~The Underwear of the Enlightenment Period~ ;)

The shift, chemise (in France), or smock, had a low neckline and elbow-length sleeves which were full early in the period and became increasingly narrow as the century progressed. Drawers were not worn in this period.

The long-waisted, heavily boned stays of the early 1740's with their narrow back, wide front, and shoulder straps gave way by the 1760s to strapless stays which still were cut high at the armpit, to encourage a woman to stand with her shoulders slightly back, a fashionable posture. The fashionable shape was a rather conical torso, with large hips. The waist was not particularly small. Stays were usually laced snugly, but comfortably; only those interested in extreme fashions laced tightly. They offered back support for heavy lifting, and poor and middle class women were able to work comfortably in them.   

Free-hanging pockets were tied around the waist and were accessed through pocket slits in the side-seams of the gown or petticoat.

Woolen or quilted waistcoats were worn over the stays or corset and under the gown for warmth, as were petticoats quilted with wool batting, especially in the cold climates of Northern Europe and America.

Fashion of the Enlightenment Period!!

Fashion in the years 1750–1775 in European countries and North America was characterised by greater abundance, elaboration and intricacy in clothing designs, loved by the Rococo artistic trends of the period. The French and English styles of fashion were very different from one another. French style was defined by elaborate court dress, colourful and rich in decoration, worn by such iconic fashion figures as Marie Antoinette After reaching their maximum size in the 1750s, hoop skirts began to reduce in size, but remained being worn with the most formal dresses, and were sometimes replaced with side-hoops, or panniers. Hairstyles were equally elaborate, with tall headdresses the distinctive fashion of the 1770s. For men, waistecoasts and breeches of previous decades continued to be fashionable. English style was defined by simple practical garments, made of inexpensive and durable fabrics, catering towards a leisurely outdoor lifestyle. These lifestyles were also portrayed through the differences in portraiture. The French preferred indoor scenes where they could demonstrate their affinity for luxury in dress and lifestyle. The English, on the other hand, were more "egalitarian" in tastes, thus their portraits tended to depict the sitter in outdoor scenes and pastoral attire.

The Great Awakenning: George Whitefield

 

  The Great Awakening during the Enlightenment period occurred in the early 1700s. This was when the people began to differentiate from the views of the church. In England and America the people began questioning the church and its role. Many broke away from the churches and formed new ones because of this. Others began preaching what they believed and one man specifically became highly demanded for his incredible preaching skills. George Whitefield became an important figure that helped expand the Great Awakening. He gave his first sermon in his hometown and in 1737 he traveled to Georgia to help an Orphan House. A year later he went back to England and in 1739 he traveled back to America. His fame became evident when he went to Philadelphia to preach and thousands of people rushed to hear his sermons. At the young age of 25 he was known as “the boy preacher.” His sermons became so popular that his audience would reach 20,000 to 30,000 people. Benjamin Franklin also noticed what an impressive preacher Whitefield was when he wrote in his journal that everywhere he went Psalms were sung. Franklin wrote “it seemed as if all the world were growing religious” (Cauchi) in his journal. When Whitefield first arrived in America he saw some potential in expanding the religious environment, but it still lacked the knowledge of Christ. He went on to open people’s minds with his revivals. This movement eventually gained enough support to have a school open up in support of the revivals in 1741. This school became known as Princeton. It was opposed at first by the faculty at Harvard and Yale, but with all the backing that the revivalisms received they could not prevent from Princeton to be established. George Whitefield had impacted an immense amount of people’s lives and had converted many more.

 

Works Cited

Cauchi, Tony . "The First Great Awakening in America - George Whitefield." Revival Library.            Electronic Copyright, n.d. Web. 27 Nov 2012.

"Some Figures of the Great Awakening." Great Awakening: Analysis and Information on the First Great Awakening. In Association with Amazon. Web. 27 Nov 2012.

