美国殖民时期至自然主义文学

AmericanLiteratureContents:Chapter1Colonial Period

CaptainJohnSmith

WilliamBradford

JohnWinthrop

CottonMather

AnneBradstreet

EdwardTaylorChapter2RevolutionalPeriod

BenjaminFranklinThomasPaineThomasJeffersonPhilipFreneauChapter3Romanticism

WashingtonIrvingJamesFenimoreCooper

EdgarAllanPoe

NathanielHowthorne

WilliamWhitmanRalphWaldoEmerson

FillipThoreauTeachingcontents:GeneralintroductiontothebackgroundofAmericanliterature-historyandPuritanism,thedividinglineofAmericanliteratureandthemajorpoetsinColonialAmerica.Teachingperiod:2Mainteachingmaterialsandreferences:1.HighlightsofAmericanLiterature2.常耀信《美国文学简史》3.李宜燮常耀信《美国文学选读》Teachingaim:TogetageneralknowledgeaboutthehistoryandreligionofAmericaandexplainthereligiousbackgroundandPuritanismindetail,andtogetanoverallviewofAmericansocietyandculture.Teachingkey:TheinfluenceofPuritanismuponAmericaTeachingdifficulty:ThemaincontentofPuritanismanditsinfluenceTeachingMethod:Lecture,classteachinganddiscussionHomeworkandquestions:Homework:topreviewtheintroductiontoAmericanliterature.Questions:1.WhatarethedoctrinesofAmericanPuritanism?2.WhataretheinfluencesofPuritanismuponAmericaandAmericanliterature?HistoricalBackgroundAmericanliteraturebeginswiththeorallytransmittedmyths,legends,tales,andlyrics(alwayssongs)ofIndiancultures.Therewasnowrittenliteratureamongthemorethan500differentIndianlanguagesandtribalculturesthatexistedinNorthAmericabeforethefirstEuropeansarrived.However,Indianoraltraditionsandbeliefsinvarioustribesarequitediverse,whoserelationtoAmericanliterature,asawhole,isoneoftherichestandleastexploredtopicsinAmericanstudies.TheIndiancontributiontoAmericaisgreaterthanisoftenbelieved.Forexample,therearehundredsofIndianwordsineverydayAmericanEnglishtodaysuchas“canoe”,“tobacco”,“potato”,“moccasin”,“raccoon”,“persimmon”,“moose”,“tomahawk”,and“totem”etc.

