Title: Unit 1 Literary Skills Focus Essays
1Unit 1Literary Skills Focus Essays
Chapter 1 Native American Oral
Traditions Chapter 2 American Narrative
Tradition Chapter 3 Political Writing
2Chapter 3 Political Writing
Influences on Early American Political Writing
- Ideas and principles from Europes Age of Reason,
particularly the ideals of rationalism - Emergence of deism and its influence on Americas
leaders and writers - Conflict between British rule and American
Colonists seeking independence - Spread of self-published political writing
3Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The American Revolution was fueled by influential
political writings supporting independence.
The writers who inspired the colonists revolt
based their arguments on the ideals of
rationalism.
4Political Writing
The Power of Reason
Rationalist thinkers believe that humans
- can discover truth using reason
- can use reason to understand natural laws and
guide their lives - need not rely only on religious faith or
intuition
The rationalist movement marked the beginning of
the Age of Reason in Europe in the seventeenth
century.
5Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The rationalists were not non-believers.
rationalists believed that God created the
natural world and its laws.
Like the Puritans
rationalists thought the universe operated
without divine intervention.
Unlike the Puritans
These beliefswhich were shared by many of
Americas Foundersare known as deism.
6Political Writing
The Power of Reason
The rationalist idea that all people are free to
use reason to better their lives was part of the
justification for independence.
Its also the foundation of two of the most
important political documents in American history
and literature
- the Declaration of Independence
7Political Writing
The Argument for Revolt
Early American leaders spread their ideas by
publishing their words and distributing them to
the Colonists.
Thomas Paines pamphlet Common Sense, published
in 1776, is considered by many to be the most
important written work justifying independence.
8Political Writing
The Argument for Revolt
Paine applied both rationalist thought and deist
principles to his arguments in favor of
revolution.
Common Sense, only 47 pages long, sold 500,000
copies at a time when the population of the
Colonies was a little over 2 million.
9Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
Some early American political writerssuch as
Painearoused passion for independence.
Other revolutionary leaders used wordsspoken and
writtento lay the foundation for the new nation.
10Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
In 1775, as the Virginia Convention was debating
compromise with Britain, Patrick Henry delivered
his famous speech
Give me liberty, or give me death!
Like Paine, Henry used rationalism to persuade
the delegates to arm the Colonists.
Henrys speech was a key step on the road to
independence, and his words became a battle cry.
11Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
The next year, the Second Continental Congress
appointed a committeeincluding Thomas
Jeffersonto draft a declaration of independence.
As one of the main authors, Jefferson infused the
document with rationalist ideals.
The authors took the ideas that inspired their
revolt and used them as a basis for the new
government.
12Political Writing
Founding a New Nation
The Declaration of Independence was the first
American document to describe an ideal
relationship between the people and their
government.
Underlying this relationship, which emphasized
the rights of individuals, was the rationalist
belief in humans capacityand freedomto reason
for themselves.
13Political Writing
Ask Yourself
1. In what ways did the philosophies of
rationalism and deism contribute to American
independence? 2. What role did pamphlets and
political speeches play in the decision to
declare independence from Britain? 3. How did
political writing allow individuals to affect the
development of an entire nation? How does this
power of the individual reflect the principles
upon which the United States was founded?
End of Section
14The End