jackets’ “Reply to the Missionary Jacob Cram” and the poems written by Phillis Wheatley both have something in common. Belief in a God/god(s). Red Jacket provides that in his culture there is the belief in the Great Spirit which Jacob Cram wants to change to the almighty God and Phillis Wheatley shows how what she went through as a slave brought her to an un-denying devotion to God. Religion is something that has developed continually over the years, but one thing has remained the same… every individual has their own God or god(s) that they profess their faith in. What does the belief in a Great Spirit or the belief in God reveal about Red Jacket and Phillis Wheatley? It reveals who they are as an individual, how they live their life, their character, and also shows their past and how they have gotten where they are today.
Phillis Wheatley was a young African American girl, brought to America at the age of seven to be a slave. In her time maturing in the Wheatley household, young Phillis grew rapidly intellectually and spiritually. Her faith in God and His divine nature is what inspired Wheatley to write- a prominent subject in her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Another example of God being the backbone of her literary career is in her letter “To the University of Cambridge in New England.” Though Wheatley was a slave, she is known as one of the most prominent poets in the pre-nineteenth century America. Mr. Edgar Alan Poe,
The author John Smith, a pilgrim who arrived to the Americas, wrote a description of the new land in his book “ A Description of New England ”. In this book Smith shows a wonderful world of vast food and pleasure. Also, William Bradford another pilgrim who arrived to Plymouth on the coast of Massachusetts, wrote a book called “ Of Plymouth Plantation ” in which he describes what really happened, how the pilgrims actually lived. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast both authors and their books. John Smith wrote about the wonderful place the New World was, on the other hand, William Bradford wrote about the realities and difficulties of the New World.
Phillis Wheatley is a gem of her time; the first African-American woman to have her poetry published. Though purchased as a slave, her life was far from most African-Americans during the 17th century. She was educated and became deeply rooted in her faith: Christianity. From an outsider, her life may be viewed as an adopted child rather than a slave to the Wheatley family. However, she did not forget where she came from or those less fortunate than herself. Wheatley used the education she was afforded and her new-found spirituality to fight against slavery through the use of words (751). One of the greatest examples of this is her poem “To the University of Cambridge, in New England” addressed to perhaps the well-educated group of
John Winthrop and John Adams and their respective works were heavily influenced by their times. Winthrop was a devout Puritan Christian that was escaping a persecuting king in the early to mid-seventeenth century. As a learned and religious man, he came to be the leader of this puritan sect that was to establish a society unlike any other, free from religious corruption that his fellow people saw in the Church of England, that would be a model community much like the “Citty upon a Hill” described in the bible. On the other hand, John Adams experienced the “tyranny” of the British monarchy in a contrasting way. This era was marked with worsened conditions for American colonists in terms of economic and social taxations. Their literary
Wheatley begins her poem by stating, “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land” (Wheatley). This beginning statement is a powerful utilization of irony. Its surface
Through the various primary sources, a theme of hypocrisy is introduced, revealing the constant contradiction of freedom in America during the 19th century. This theme is exemplified in “America”, a poem written by James Whitfield. The poem begins with the lines, “America, it is to thee, / Thou boasted land of liberty, - / It is to thee I raise my song, / Thou land of blood, and crime, and wrong” (Whitfield “America” 1- 4). Within the first four lines of the poem, Whitfield introduces the notion that America, albeit boasting of freedom, is truly a land of wrongdoing. This idea is further enhanced later in the poem, as it is mentioned, “Oh no; they fought, as they believed, / For the inherent rights of man; / But mark, how they have been deceived / By slavery’s accursed plan” (Whitfield “America” 37 -
Similarly to this poem, Wheatley speaks of God, though in a more apparent, direct and obvious manner. For example when she says that “There is a God, that there’s a Savior too,” she uses her emotion and feelings towards her faith in poetry. Though the poets differ in their approaches to the inclusion of God in their writing, they nevertheless make it a significant component of their
Edward Taylor’s “Our Insufficiency to Praise God Suitably, for his Mercy” and Phillis Wheatley’s “An Hymn to Humanity” illustrate distinct differences within the poetry of the Puritans and the Age of Reason. Edward embraces a negative read of humanity and emphasizes mankind’s subordination to God, Phillis shows humanity’s optimism, celebrates its intellectual skills, exalts human possibility, and makes an appeal for recognition of blacks’ abilities.
Although the present day American is a totally a different person, at the close of the Revolutionary War the same individual was a European immigrant impacted by the nature of the American continent. In St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s perspective, an American is a race that results from a mixture of Swedes, Dutch, French, Irish, Scotch, and Englishmen (48). This race consists of unique type of people who are not governed by laws as strict as they experienced in Europe. They are a breed of people who had no home and no country in Europe. This paper discusses what the American was thought to be, in view of St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s Letters from an American Farmer.