HistoricalBackground

ThefirstknownandsustainedcontactbetweentheAmericansandtherestoftheworld,however,beganwiththefamousvoyageofanItalianexplorer,ChristopherColumbusin1492,fundedbytheSpanishrulersFerdinandandIsabella.Columbus’sjournalprintedin1493isthefirstsightingofAmericanland.Afterthat,manyEuropeansettlerscametoAmericancontinent.TheearliestsettlersincludedDutch,Swedes,Germans,French,Spaniard,Italians,andPortuguese.FrenchmensettledintheNorthernColoniesandalongtheSt.LawrenceRiver,SwedesalongtheDelaware,DutchalongtheHudson,GermansandScotch-IrishinNewYorkandPennsylvania,andtheSpanishinFlorida.TherewereNegroesinNewEngland,theMiddleColonies,andthroughoutthesouth;andAmericanIndianswereeverywhere.AllcontributedtotheformingoftheAmericancivilization,butthecoloniesthatbecamethefirstUnitedStateswereforthemostpartEnglishsustainedbyEnglishtraditions,ruledbyEnglishlaws,supportedbyEnglishcommerce,andnamedafterEnglishmonarchsandEnglishlands:Georgia,Carolina,Virginia,Maryland,NewYork,NewHampshireandNewEnglandHistoricalBackgroundInthe17thcentury,pirates,adventurers,andexplorersopenedthewaytoasecondwaveofpermanentcolonists,bringingtheirwives,children,farmimplementsandcraftsmen’stools.Theearlyliteratureofexploration,madeupofdiaries,letters,traveljournals,ships’logs,andreportstotheexplorers’financialbackers—Europeanrulersor,inmercantileEnglandandHolland,jointstockcompanies—graduallywassupplantedbyrecordsofthesettledcolonies.ThefirstpermanentEnglishsettlementinNorthAmericawasestablishedatJamestown,Virginiain1607.Itenduredstarvation,brutality,andmisrule.However,theliteratureoftheperiodpaintsAmericainglowingcolorsasthelandofrichesandopportunity.AmongthemembersofthesmallbandofJamestownsettlerswasCaptainJohnSmith,anEnglishsoldieroffortune.Hisreportsofexploration,publishedintheearly1600s,havebeendescribedasthefirstdistinctAmericanliteraturewritteninEnglish.HistoricalBackgroundAlmostfromthebeginning,astheEnglishsettledalongtheAtlanticcoastofAmerica,therewereimportantdifferencesbetweentheSouthernandtheNewEnglandcolonies.IntheSouth,enormousfarmsorplantationsusedthelaborofblackslavestogrowtobacco.Therichandpowerfulplantationownerswereslowtodevelopaliteratureoftheirown.TheypreferredbooksimportedfromEngland.ButinNewEngland,thePuritansettlershadcometotheNewWorldinordertoformasocietybasedonstrictChristianbeliefs.LikethePuritansinEngland,whowerefightingagainsttheEnglishking(inawarthatlastedfrom1642to1652),theybelievedthatsocietyshouldbebasedonthelawsofGod.Therefore,theyhadafarstrongersenseofunity.ThiswasoneofthereasonswhycultureandliteraturedevelopedmuchfasterthanintheSouth.Harvard,thefirstcollegeinthecolonies,wasfoundednearBostonin1636inordertotrainnewPuritanministers.CaptainJohnSmithWilliamBradfordJohnWinthropCottonMatherAnneBradstreetEdwardTaylorMajorwritersandliteraryworksCaptainJohnSmith(1580—1631)Arealadventurer,hehadfoughttheTurksinHungary,wherehewaswoundedandtakenprisoner.Hewassoldasaslaveandescapedbykillinghismaster.In1607,hehelpedtosetupJamestown,thefirstEnglishcolonyinAmerica.SmithsentalettertotheVirginiaCompanyinLondon,defendingthehandlingofthesettlementandproclaimingthemeritsofthenewland.In1608,mostpartofhisletterwaspublished,underthetitleATrueRelationofSuchOccurrencesandAccidentsofNoteasHathHappenedinVirginiaSincetheFirstPlantingofThatColony.Thus,CaptainJohnSmithbecamethefirstAmericanwriter.TrueRelationofVirginia(1608)DescriptionofNewEngland(1616)

