Reason and Revolution 1750-1800 A rational society is one that, informs the mind, sweetens the temper, cheers our spirits, and promotes health. Jefferson
Population 1610 210 1640 27,950 1670 114,500 1750 1,207,000 1790 4,000,000 1 st U.S. census
Voice of the Age of Reason: Independence Strongly Emotional Life and Death time of history Visions of Liberty Expressed through writing
50 years before the Revolution Colonies beginning to prosper Colonies less like dangerous settlements in the wilderness Colonies communicating with each other Colonies sharing mutual political and economic concerns Colonies sharing anger over policies of British Government
Infuriating laws and taxes Stamp Act of 1765 stamps required for purchases of newspapers, licenses, pamphlets Quartering Act of 1765 Colonists had to house/feed British troops Townsend Acts of 1767 tax on tea, glass, lead and paper
American Response Decisions to NOT follow new British laws Disseverment of assemblies by England Resulting violence Boston Massacre 1770 (British troops firing on taunting crowd) Boston Tea Party 1773 (Colonists dumped tea in Boston Harbor) Colony petitions to George III Desire to share in government No Taxation without Representation
American Response Response from England Intolerable Acts 1774 (punishment for the Boston Tea Party) Revocation of rights/privileges Seizing of American weapons Colonial response to English policies Continued discussion of break from England Skirmishes between British and Colonists Common Sense by Thomas Paine (January 1776- before the Revolutionary War) Addressed separation from England Affected public opinion 100,000 sold in 3 months (spoke plainly)
Effects on American Literature 1770 s no professional American poets, playwrights, novelists Political writings addressing issues of the time Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, letters Poet s Corners section in the newspaper for locally written poems and songs, issues of the day Political broadsides sheets of paper tacked up around town. Contained essays, poems, etc. Emerging new sense of national identity Literary heritage as extraordinary as political heritage
Effects on American Literature cont. Declaration of Independence Voice of the people, not one person Explains to the entire world why they were leaving England Culmination of writing of the time, showing that King George was tyrannical and deserved to be overthrown Declaration states: Unalienable rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Government obtains power by consent of the governed Government exists to protect the rights of the governed; it should be abolished or changed if it fails to do so
Thoughts to Remember: our government didn t happen by accident Method of government result of much thought and debate Life or Death time in history Success of revolution was amazing; to successfully stand the test of time is even more so
In the Library of Congress My country, right or wrong When right, keep it right When wrong, set it right.
Unit Objectives Analyze and Interpret facts and extended meanings Discuss predetermined themes Respond to critical opinion Analyze persuasion and style Identify and analyze audience Develop vocabulary skills Write a creative composition
A New Nation factors that led to the American Revolution Representative government Natural rights Freedom Separation of Church and State American Identity A national literature
Representative Government The idea of a representative government was in keeping with long-standing English traditions of limiting royal power
Natural Rights The writings of the British Philosopher John Locke profoundly influenced America s founding fathers and eighteen-century thought in general Locke justified limiting royal authority and proposed that all human beings have natural rights and are entitled to political and economic freedoms regardless of birth
Freedom Many early immigrants to the colonies left Europe hoping for religious, political, and economic freedoms
Separation of Church and State The ideas of separation of church and state owe much to the writings of Voltaire, the leading philosopher of the French Enlightenment
American Identity With the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, England s factory owners sought raw materials and markets for their goods, both of which they felt the American colonies should provide The colonists, in turn, objected to laws that discouraged factories in the colonies After the French and Indian War (1756-1763) the mother country expected the colonies to pay for their own protection and instituted taxes for this purpose The colonists objected, for they felt that England s constant quarreling with France was not their fight
Common themes Peace through Unity Mutual Respect Government by Consent Individual Rights Personal Courage Confronting Obstacles Nobility of America Freedom as a Worthy Cause
Titles and Authors Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography Patrick Henry Speech in the Virginia Convention Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence
Ben Franklin pg.56 October 18, 1706 December 1, 1788 Franklin opposed the 1765 Stamp Act. Franklin soon learned of the extent of colonial resistance to the Stamp Act, and his testimony before the House of Commons led to its repeal. With this, Franklin suddenly emerged as the leading spokesman for American interests in England.
Pre-reading vocabulary 1. Censure 2. Elevation 3. Ingenuity 4. Temperance 5. Libeling 6. Enumerations 7. Arduous 8. Eradicate 9. Rectitude 10. Frugality 11. Incorrigible 12. Speculative 13. Admonish 14. Allotted 15. Dissuaded 16. Annexed 17. Squander
13 Virtues Temperance Sincerity Silence Justice Order Moderation Resolution Cleanliness Frugality Tranquility Industry Chastity Humility
Timed Writing #1 Write about one of the old-fashioned-seeming virtues, such as silence or frugality. What type of experience do you imagine led Franklin to consider it important?
Reflecting on the Selection How do you think Franklin s maturity affected his views of his early experiences?
Patrick Henry pg. 65 1736-1799 If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges we must fight! Was a prominent figure in the American Revolution known and remembered primarily for his Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech. Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, he was one of the most influential (and radical) advocates of the American Revolution and republicanism (a government not ruled by a king), especially in his denunciations of corruption in government officials and his defense of historic rights.
Pre-reading vocabulary 1. Disposed 2. Ministry 3. Solace 4. Insidious 5. Comports 6. Implements 7. Subjugation 8. Supplication 9. Remonstrated 10. Prostrated 11. Inviolate 12. Contending 13. Supinely 14. Extenuate
Seeking out Literary Elements Allusion The classical and biblical allusions Henry cites place America s predicament into universal perspective Rhetorical Questions Henry s repeated rhetorical questions force his audience to weigh the intangible hopes for reconciliation against the real and present danger posed by the British military forces Metaphor The image of bondage Henry conveys with such words as bind rivet chains and forging add grim intensity to his warning about British intentions Repetition and Parallelism Repetition of we would inspire a sense of unity in the audience. Parallel constructions are powerful devices in which the symmetry and rhythm off the sentence add to the persuasiveness of the words
Speech in the Virginia Convention 1. How do you think this mention of responsibility affected the delivery of Henry s speech? 2. What do you think Henry means when he says he is ready to provide for the truth? 3. Why do you think Henry focuses on these three failed attempts to deal with the British?
Henry s Speech to the Virginia Convention 10 min.
Listening As you listen to these famous political speeches, describe your reactions to the speeches and analyze them in terms of the literary focus on pages 68-69 of your textbook. Martin Luther King s I Have A Dream http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm John F. Kennedy s Inaugural Address http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.
Thomas Jefferson pg. 76 1743-1826 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights Was the third President of the Unites States (1801 1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. Major events during his presidency include the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804 1806).
Pre-reading vocabulary 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. D 6. D 7. C 8. B 9. A 10. C 11. B 12. D 13. C 14. D 15. D
Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence 5min.
Seeking out Literary Elements Tone Jefferson creates a calm, reasoned tone and infuses the Declaration with majesty by using straightforward adjectives and highly evocative nouns and verbs Audience By identifying his audience as members of the candid world Jefferson seeks to legitimize America s sovereignty and enlist the approval of other nations Word Choice Jefferson adds emotional intensity as he shifts from more objective, legalistic language to such strong verbs as plundered and ravaged to attack the crown
Declaration of Independence 1. How would you explain the meaning of the phrase the pursuit of happiness? 2. Why do you think the colonists saw British rule as tyranny? 3. In his arguments against British rule, why does Jefferson include pleas made earlier to the British people? 4. What elements do you think contribute most to the persuasive power of the Declaration of Independence?
Congress passes the Declaration of Independence 3 min.