American Lit: Historical Record Of Our Country

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AMERICAN LITERATURE: A HISTORICAL RECORD OF OUR COUNTRY American literature has served as an important historical record of the development of our country from 1620 to the mid-nineteenth century by capturing the early American colonies through the eyes of many great authors. Throughout history thousands of poems and stories were produced which aided in the shaping of our very nation. These written works have had a powerful affect on American culture and change. From the very early Puritan literature to Romanticism and Realism the writings have influenced politics, morals and values. This essay will travel through the beginning of literary greatness in the mid sixteen hundred to the nineteenth century. Early Puritan literature played a large role in the developing of our country. Puritanism lasted for more than one hundred years after the landing of the pilgrims in America. The people’s life and writings were dominated by the Puritan religious beliefs and attitudes. The primary purpose of Puritan life was to love and serve their God. These strict religious views were clearly displayed in many authors during this period of literary history. One of the earliest Puritan writers was William Bradford. William Bradford, born in 1590 was a devout religious man and political leader. Bradford was among other men, women, and children that left September 1620 from Leyden on a pilgrimage to the New World. Sixty five days after setting sail they arrived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The original voyage was to arrive in Virginia but after winter exposure and sickness the pilgrims remained in New England. In 1630 Bradford began his accounts of the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and surviving the harsh winter. William Bradford’s “of Plymouth Plantation” is the very foundation of our liberty. “And his faith still shines forth clearly in his
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