-Ana Juan

Jefferson's Bible

The American Enlightenment saw a movement away from the traditional religious views of the past and towards a more reasonable and logical view of the world. One of the best examples of this idea comes from one of America’s Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Late in Jefferson’s life, he began to create his own version of the Bible which he titled “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” (Posten). He was attempting to create a more coherent story that allowed the four Gospels to flow together. However, Jefferson decided to leave out all mention of Jesus’ miracles and anything that suggested the supernatural. Jefferson was trying to portray “Jesus as a teacher, but having nothing to do with the divine or as a prophet with a  link to the divine” (Posten).

Jefferson’s Bible exemplifies the main idea of the Enlightenment. Being a Deist, Jefferson believed in a deity that created the world then left it to its own devices. He only saw Jesus as a man that could not perform miracles. Taking a scientific approach, Jefferson could not understand the miracles described in the Bible with logic and reason, so he felt he had to disregard them.

Jefferson’s Bible was kept secret and passed to his relatives for nearly one hundred years before finally being discovered by a librarian at the Smithsonian (Discovery). The Bible was then published a few years later and made available to the public. The original copy is kept at the Smithsonian but has recently been on display at the National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian has customarily given a copy of Jefferson’s Bible to new members of Congress.

Works Cited

"How Did the "Jefferson Bible" Get Published? - Curiosity." Curiosity. DiscoveryChannel, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how jefferson-bible-get-published>.

Posten, Bruce. "The Story behind Thomas Jefferson's Refashioned Bible." Reading Eagle RSS. Reading Eagle Press, 2 July 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=317728>.

- Koty Morgan

John & Abigail Adams

On October 25, 1764, Abigail Smith and John Adams were married. The two remained the closest of friends until Abigail's death more than fifty years later. While Abigail had no formal education, John went to Harvard and graduated in 1755. 

Abigail's lack of a formal education did not hold her back, however. She grew up in her grandmother's home, where she had informal instruction. She was not a great speller, but given her intelligence, easy access to her father's library, and ability to pick up on conversations, she was easy to mistake as educated.

 In 1774, John Adams was elected as a Massachusetts delegate to the First Congress of Colonies, which later became known as the First Continental Congress. Over the course of their relationship and marriage, over one thousand letters were exchanged between the couple. More than three hundred of them written from the time that Adams left Massachusetts in 1774, until he returned in 1783. They saved the letters, which were later published by their grandson and provided a record of a long and happy marriage. A few of the letters are available in our textbook, beginning on page 626. 

Here is a link to a video: John Adams: A Life in Letters. The video goes more into detail of the letters written by Adams. 

Adams, John, and Abigail Adams. "John and Abigail Adams." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. By Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. 625-39. Print.

-Jessica Mize

American Literature from 1700-1800

As many know, the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were milestones in American history, as Americans began to focus more on the arts and the ability of the human mind. Below is a timeline and brief description of the most important works of the time. 

In 1693, Cotton Mather published The Wonders of the Invisible World. In this, Mather begins to bridge the gap between Puritanism and the Enlightenment with his work with Martha Carrier. It isn't until his death, however, in 1728, that America fully moves into the Enlightenment. 

In 1710, Cotton Mather published his book, Bonifacius (Essays to Do Good). This book was very influential to Benjamin Franklin, who becomes one of the most influential writers of this time.

In 1732, Benjamin Franklin begins publishing Poor Richard's Almanac, which was published yearly until 1758. Franklin wrote this under the pseudonym Richard Saunders, and he considered it a service to the American people, hoping to spark an interest in the intellectual.

In 1741, Jonathan Edwards writes Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, which becomes one of the most influential sermons of the Great Awakening. 

From 1771-1790, Benjamin Franklin writes his Autobiography. Part 1 was not published until 1818. This piece begins a new type of biography, called the auto-American biography. In this type of biography, the author self-consciously creates an image of himself as the "ideal American", and is most commonly a rags-to-riches story. Sarah Palin is considered a modern-day auto-American biographer.

