Early American Literature

Contested Space
"America" showed the power struggle between nations
Justification for conquest and appropriation was a religious framework
a) supremacy Christian belief
b) Dominance of Catholic Church
c) But also moral criticism (de las Casas)

Utopian Space
a) religious narrative of salvation
b) "paradise" regained
c) spiritual renewable and material profit
d) new forms of social justice and political freedom (Thomas More, Utopia in 1516)

He wasn´t the first person there.
Native Americans had been living on the land we now call America for more than 10,000 years
They lived in the county and knew it by heart.
Columbus discovered America from a European point of view.

When Constantinople fell the BYzantine Empire came also to an end. An important trade route was now less available to many European countries. These were already looking into other available routes and possible sea ways to the East and West.
Columbus was send to find one of those sea ways.

Land
The land was describes as GREEN and full of WATER. It was rich of FRUITS of different kinds. The land was described as ISLAND knowing that there was mainland nearby. It was taken in posession for the king and the queen, not even thinking about that someone else could have already been to this part of the world or already been living there.

Inhabitants
They were NAKED. the NAtive Americans received presents of little value to Columbus, the crew also got presents in exchange. He reported that "the Indies" didn´t grow very old (NOT OLD), 30 years, were WELL BUILT, but semed VERY POOR to him. He only saw ONE YOUNG GIRL. They had PAINTED BODIES. NO WEAPONS. INTELLIGENT and would be GOOD SERVANTS. EASY made to CHRISTIANS because they seem to not having any religion

Those legal texts and documents were issued by the Pope
Those separated the globe into two spheres for the Portuguese and the Spanish

Expanding of the bis powers was legitimized because Christianity was supposed to spread to the West

This created great competition

Was a well ordered pattern of colonization

Bartolomé  de las Casas
Wrote the "Black Legend" after experiencing Columbus´ conquest as a witness
"A brief report on the Destruction of the Indians" (1542)
Destruction of the Indies (Published in 1552)

Bernal Diaz des Castillo
Was a minor rank soldier who justified the violence used to conquer foreign land in his books
"The True History of the Conquest of New Spanish" (1632)
Participant in conquest of Mexico
His work could serve as a national narrator to Spain

Was an important promoter of the founding of settlements in Virginia and the northern part of America
He was the younger Hakluyt
"The Principal Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English  Nation" (1589)
- published in three volumes
- describing the discoveries and explorations of the English around the globe
- last part about the exploration of America since 1170
Compilation of travel reports, letters, documents
work was completed by Samuel Purchas

Contested Space
"America" showed the power struggle between European nations
Justification for conquest and appropriation was religious framework
- supremacy Christian Beliefs
- Dominance of Catholic Church
- But also moral criticism (de las Casas)

Utopian Space
- religious narrative of salvation
- "paradise" regained
- spiritual renewable and material profit
- new forms of social justice and political freedom (Thomas More, Utopia in 1516)
 

1585 he sailed to the Americas
He was a scientist and mathematician
Copiled in information about the New World
- Topography, flora and fauna
- customs and language of the local people

refers to printed materials that are designed to promote an organization and/or its products and services 

describtion of the usefulness of the (new) land

interest in fertility, familiar and edible plants

appeal for settlement ans immigration, used to promote the New World during the colonialization

Contested Space
"America" showed the power struggle between European nations
Justification for conquest and appropriation was a religious framework
- supremacy Christian Belief
- dominance of Catholic Church
- but als moral criticism (de las Casas)

Utopian Space
religious narrative of salvation
"paradise" regained
spiritual renewable and material profit
new forms of social justice and political freedom (Thomas More, 1516)

was a soldier, pirate, slave, adventurer, colonial president, self-promoter
 - slave, when fought against Turks, was captured but safed

1580-1631

Important work: "Generell Historie of Virginia, New-ENgland and the Summer Isles"
- formed powerful sources of myths about America
- wrote many texts - divers and amount

writing of his fiction autobiography this genre becomes central for decades during colonialization, in his text it is never sure what fiction what real is

He reorganized the living in Jamestown. Everyone had to work for his well-being.
- no labour no food (established regid system of labour)

He also tried to get closer to the Natives
- send soldiers to live with them
- tried to get closer to their knowledge and their language and this was supposed to be brought back to the invaders

He took Natives captive. It wasn´t about kiling them but about ruling them and making them subjects (of the crown).