GeneralHistoryofVirginia,NewEngland,andtheSummerIsles(1624)CaptainJohnSmith(15801631)HisdescriptionsofAmericawerefilledwiththemes,myths,images,scenes,characters,andeventsthatwereafoundationasalandofendlessbounty.HisvisionhelpedtolurethePilgrimsandthePuritanswhosawthemselvesasnewsaintswithaspiritualmissiontofleetheOldWorldandcreateaNewIsrael,aNewPromisedLand.Wecanlookonhisdescriptionasakindoffascinating“advertisements”whichtrytopersuadethereadertosettleintheNewWorld.TrueRelationofVirginia(1608)DescriptionofNewEngland(1616)CaptainJohnSmith(15801631)Smithpublishedeightinall.SomeofthemweredealingwithNewEngland,thecoastofwhichheexploredandmappedafterhisfortunefadedwiththeVirginiaCompany.HesoughtapostasguidetothePilgrimsbut,thoughtheymadeuseofhispublicationsandmaps,theydidnotwanttheman.HehadtoomuchcolorandflamboyanceforsoberPuritantastes;moreover,hewassuspectedofhavinglessthancompleteregardfortheexacttruth.CaptainSmithmaynothavebeenamodestman,butitisclearthathecontributedmoretothesurvivaloftheJamestowncolonythandidanyoneelse.HetirelesslyexploredtheriversandbaysaroundtheChesapeakeregion.AndhesawfromthebeginningwhatwaseventuallytobeabasicprincipleofAmericanhistory,theneedof“workers”insteadof“gentlemen”forthetoughjobofplantingcoloniesandpushingthefrontierswestward.CaptainJohnSmith(15801631)GeneralHistoryofVirginia,NewEngland,andtheSummerIsles(1624)Inthiswork,JohnSmithcreatedaromanticstory,whichseemedtohaveembroideredhisadventures.TodayweowethefamousstorytotheIndianmaiden,Pocahontas.ThetaleisingrainedintheAmericanhistoricalimagination.ThestoryrecountshowPocahontas,favoritedaughterofChiefPowhatan,savedCaptainSmith’slifewhenhewasaprisonerofthechief.Later,whentheEnglishpersuadedPowhatantogivePocahontastothemasahostage,hergentleness,intelligence,andbeautyimpressedtheEnglish,and,in1614,shemarriedJohnRolf,anEnglishgentleman.Themarriageinitiatedaneight-yearpeacebetweenthecolonistsandtheIndians,ensuringthesurvivalofthestrugglingnewcolony.Thestoryisprobablyuntrue,butitisthefirstfamoustalefromAmericanliterature.HisElizabethanstyleisnotalwayseasytoread,andhispunctuationwasstrangeevenforthepeopleinseventeenthcentury.WilliamBradford(15901657))WilliamBradfordwasaPuritanandalsoaSeparatist.SeparatistsarguedthattheChurchofEnglandwashopelesslycorruptedbyCatholicpracticesandwasdoomedtoseverepunishmentfromangryGod.Theonlysolution,thoughtSeparatistPuritans,wastowithdrawcompletelyintosmall,“gathered”communities.Thisdecisionbroughtintensepersecutiononthem,intheformofheavyfines,imprisonmentandexile.AsmallbandofSeparatists,undertheleadershipofWilliamBradford,landedatwhatisnowPlymouth,Massachusetts,andestablishedastrugglingsettlementtherein1620.Shortlyafterthat,hewaselectedgovernorofPlymouthintheMassachusettsBayColony.Hewasadeeplypious,self-educatedmanwhohadlearnedseverallanguages,includingHebrew,inorderto“seewithhisowneyestheancientoraclesofGodintheirnativebeauty”.HisparticipationinthemigrationtoHollandandtheMayflowervoyagetoPlymouth,andhisdutiesasgovernor,madehimideallysuitedtobethefirsthistorianofhiscolony.Inadditiontohistory,Bradfordleftawealthofletters,otherprosewritingsaboutthecolony,andevenanarrativepoem.Afterhisdeath,theNewEnglandcoloniesmournedhiminwordswrittenlaterbyCottonMather,as“acommonblessingandfathertothemall”.WilliamBradford(15901657))BythetimeBradfordnearedtheendofhishistory,in1650,hehadbecomegreatlydiscouragedthathisfellowPilgrimshadlosttheoriginalfaiththatsustainedtheminthevoyageandthosedifficultyears.Partly,duetothisreason,hewroteOfPlymouthPlantationtorestimulatetheprimaryimpulse.ThisworkdescribesthePuritans’difficultrelationswiththeIndians.Italsodescribestheirdifficultiesduringthefirstwinter,whenhalfofthesmallcoloniesdied.Thisisallexpressedinthewonderful“plainstyle”whichthePuritansadmired.Inordertopresentthe“clearlightoftruth”touneducatedreaders,Puritanwritersavoidedelegantlanguage.TheexamplestheyusedweredrawneitherfromtheBibleorfromtheeverydaylifeoffarmersandfishermen.Atthesametime,Bradford’shistoryisdeeplyinfluencedbythebeliefthatGoddirectseverythingthathappens.Eacheventhewritesaboutbeginswith,“ItpleasedGodto…”OfPlymouthPlantation(1651)JohnWinthrop(15881649)JohnWinthrop(15881649)JohnWinthropwasthefirstgovernorofMassachusettsBayColonyand,likemostofthePuritanwriters,wasaministerallhislife.HebegantokeepajournalontheBayColonists’voyagetoMassachusettsaboardtheshipArbellain1630.Hemaintainedthispracticefortherestofhislife.PartsofhisJournalwerefirstpublishedin1790.Thecompleteworkwasatlastprintedin1826underthetitleTheHistoryofNewEngland.Thisnameislessappropriatethan“journal”,fortheworkhasnoscopeandorderofhistory.OtherWinthroppapersexist,buttheJournalremainshischiefwork.LikeBradford’sbooks,Winthrop’sisnotableforitscandidsimplicityandhonesty,thoughthePlymouthgovernoristhebetterwriter.Eachbookisthemostvaluablekindofhistoricalsourceanaccountofeventsbyamanwhohasbeenamajorfigureofhistime.Bothaccountswerewritten,notfromliteraryambition,butfromasenseoftheneedtorecordimportanteventsinpermanentform.Yet,throughadirectandvigorousprosestyle,eachaccountattainedliteraryexcellence.JohnWinthrop(15881649)HebelievesthereshouldbeinferiorsandsuperiorsinthenewsocietythatheandhisfellowPuritansweregoingtofoundbecauseGodintendstobeso.Second,JohnWinthropwasnotonlysimplyaProtestantChristian,butalsohewasaPuritan,andasmuchwasinfluencedbytheteachingofJohnCalvin.HearguedthatGodwasthekingwhopresidedoveracreationthatwasrank-orderedintoinferiorsandsuperiors;hewasreflectingnotonlyjustageneralizedChristiandiscourseaboutmalenessandmonarchy,butalsoaspeciallyCalvinistdiscoursethatstressesthedeepdivisionsintheworld,thesharpdistinctionsbetweenrulerandruled,savedandunsaved.JohnWinthrop(15881649)HewasreflectingCalvin’sinsistencethatGodwasanabsolutemonarch,angrywithhumanityforitsoriginalandcontinuingdisobedience,readytopunishallexceptforthegraciousinterventionof