In 1776, Thomas Paine published the first pamphlet in America, Common Sense. Common Sense was the beginning to the American Revolution, as it urged the colonists to fight back against the English rule. 

All of these works are studied in American Literature classes today because they offer insight to our past, and tell us how we got to where we are today. 


Works Cited:
"Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: 1700-1799." Washington State University Library. Washington State University, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/1751.htm>.
Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. Print.

-Jessica Mize

Neoclassicism in American Literature

According to Merriam Webster, neoclassicism is "of,  relating to, or constituting a revival or adaptation of the classical especially in literature, music, art, or architecture". In America, neoclassicism was a movement based on the interest in the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, America was in search of a model for their new government, and turned to the Roman Republic and ancient Greece. A Republic is a government run by the people, and this was first done in Ancient Rome. Americans were hoping that his type of government would prevail. 

An example of Neoclassicism in our reading was in Phillis Wheatley's "To His Excellency General Washington. In this poem, she addresses General George Washington in a letter and includes a poem she has written about him in all of his glory. Wheatley begins the poem with, "Celestial choir!", which is actually a device of Neoclassicism. Celestial Choir is a muse, which in Neoclassical pieces, writers would call upon a muse to inspire writing. Wheatley continues the Neoclassical pattern when she refers to America as "Columbia". She depicts a goddess, "she moves divinely fair, Olive and laurel binds her golden hair", triumphantly leading the country in battle. She goes on to depict General Washington as a God, maybe even similar to Zeus. 

These types of references, to muses, Gods, and Goddesses, would typically be used in ancient Greek literature, and are examples of how we used Neoclassicism in the beginning of our life as an independent country. Neoclassical images are still prevalent in our government today. For example, the White House and Capitol Building in Washington DC. These buildings were designed by Thomas Jefferson and used common images from ancient Greece and Rome of the pillars and symmetrical shapes.

-Jessica Mize

Works Cited:

"Introduction." Poetry for Students. Vol. 13. Gale Cengage, .eNotes.com. 22 Oct, 2012 <http://www.enotes.com/his-excellency/>

"Neoclassic." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neoclassicism>.

Wheatley, Phillis. "To His Excellency General Washington." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. By Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. 772-73. Print.

Deism

             What is Deism? Deism is an eighteenth- century religious belief that privileges reason over faith and rejects traditional religious tenets or general belief in benevolent creator. Deism is not a specific religion but rather a particular perspective on the nature of God. Deists believe that a creator God does exist but that after the motions of the universe were set in place he retreated, having no further interaction with the cretaed universe of the beings within it. Deism originated in the Ages of Reason and the Enlightenment in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. During thsi time many people became interested in scientific explanations about the world and became more skeptical of magic and miracles. Deists believe there is no need for worship because the deist God is entirely removed from involvement, he has neither need nor want of worship. Deists do not believe i sin and instead assume human beings are basicaly good. They believe in the exsistence of Supreme Being, Divine Watchmaker and Grand Architect of the Universe. To get a better understaning of deism I found three defintions. One, is the belief in the exsistence of a personal God, based solely on the testimony of reason and rejecting any supernatural revelation; natural religion. Two, is the belief that God created the world and set it in motion, subject to natural laws, but takes no interest in it. the third definition is the belief in a first cause which is not intrinsically perfect or complete, and therefore not a proper object worship. A large number of the Unites States Founding Fathers were deists or had strong deist leanings. These include: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.


                                                        Works Cited
Loflin, Lewis. "Exploring Deism Its Origins and History." 1981. Web. 18 Oct 2012.

