Before 1700 – 1820

Unit 2 Assignments
Before 1700 – 1820
Required textbook, “The Norton Anthology – American Literature”, Shorter Seventh Edition by Baym, Nina.
Reading Assignments:
Historical Background Readings
1. Beginnings to 1700 Introduction, pg. 1-14, especially pgs. 12-14
2. Introduction to 1700-1820, pgs. 151-159

Essays, Poems, Speeches
3. William Bradford, “Of Plymouth Plantation”
4. Anne Bradstreet, “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
5. Tecumseh, “Speech to the Osages”
6. Thomas Paine, “from Common Sense”
7. Phillis Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa to America”

Part 1
1. How does the writing of the era indicate about the importance of divine authority?
2. Paine stated that his writing style in Common Sense was simple and direct in order to appeal to the masses. Though written at different times with different audiences, how does Tecumseh’s speech reflect similar stylistic qualities used by Paine? Do you find anything similar about the two?
3. How do both Bradstreet and Wheatley incorporate the Christian principles into their poems?
Part 2
Please answer the following questions in separate 300-400 word paragraphs. Do NOT write an essay for either. The paragraphs should be formatted to MLA guidelines (heading and title). Furthermore, it should contain specific citations from text.
Thomas Paine’s from Common Sense
1. What are the main ideas of the work and how did they influence the people of the 13 colonies?
2. Discuss how the plain language of the pamphlet appealed to everyday people of the time.