He also fought them for that cause.

His project was supported by the English rulers and he became a "hero" who expand the English power.

a) The story was not published in the original Historie of Generell but edited in the reprints to add empathy

b) Smith was taken captive by the Natives and was about to be killed

c) Story tells that Pocahontas was overcome by love and saves Smith´s life

d) While doing so she also saves the whole project

Story tells that she married Smith but she was married to another English soldier, was raped and brought to England but died there after only one year

e) This means that Pocahontas was used to promote that the New World was not just dangerous but you could be successful there and the relations to the Natives improves

The myth of Pocahontas is still arounf and pops up every couple of years in stories or movies. (Avatar)

• They were an European invention imported to America
• They used the Bible as only leditimate foundation of spiritual authority and the essential source of religious meaning
• Opposition to the conventional organization of the cleric, arguing for a congregationalist structure which gives the individual minister and the congregation more power
• "reformist" puritans =  tried to revise and renew the Anglican Church from within
• "separatists" - small group= did not believe in this option and thus chose to seperate

King Henry VIII founded it

Queen (bloddy) Mary got rif of it

Queen Elizabeth reestablished it

Spirited proponents of the radical Reformation of English religious practices and doctrines after the formation of the Anglican Church

Principles: the Bible, the scriptutres were the only legitimate foundation of spiritual authority and the essential source of all religious meaning

They were an European invention imported to America

The "convenant" is a kind of contract between God and his people which Eve brole when she picked the apple

Puritans believed that there is a new contract the "covenant of grace"

It says it is God´s decision id someone receives salvation or not

• small group of Separatists
• made decision to emigrate to America to find new colony (Mayflower)
• 1st landing in Cape Cod
• 2nd landing in Plymouth
• Only half of the group survived the first winter (starving time) 
• the new colony survived because it got support and help from the Natives in the area
• because of that and because of new comers from England the colony becomes stable after two years

• It was a contract the first Puritans made with other-thinking-people from their bot which landed in Cape Cod instead of Virginia
• They weren´t allowed to settle there because they didn´t have a charter for that part of the country. They survived with the help of Natives 
• Everyone signed the compact so they all have rules they can livee by even with different believes and conventions

• from a wealthy family, studied law, organized groups of Puritan investors and potential emigrants
• English colonial administrator
• Governor and Deputy Gevernor od Massachusetts Bay Company
• sailed to America

• adress or essay on moral and religious questions by a layman
• it is structures in questions andd answers
• organized around different images
• describes rewuirements, challenges and objectives needed when going to America

• The Body: uses the human body as a metaphor for the society, all the members of society are cords and have a part and a function in the community, not everybody is equally important but everyone is necessary, they all depend on each other (mutual dependency)
• the body is connected with the church, concept of charity - concept of caritas love as affection/ involvement of support is elevant for everybody to survive
• image of contract:

• Ships with new settlers arrived in America. This time is calles the Great Migration because those ships brought many people/settlers (21,000) to the new world.
• Reasons for migration were the political struggles in Europe, Economical difficulties in Europe, Puritans were affraid of expel (no King or Wueen to rule over them in America so it became an option - for survival, puritan growth and life)

• Public and private texts
• Bay Psalm Book, New England Primer
• the Puritan sermon and the conversation narrative
• Church history, religious treatise, and biographies: lived faith
• diaries, mediations, poetry

• Connection of the New and Old Testament
• Delivers texts in plain style
• stories (as interpretions) in the New Testament are seen as assistance to the Old Testament