-Alexandria Miller

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia and died in 1826. Jefferson was the third of ten children. His father was Peter Jefferson, he was a succesful surveyor and planter. He was raised an anglican; later in life believed in god and moral teachings of Jesuse Chris tand the Bible, but he did not believe Jesus Christ was divine. Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skeleton, their marriage produced six children, but only two survived to adulthood. Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old, a considerable landed estate he inherited from his father. He maintained Monticello as his home throughout his life. Thomas Jefferson is known as a founding father and a leader in the enlightenment. Thomas Jefferson is the principal author of Declaration of Indpendence. He was the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the third President of The United States. Thomas Jefferson studied at the college of William and Mary, and then went off to study law. He spoke five different languages and was deeply interested in science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy. Jefferson was publicly opposed to slavery. Despite the fact that he owned slaves for his entire life and had an affair with his slave, he was against the institution. It was believed that the reason he had slaves was because he was always in great debt. Thomas Jefferson died in 1826 in his bed at his home, Monticello. Thomas Jefferson only wanted to be recognized for three things: The Decalration of Indepence, Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and as the Father of The University of Virginia. Each of these are presented on his tombstone.


                                                     Works Cited

TheThomasJeffersonFoundation,inc. "Brief Biography". 1996-2012.Web. 17 Oct. 2012

- Alexandria Miller

Phillis Wheatley "On Being Brought from Africa to America"

        

                 Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America" was written in iambic pentameter, meaning it’s a rhythm of writing that has five sets of unstressed and stressed syllables. This was often known from Shakespeare. This poem was written after her travels to America and when she was bought from the Wheatleys.  In the first line of Wheatley's poem she says “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land", here she is implying that she was forced into slavery and bought. Wheatley uses "Pagan land “because where she grew up before being forced into slavery, didn't believe in Christianity. Moving to the next line, she says, “Taught my benighted soul to understand that there’s a God, that there’s a Savior too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.”" In this quote, she uses benighted meaning ignorant or unaware to describe soul" (Godspeed). Even though she was unclear about there being a God and a savior too, she felt that she was human in spite of what others may have said about her. "Right there, the confidence in her spiritually and mentally is starting to happen; she began to understand" (Godspeed). In the next few lines she says, “Some view our sable race with scornful eye, Their colour is a diabolic die.” Sable means black and scornful means disrespectful which was the negative actions whites had towards blacks. “Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, may be refin’d and join th’angelic train.” Her she implies that both blacks and whites can be saved with their harmful actions set aside. The last two lines in the poem showed that she believed slaves should be happy that they are slaves. They get to learn more about Christianity while the whites are saving their souls. The angelic train refers the “heavenly train” and this implies that those that do right will be rewarded in heaven.  Wheatley uses Christianity to justify slavery and the black race.

Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. Print.

"Godspeed." : Close Reading of "On Being Brought from Africa to America" by Phillis Wheatley. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. http://patricetate.blogspot.com/2009/02/close-reading-of-on-being-brought-from.html.

-Catherine Luberda

Phillis Wheatley

           

            Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa in 1753 and was kidnapped and forced into slavery by the age of 7. John Wheatley and his family bought Phillis and brought her over to Boston in 1761, knowing she was gifted and intelligent. Phillis lived in the Wheatley house even though there was a salve hut in the backyard and was treated as one of the Wheatley children. She was tutored by the Wheatley's daughter Mary in English, Latin, history, geography, religion, and the Bible in particular In June of 1773, Phillis went to London with one of the Wheatley's sons to publish one of her poems. While she was there, Phillis met Benjamin Franklin who was a fan of her work. During her trip to London, no one believed that Phillis wrote the poems and she had to go into a room with eighteen educated men and convince them that she wrote it. These eighteen men weren't convinced at first because Phillis was a young woman, a slave, and had an education that wasn't common for slave. The poem eventually got published and the eighteen men had to sign and verify that Phillis wrote it. In the fall of 1773, Phillis received manumission for Susannah who eventually died. Wheatley was emancipated, but wasn't freed until the death of John Wheatley in 1778. Phillis married John Peters in 1778 who was thrown into jail for debt. At this time Phillis would do anything for income. John and Phillis had three kids together, two of which died at infancy, and one who died three and a half hours after Phillis died on her death bed. Phillis Wheatley's most famous poem was on the death of Reverend George Whitefield, the English evangelist who frequently toured New England. She is the first African-American poet and the first African-American women to publish a book.

Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2012. Print.

"The Massachusetts Historical Society." The Massachusetts Historical Society. N.p., 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <https://www.masshist.org/endofslavery/index.cfm?queryID=57>.


-Catherine Luberda

The American Revolutionary War and The Crisis

              After writing Common Sense and igniting the fuel in the American’s fight for freedom, Thomas Paine decided to join the army to show his patriotism. In the army Paine showed his spirit and dedication to gain freedom and win the war, but it wasn’t his encouragements that gave the soldiers hope to win the war. Instead it was Paine’s writings that inspired the soldiers. During his time serving in the war, Thomas Paine wrote a series of pamphlets between December 1776 and April 1783 called The American Crisis. In The Crisis he recorded the war in detail from what he experienced in the frontline, which informed the public of what occurred in the battles. He also wrote his thoughts on the war and stressed the importance of unity of the colonies which became very inspirational to the soldiers and public alike. The Crisis was so inspiring that George Washington had it read to all of his soldiers before crossing the Delaware River and seizing the enemy. This attack on Christmas night in 1776 left the enemy baffled and became a turning point during the war. When Paine wrote these series he sold them but made very little profit from them. They were very popular among the soldiers because of the encouragement they received from them but not so much from the general public. Even so Paine still continued to write The Crisis until the end of the war and ended up with 13 series and three extra articles. He showed his determination of wanting to make America a free country from England or any other nation. In his last article Paine congratulated the colonies for their ability to unite and stated that "It was the cause of America that made me an author." He thanked the Americans for their support to him and allowing him to write The American Crisis series.

Works Cited

Alison. "Thomas Paine's Influence on the American Revolution." The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Connecticut Sons of the American Revolution, 2000. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.connecticutsar.org/patriots/paine_thomas.htm>.

Silver, Mae. "Thomas Paine: An American Patriot." New Jersey Press Foundation. New Jersey Newspaper Foundation, 2007. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.njreadforlife.org/painetext3.html>.

-Ana Juan

The American Revolutionary War and Common Sense

           After the Seven Years War, England was left with a tremendous debt. Not knowing where to get the money to pay off the debt, the British decided to tax the Americans. Parliament came to the conclusion that America owed them money for sending their troops over to protect the Americans from the Indians during the war. Thus, they decide to tax them, but the Americans believed that since they helped fight alongside the British during the war they should not have to pay taxes. Tension broke and in 1775 the American Revolutionary war began.

           The original cause of the war came from the taxes that England tried to impose on the Americans. Americans tried to protest against this taxation, but eventually England became weary of their attitude. They sent troops to punish those who disobeyed orders and battles broke out. America then became a split country when a group of people still favored the king and believed they should follow orders while the opposing team believed they should be able to rule by themselves and break all ties with England other than trading. During the early battles, Thomas Paine realized the absurdity of England, a small country, ruling over America, a massive country compared to its size. As a result he wrote Common Sense to state his opinions over the matter and informed the public of what should be and was happening because of the war.

            In Common Sense Paine wrote about the control England had over America. He stated that America is not a country full of only English descendants but a country that inhabits various backgrounds from all over Europe. Because of this Paine tells the public that America should be a free country, have no ties to any one nation, and be able to trade freely to any nation. Paine basically ridiculed Britain’s attempt to rule over America and demanded that America fight for its freedom. The publishing of Common Sense was what triggered the Americans to really fight for their freedom and became a turning point in the war.

Works Cited

Parker, Matthew. "Thomas Paine and Common Sense ." Revolutionary War Archives. Sons of  Liberty Chapter, November 2001. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/commonsense.html>.

