Colonial Period: Puritans from Thirteen Colonies

The Colonial Period is a time in history when settlers came to the Thirteen Colonies to seek religious freedom, vast earth, and a strike at wealth. A religious group that escaped in ambition to achieve religious freedom is the Puritans. The Puritans believed in finding an Eden in this new land; however, they were welcomed with harsh climates, loss of supply, and death. Because of these difficulties, many began writing about the struggles they faced. Their work and writings are classified as Colonial Literature. Colonial Literature consists of work that is mainly non-fiction. The common topics that are written about revolve around politics, religion, and the basic survival of new territory.

Non-Fiction in Colonial Literature

Non-fiction is a major genre that is written by many writers during the Colonial Period. William Bradford, a colonial writer, wrote Of Plymouth Plantation, which journals about Bradford’s experiences on the Mayflower and the obstacles the colony encountered. Bradford writes, “In these hard and difficult beginnings they found some discontents and murmurings arise amongst some…” Just setting foot on new soil, and the pilgrims are already doubting this unfamiliar setting. It is in Bradford’s writing that displays the severe situations that are slowly emanating to light. Another important aspect of Bradford's work is how it serves as a historical document that provides insights into the early governance and societal norms of the colony.

“Verses upon the Burning of our House,” composed by Anne Bradstreet, is a verse that uses rhyme and imagery to describe the burning of the speaker’s house. “Then coming out, behold a space. The flame consumes my dwelling place.” The specified lines display the speaker’s action of leaving the house and witnessing their house disintegrate into that of only ash and dirt. This poignant imagery serves to illustrate the transient nature of material possessions, a theme that resonated deeply during the Colonial Period.

“Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc..” by Benjamin Franklin additionally adjoins to the point that many writers during the Colonial Period write about non-fiction. The tract of Benjamin Franklin summarized compares how Britain actively interacts with the Thirteen Colonies; meanwhile, England has done none of the sort. “In proportion to the increase of the Colonies a vast demand is growing for British Manufactures.” Franklin discusses that because of the Colonies being expanded, the dependency on Great Britain inflates alongside. An excerpt, a verse, and a short essay are all written under the major genre of nonfiction which signifies the substantial utilization of this type of category.

Religion in Colonial Literature

Religion is of paramount importance to many writers during this age because there is an escalation of diverse religions. In “Verses upon the Burning of our House” by Anne Bradstreet, she writes, “And to my God, my heart did cry. To straighten me in my distress and to not leave me succourless.” The speaker cries out to God in prayers to assure that everything will be alright. Another quote that involves religion is when the speaker states, “My hope and Treasure lies above.” This refers to how now that the speaker’s house and the objects are deteriorated, causing the speaker to focus on God solely. Anne Bradstreet includes religion in her verse to demonstrate the dominance it has.

An additional work of Anne Bradstreet is “To My Dear and Loving Husband.” In lines nine and ten, it writes, “Thy love is such I can no way repay; The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.” The other person’s love is immeasurable for the narrator to return. The narrator instead prays that God shall reward the other person multiple times. Of Plymouth Plantation incorporates text that refers to religion. William Bradford captures a moment when a young man abuses his helpers through word and deed. The young man’s final words are, “O! Saith he, you, I now see, show your love like Christians indeed one to another, but we let one another lie and die like dogs.” This young man prolonged death to call out each Christian that is there because they seem to love each other, but when it comes to death, no one wants to love and help. This young man drags religion to his death. Religion, therefore, not only provided comfort but also served as a moral framework that guided the actions and decisions of the colonists.

Survival in Colonial Literature

Survival during the Colonial Period is a huge topic that is covered by all Colonial authors. William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation logs on various occasions that arise within the Plymouth Colony. “That which was most sad and lamentable was that in two or three months’ time half of their company died, especially in January and February.” Death is already appearing within the group; it will not be long before the death toll rises even more. The challenges of survival were exacerbated by unfamiliar environmental conditions, scarcity of resources, and conflicts with indigenous peoples.

Another part of Of Plymouth Plantation is the part titled “Anno 1621,” which describes how the colony came across the deaths of Squanto’s group. “The people not many, being dead and abundantly wasted in the late great mortality which fell in all these parts.” Basic survival is not cutting it anymore, generating growth in demise. The same group that taught the Pilgrims the simplest way to farm could not also evade the looming threat of death.

In “Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc..,” Franklin writes, “Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifting of them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion.” Franklin is upset that an English Thirteen Colony is about to be dominated, and England will not participate to prevent this domination by aliens. They need to be backed up from the home country, and receiving nothing diminishes the chances for survival of those tiny colonies that originated from the home country.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Colonial Period is an era whose writing is consistently nonfiction. The topics that people would write about would be about religion, politics, and basic survival skills. Three great examples of Colonial Literature are William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, and Benjamin Franklin. William Bradford’s use of journalism, Anne Bradstreet created verses, and Benjamin Franklin used tracts to compare and contrast the investment Great Britain had versus the lack of support England has in the Thirteen Colonies. The Colonial Period shaped the authors during this time and managed to produce powerful works that continue to inform and inspire future generations.

References

Bradford, W. (1908). Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647. The Massachusetts Historical Society.

Bradstreet, A. (1650). The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America. John Harvard Library.

Franklin, B. (1751). Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc. London Magazine.