Christintherescueofafew.Heexplainedclassdistinctionby“ModelofChristianCharity”.“Thathe(God)mighthavethemoreoccasiontomanifesttheworkofhisSpirit,first,uponthewickedinmoderatingandrestrainingthem;sothattherichandthemightyshouldnoteatupthepoor,northepooranddespisedriseupagainsttheirsuperiors,andshakeofftheiryoke…”JohnWinthrop(15881649)TheHistoryofNewEnglandThisworkisinthe“plainstyle”,butitisfarlesscheerful.Hiswritingstyleisrathercold,becauseherarelyshowsshockorsadness,evenwhenhedescribesscenesofgreatunhappiness.Sometimes,thedrynessofhis“plainstyle”isveryeffective.ThisishisdescriptionoftheNewEnglandcoastwhenhearrivedonJune7,1630:Wehadnowfairsunshineweather,andsopleasantasweetairasdidmuchrefreshus,andtherecameasmelloffshorelikethesmellofagarden.LikeallofthePuritanhistorians,WinthropbelievedthatmosteventscouldbeseenasasignfromGod.Forexample,whenasnakewasfoundandkilledinachurch,peoplesawthisasthevictoryofNewEnglandreligionoverSatan.`AnneBradstreet(16121672)Youthisthetimeofgetting,middleageofimproving,andoldageofspending.Authoritywithoutwisdomislikeaheavyaxewithoutanedge:fittertobruisethanpolish.Iamobnoxioustoeachcarpingtongue

Whosaysmyhandaneedlebetterfits,

Apoet'spenallscornIshouldthuswrong

Forsuchdespitetheycastonfemalewits....Ifwehadnowinter,thespringwouldnotbesopleasant.Ifwedidnotsometimestasteofadversity,prosperitywouldnotbesowelcome.IfwhatIdoprovewell,itwon'tadvance,