-Ana Juan

Thomas Paine: Common Sense and Later Life

 

        Thomas Paine first gained international notoriety for his anonymously written pamphlet, Common Sense. Common Sense compelled America to break away from the grasp of Britain posthaste. The pamphlet became enormously popular in the colonies as well as Britain, selling nearly half a million copies. Because of its immense popularity, Paine was not able to keep his identity as its author a secret for very long. Portraying the acquiring of American independence as a moral obligation, Paine's work kindled a fire of revolution within the hearts of the colonists. Paine joined the army and served as a military assistant in several battles of the Revolutionary War. He also wrote a series of sixteen pamphlets entitled The American Crisis. The first pamphlet of the series, "These are the times that try men's souls," was used to encourage and lift the spirits of the Revolutionary Army.

        Though Paine was appointed to several political positions as a reward for the impact his writing had on the American Revolution, he turned out to be a little too openly crooked to hold these offices for very long. He returned to England in 1787 to request the funds needed to build an iron bridge, but he was denied. Paine's second most notable work, Rights of Man, he completed in 1792 while still in England. This work was Paine's fervent denouncement of the British traditional monarchy, which earned him a charge of treason. He then escaped to France where he was granted citizenship. Though Paine was an acclaimed spokesman for the French Revolution, he was incarcerated for making an objection to the execution of Louis XVI. James Monroe, the American ambassador, came to the rescue and sent him safely back to America.

        Paine lived out his final years in New York, a poor, miserable man. His Age of Reason, written in 1794, had caused him to fall out of favor with the public. This work was seen as a condemnation of Christian beliefs and even brought the disapproval of George Washington. Paine had become either behind or ahead of his time, as his work took the form of American Romanticism. Paine died in 1809 and was laid to rest on his farm in New Rochelle, New York.  The location of his remains are now unknown.

Works Cited

 

 

        "Thomas Paine." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2003. 704-05. Print.

 

        "Thomas Paine's Common Sense." Earlyamerica.com. Archiving Early America, n.d. Web. 27 Sep. 2012.

 

        -Holly James



Early Life of Thomas Paine

    

                Thomas was born on January 27, 1737, in Thetford, England.  Though Paine was highly intelligent, he realized at a very young age that he was limited by poverty and social class.  Born to a Quaker father and Anglican mother, Paine was eight years old when he first realized the mercilessness of religion, which caused him to rebel for the rest of his life. Though Paine did not come to America until age thirty-seven, he became an extremely influential figure in promoting the cause for independence and served as a voice for the common man.

                Thomas Paine attended grammar school until age thirteen, when his father was forced to make Thomas apprentice to his trade of corset-making. Paine found this unacceptable and ran away to go to sea at age nineteen. Shortly after, Paine returned to his father’s business, but not for very long. Paine was a tobacconist, a grocer, and a teacher before he settled in Lewes in 1768 as an exciseman. His first wife died in 1760, before their first wedding anniversary. He remarried in 1771, but was legally separated by 1774. Neither of his wives bore him children.

                In Lewes, Paine immersed himself in public affairs and wrote The Case of the Officers of Excise.  He was overly committed to campaigning in London for the organization of and higher salaries for excisemen. His integrity often came into question during his time as an exciseman, which haunted him for the rest of his life.  Paine met Benjamin Franklin in London and, despite scandalous allegations concerning Paine, Franklin realized that Paine was exceedingly brilliant and was much like himself in many ways. In October 1774, Franklin helped Paine emigrate to America.

                Paine established himself as a journalist in Philadelphia. He wrote multiple articles for the Pennsylvania Magazine on various subjects, and, on January 10, 1776, wrote his most famous work.  Common Sense was the very first pamphlet published in America that insisted the nation declare independence without delay. It may have been a short pamphlet, but Common Sense had an enormous impact on Americans and gained Paine fame as a revolutionary propagandist for the rebel cause.

 

Works Cited

       Kreis, Steven. "Thomas Paine, 1737-1809." Historyguide.org. The History Guide, 11 Oct. 2006. Web. 27 Sep. 2012.

