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