From Broadsides to the Imprints of the Nineteenth Century
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
Throughout Early American literature, there are several reoccurring elements which reflect what the culture was like. For example, the New World was largely dominated by an underling theme of fear and uncertainty which resonated itself in the literate at the time. The broadsides and captivity narratives reflect the colonists’ fears about the new and mysterious land and other unexplainable happenings. The witchcraft trials reflect society’s fears about the changing social and political order. The execution sermons dealt with society’s fear of the unknown by attempting to explain the causes behind murder. Fear and uncertainty accompanied all stages of Early American history and even accompanied the Revolutionary War and the establishment of the new government. How they chiefly dealt with this fear led to another reoccurring theme in Early American literature: religion. Mentions of God, religion, and divine intervention permeate all of the various genres. A unifying theme of teaching morality and advising people on how to live also exists. In addition, the various genres of Early American literature seem concerned with honest. All seem to include a reassurance to the reader that the events described are true. Despite the differences in topics, Early American literature is unified by several reoccurring elements that still affect American society today.
Project by Maggie Johnson, Sarah Wenstrup, and Erin Wesser