       "Thomas Paine." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2003. 704-05. Print.

        -Holly James

Benjamin Franklin: The later years

After running away from his life in Boston in 1723, Benjamin Franklin wandered from place to place until he finally ended up in Philadelphia. Although most of Franklin’s fame comes from when he is in Philadelphia, he is not immediately the star inventor and writer.  Much like today, “runaways did not fit in anywhere” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). Franklin finally found work as an apprentice printer, but was stalled in his desires to own his own shop when he was sent to London to work a press. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Franklin fathered a child, William, though “the mother of William is not known” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). After this, Franklin finally settled down with Deborah Read. To make ends meet, Franklin began to run the print shop and a book shop while his wife sold any possible product from her own store. It is after settling into this stage of his life that Franklin began to turn into the man that he is famous for being today. After buying the Pennsylvania Gazette, “the side of Franklin devoted to public good started to show itself” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). Franklin began to rise in popularity from the newspaper and he only escalated from there. Franklin’s contributions to society included inventing such things as bifocals, electricity, lightening rod, Franklin Stove, flexible urinary catheter, and the odometer. It was not until 1757 that Franklin’s career in politics really began to take off. It was then that Franklin was sent to “represent Pennsylvania in its fight with the descendants of the Penn family over who should represent the Colony” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). This trip almost changed the course of America as Franklin “had thoughts of staying there permanently” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). It was not until the “Hutchinson Affair” that Franklin knew that his loyalty was with the Americans. The “Hutchinson Affair” occurred when Thomas Hutchinson, a man who seemed to represent Massachusetts while really working for the king, “called for "an abridgment of what are called English Liberties" in America” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). When Franklin caught wind of this, he immediately sent these to the colonies and began to fight for independence upon returning to his home of Pennsylvania. It was then that Franklin began to work for the independence now seen in America and became the political figure known today.

Works Cited

 “A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin.” The Electric Ben Franklin. Ushistory.org. Web. 17 Sep. 2012

Gura, Phillip F. "American Literature 1700-1820." The Norton Anthology American Literature: Beginnings to 1820 Volume A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2012. 455. Print.

The Young Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706, grew up to be one of the most well-known figures in American history. Even from a young age, children know him as the man who put a key on a kite and created electricity. Although his inventions cannot go unnoticed, his writings have also influenced the way the world has progressed; however, he was not always the man we know today. A young man growing up in Puritanical Boston, his father, like many other fathers of the time, “enrolled him in Boston Grammar School as preparation for the study of the ministry” (Gura 455). This dream was never fulfilled as Franklin was forced to go work and help his father. The fact that Franklin stayed out of the ministry separates him from influential American authors that came before him.  Unlike so many of these writers, Franklin was not completely devoted to the church as the others, most of whom were ministers or clergymen within the churches. Although he could not continue his formal education, Franklin was able to continue to learning when he went to apprentice with his older brother, James, and at a printing press. Being 12, Franklin’s responsibilities were limited but he would help his brother and “sell their products in the streets” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). When he was 15, Franklin’s desire to write began to take over. Although his brother would never allow him to publish in his newspaper, Franklin found a way around this. Writing his articles under the name Silence Dogood, Franklin would sneak his pieces into the shop to be printed the next day. Immediately a hit, “Dogood was filled with advice and very critical of the world around her, particularly concerning the issue of how women were treated” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). When Franklin admitted to writing the letters, his brother was less than pleased. When James was later put into jail, Franklin displeased his brother more by keeping his paper running while he was unable to. Upon his release, James showed his displeasure by “harassing his younger brother and administering beatings from time to time” (“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin”). It was then that Franklin decided that he needed to be on his own. In 1723, Franklin left behind his family and began to transform into the influential man he would soon be known as.