They‘llsayit'sstolen,orelseitwasbychance.AnneBradstreet(16121672)Bornin1612intoaprosperousEnglishfamily,AnneDudleywasgivenawideeducationuncommonforgirlsatthattime.In1628shemarriedSimonBradstreet,andtwoyearslaterthecouplemigratedtoNorthAmericaalongwithothersofthePuritanoutlook.TheBradstreetswereaninfluentialfamilyinMassachusettsBay;Simonbecamejudge,legislator,andeventuallygovernorofthecolony.MeanwhileAnneBradstreetcaredforherhusbandandgrowingfamily,andwrotepoetry.Herextensiveliteraryproductionwasmanagedalongwiththetaskofbeingawildernesswifeandthemotherofeightchildren.AnneBradstreetAnneBradstreet(16121672)HerfirstpublishworkappearedinLondon.Itwastakentherewithoutherknowledgebyherbrother-in-law,whoputtheworkintothehandsofapublisher.Shewasperhapstooshytoofferitherself.Thetitleofthiscollectionofpoemscomplimentedher,inclassicalallusion,asTheTenth

MuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica.(InGreekmythologytheMuseswereninedaughtersofZeus.Eachwasthepatronofaparticularartsuchaspoetry,dance,music,etc.)SomeofAnneBradstreet’spoeticventureswereoverambitious,butshewrotewellwhenshedealtwiththesimpleeventsofherdailylife.Shepreferredherlong,religiouspoemsonconventionalsubjectssuchastheseasons,butcontemporaryreadersmostenjoythewittypoemsonsubjectsfromdailylifeandherwarmandlovingpoemstoherhusbandandchildren.AnneBradstreetAnneBradstreet(16121672)TheCompleteWorksofAnneBradstreet

TenthMuseLatelySprungUpInAmerica(1650)

SeveralPoemsCompiledwithGreatWitandLearning(1678).“ToMyDearandLovingHusband”Ifevertwowereone,thensurelywe.

Ifevermanwerelovedbywife,thenthee;

Ifeverwifewashappyinaman,

Comparewithme,yewomen,ifyoucan.

Iprizethylovemorethanwholeminesofgold

OralltherichesthattheEastdothhold.

Myloveissuchthatriverscannotquench,

Noroughtbutlovefromthee,giverecompense.

ThyloveissuchIcannowayrepay,

Theheavensrewardtheemanifold,Ipray.

Thenwhilewelive,inlovelet'ssopersevere

Thatwhenwelivenomore,wemayliveever.feelingstone?soul-scapeofthePuritansAnneBradstreet(16121672)Thework(TenthMuseLatelySprungUpInAmerica)containedthefirstNewWorldpoemspublishedinEngland,whichshowstheinfluenceofEdmundSpenser,PhilipSidneyandotherEnglishpoetsaswell.PuritanscholarRobertRichardsonhasrecentlyremarkedthatBradstreet’spoetrydemonstratestheessentialstruggleevidentinsomanyNewEnglandPuritans:tobeintheworldbutnotoftheworld.InBradstreet’scase,therewasmuchofthe“world”thatoccupiedhertime:children,husband,ahome,andparticipationintownandchurchmatters.Ontheotherhand,shewasverymuchacommittedPuritan,withhereyesfixedonGodandheaven.AnneBradstreet(16121672)Sheworkeddiligentlyinherlifeasinherart,tointerprettheeventsofearthlylifeashavingeternalsignificance.Herlaterpoems,writtenwithcharmingsimplicity,showherprogressintheart.Sherefused“tosingofWars,ofCaptains,andofKings”.Instead,shegaveusalookintotheheartofaseventeenth-centuryAmericanwoman.Inthe20thcenturyBradstreet’spoetrywasrediscoveredbyfeminists,whohavesincefoundmanysignificantartisticqualitiesinherverse,particularly,hersequenceofreligiouspoems“Contemplations”andlovepoems,thelatterofwhichinstyleandsubjectmatterwasuniqueforhertime,strikinglydifferentfromthepoetrywrittenbymalecontemporaries.EdwardTaylor(16451729)LikeAnneBradstreet,theintense,brilliantpoetandministerEdwardTaylorwasborninEngland.ThesonofayeomanfarmeranindependentfarmerwhoownedhisownlandTaylorwasateacherwhosailedtoNewEnglandin1668ratherthantookanoathofloyaltytotheChurchofEngland.HestudiedatHarvardCollege,and,likemostHarvard-trainedministers,heknewGreek,Latin,andHebrew.Aselflessandpiousman,TayloractedasamissionarytothesettlerswhenheacceptedhislifelongjobasaministerinthefrontiertownofWestfield,Massachusetts,160kilometersintothethicklyforested,wildinterior.Taylorwasthebest-educatedmaninthearea,andheputhisknowledgetouse,workingasthetownminister,doctor,andcivicleader.EdwardTaylor(16451729)Taylordidnotpublishanyofhiswork.Hispoemswerefoundinmanuscriptin1937,morethantwohundredyearsafterhisdeath.ThisdiscoverybroughtTaylortoimmediateprominenceinthecolonialliteraryhistory,andenrichedAmericanpoeticheritage.AcompleteeditionofTaylor’spoemsappearedin1960.Taylorwroteavarietyofverse:funeralelegies,lyrics,amedieval"debate,"anda500MetricalHistoryofChristianity(mainlyahistoryofmartyrs).Hisbestworks,accordingtomoderncritics,aretheseriesofshortPreparatoryMeditations.