Works Cited

“A Quick Biography of Ben Franklin.” The Electric Ben Franklin. Ushistory.org. Web. 17 Sep. 2012

Gura, Phillip F. "American Literature 1700-1820." The Norton Anthology American Literature:Beginnings to 1820 Volume A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2012. 455. Print.

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. The proud parents were  Reverend Timothy Edwards and Esther Stoddard Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was the fifth of eleven children, but he was the only boy. Reverend Solomon Stoddard was Jonathan Edward's maternal grandfather. Reverend Stoddard was "one of the most influential and independent figures in the religious life of New England" (Gura 396). Edwards started going to Yale a little before he turned thirteen, and graduated four years later as valedictorian. In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint and they had eleven children. Edwards and his family moved to Northampton, Massachusetts so that he could assist his grandfather. When Reverend Stoddard died in 1729, Jonathan Edwards took over. Edwards has become the minister most associated with The Great Awakening. His most famous sermon was "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". It scared many people into completely changing their lives. "A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God" described the awakening in Edwards' church, and it gained him international fame during the First Great Awakening. On June 22, 1750 he was dismissed from the church because he tried to raise the standards for church membership and communion, and because he began calling people out from the pulpit. Edwards was voted out by a vote of two hundred to twenty. After he was voted out, he served as a missionary in Stockbridge, Massachusetts for seven years. Edwards made it his mission to spread the word of God to the Housatonic Indians. While in Stockbridge, Edwards still had the chance to minister to the English sometimes. At the end of 1757, Jonathan Edwards got called to become the president of College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton. On March 22, 1758, Edwards died after only three months of presidency. A smallpox inoculation gone wrong ended the ministers life. Jonathan Edwards was buried in Princeton Cemetery. 

Works Cited

Gura, Phillip F. "Jonathan Edwards." The Norton Anthology American                        Literature: Beginnings to 1820 Volume A. Ed. Nina Baym. New                               York: Norton, 2012. 396-398. Print.

Stout, Harry S., ed. "Jonathan Edwards: Biography." The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.Jonathan Edwards Center, 2011. Web. 20 Sep 2012. http://edwards.yale.edu/research/aboutedwards/biography

-Tori Cochran

The Enlightenment Period

The eighteenth century was a time of many economic, social, philosophical, and scientific changes. Many great inventions came about during this time span including the piano, the first mercury thermometer, and the lightening rod (Bellis). Many of these inventions came about because "many intellectuals now believed in the power of the human mind to comprehend the universe as never before" (Gura 365). These beliefs led to what is now known as the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason. During the Enlightenment, people "defined their highest duties in social rather than in spiritual terms" (Gura 367). The population in the colonies increased by nearly 1,500,000 people from 1670-1760, and the amount of settled land tripled. Many people believe that this population increase justifies the increase in the amount of diverse opinions pertaining to religious and political life in the eighteenth century (Gura 366). The first part of the Enlightenment dealt mostly with religion. There were many religious revivals in America as well as England, which led to the "Great Awakening" in the colonies in the middle of the century. During this time, preachers such as George Whitefield used emotion to bring people to the altar. The second part of the Enlightenment dealt mainly with politics. Although more women began publishing literary works, most of them did so under a feminine pen name to remain somewhat anonymous (Gura 373). Women were still fighting for equality but towards the end of the eighteenth century a movement for women to be educated like men had started to gain strength (Gura 374). In January of 1776, Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, was published in the colonies "to urge immediate independence from Britain" (Gura 640). On July 4, 1776, the colonies issued the Declaration of Independence, and in 1789 George Washington was elected as the first president. The Enlightenment was not only a period of many changes for America, but it was also a huge step for the future of the United States.

                    Works Cited
Bellis, Mary. "18th Century Timeline." About.com. The New York Times          Company. Web. 12 Sep. 2012


Gura, Phillip F. "American Literature 1700-1820." The Norton Anthology       American Literature: Beginnings to 1820 Volume A. Ed. Nina                 Baym. New York: Norton, 2012. 365-949. Print.


- Tori Cochran