ThePoeticalWorks(1939)EditedbyThomasJohnson.

PoemsofEdwardTaylorEditedbyDonaldE.Stanford.Yale,1960.EdwardTaylor(16451729)AdevoutPuritanpoet,hepouredhispowerfulimaginativeenergiesintohispoems,hecrestedimagesthatremindreadersoftheelaborateconceitsandextendedmetaphorsoftheEnglishmetaphysicalpoets,especiallyJohnDonneandGeorgeHerbert.Hissyntaxmayappearbrokenanduneventoamodernreader,hisdictionoftenstrangeandpuzzling,andthemetaphorsatoncehomelyandexotic.Inthislight,TaylorforeshadowsthetraditionlaterdevelopedbysuchpoetsasDickinsonandWhitman,whoalsoexperimentedboldlywiththeirpoeticformsandlanguage.ThemajorityofTaylor’spoemswerereligiousandmeditativeinnature.TheywereeitherpassionatehymnsorearnestappearsaddressedtoGod,inwhichthepoetrecordedfaithfullyhiscommunicationswiththeLord.ForTaylor,writingpoetrywasaprivateserviceofdevotion;thepoemwasofvalueinitsmaking,andofsignificanceonlytoitsmaker.Thereforetheentirebodyofhisworks,exceptfortwostanzasofashortlyric,layunpublishedintheYaleUniversityLibrary.Itwasnotuntilthe20thcenturythattheywerediscoveredandpublished,whichledtotheacknowledgementofTaylorasoneofthefinestAmericanpoetsofthe17thcentury.Itiscommonlyagreedthathisbestpoetryappearsintwosequencesentitled“PreparatoryMeditations”,whichincludedmorethan200poems.Theyare“Preparatory”inthesensethattheypreparethepreachertoreceiveandadministerthesacramentandtodeliverhissermon.Someofhisshortlyrics,suchas“housewifery”and“UponaSpiderCatchingaFly”arealsowellknownandquoted.PoemAppreciation

Literaryfeatureofcolonialperiodheavilyreligiousconsiderationsinsubjectandstyle.2.Plainstylewithoutunnecessaryornamentandallusion.3.NewEnglandwritersreliedontheBible.NotonlydidtheyclinchtheirargumentswithBiblicalchapterandverse;theysawtheirwholesituationinBiblicalanalogies,withthemselvesastheJewsandtheirenemiesastheenemiesoftheJews.TheBiblefurnishedthewriterswithimagesandillustrationstosuiteveryoccasion.Itwastheirsource-book.

Literaryfeatureofcolonialperiode.g.AccordinglywhentheNobleDesignofcarryingaColonyofChosenPeopleintoanAmericanWilderness,wasbysomeEminentPersonsundertaken.ThisEminentPersons

was,bytheconsentofall,chosenfortheMoses,whomustbetheLeaderofsogreatanundertaking…Insomeways,itwasanennoblinginfluencethatlentitsgreatresonancetootherwisetamediscourse.Ithasleftitsmark.Inotherways,itlimitedPuritanwriting,blurringanddeadeningthepages.Itssuperbphrasescametooeasilyintotheauthor’sconsciousness,andtheirformidablerespectabilityensuredthattheywereusedanduseduntiltheyhadwakenedintocliché.

FactorsBibles:Insomeways,itwasanennoblinginfluencethatlentitsgreatresonancetootherwisetamediscourse.Ithasleftitsmark.Inotherways,itlimitedPuritanwriting,blurringanddeadeningthepages.Itssuperbphrasescametooeasilyintotheauthor’sconsciousness,andtheirformidablerespectabilityensuredthattheywereusedanduseduntiltheyhadwakenedintocliché.GodandDevil:ThefactorthataffectedandcircumscribedPuritanwritingwastheconvictionthatallevents,howeversmall,arecontrivedbyGod,orelsetheDevil.Sometimesamovingpassageresults,fromthespectacleofstrengthinadversity,orfromtheserenityoftherighteous.ChapterTwoRevolutionaryPeriod(1775-1783)TheAgeofReasonAmericanEnlightenmentInthe18thcentury,peoplebelievedinman’sownnatureandthepowerofhumanreason.WithFranklinasitsspokesman,the18thcenturyAmericaexperiencedanageofreason.Wordshadneverbeensousefulandsoimportantinhumanhistory.Peoplewrotealotofpoliticalwritings.Numerouspamphletsandprintingswerepublished.TheseworksagitatedrevolutionarypeoplenotonlyinAmericabutalsoaroundtheworld.The18th-centuryAmericanEnlightenmentwasamovementmarkedbyanemphasisonrationalityratherthantradition,scientificinquiryinsteadofunquestioningreligiousdogma,andrepresentativegovernmentinplaceofmonarchy.Enlightenmentthinkersandwritersweredevotedtotheidealsofjustice,liberty,andequalityasthenaturalrightsofman.Thecolonistswhowouldformanewnationwerefirmbelieversinthepowerofreason;theywereambitious,inquisitive,optimistic,practical,politicallyastute,andself-reliant.BenjaminFranklin(17061790)BenjaminFranklin,whomtheScottishphilosopherDavidHumecalledAmerica's"firstgreatmanofletters,”(1)embodiedtheEnlightenmentidealofhumanerationality.Practicalyetidealistic,hardworkingandenormouslysuccessful,FranklinrecordedhisearlylifeinhisfamousAutobiography.Writer,printer,publisher,scientist,philanthropist,anddiplomat,hewasthemostfamousandrespectedprivatefigureofhistime.Hewasthefirstgreatself-mademaninAmerica,apoordemocratborninanaristocraticagethathisfineexamplehelpedtoliberalize.Franklinwasasecond-generationimmigrant.HisPuritanfather,achandler(candle-maker),cametoBoston,Massachusetts,fromEnglandin1683.InmanywaysFranklin'slifeillustratestheimpactoftheEnlightenmentonagiftedindividual.Self-educatedbutwell-readinJohnLocke,LordShaftsbury,JosephAddison,andotherEnlightenmentwriters,Franklinlearnedfromthemtoapplyreasontohisownlifeandtobreakwithtraditioninparticulartheold-fashionedPuritantraditionwhenitthreatenedtosmotherhisideals.Whileayouth,Franklintaughthimselflanguages,readwidely,andpracticedwritingforthepublic.WhenhemovedfromBostontoPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,Franklinalreadyhadthekindofeducationassociatedwiththeupperclasses.HealsohadthePuritancapacityforhard,carefulwork,constantself-scrutiny,andthedesiretobetterhimself.Thesequalitiessteadilypropelledhimtowealth,respectability,andhonor.Neverselfish,FranklintriedtohelpotherordinarypeoplebecomesuccessfulbysharinghisinsightsandinitiatingacharacteristicallyAmericangenretheself-helpbook.

BenjaminFranklinBenjaminFranklinSuccessfulinbusiness,Renown