1. REVOLUTIONARY LITERATURE
Rise to Rationalism

2. THE SECRET TO UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN LITERATURE:
Every literary period is
a reaction to the
period that came before it.

3. Rationalism
•Rationalism was a mid-18th century response to the extreme views of Puritanism and the oppressive laws of the British.

4. Major events timeline in American Revolutionary Period
•1765 Parliament passes the Stamp Act, which taxes newspapers, almanacs, and legal documents in the colonies.
•1770 Boston Massacre (5 civilians die at the hands of British soldiers).
•December 1773 The Boston Tea Party.
•1774 Intolerable Acts passed by King George III.
•April 19, 1775 Revolutionary War begins.
•July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence approved by Second Continental Congress.
•1783 United States wins its independence. •

5. THE CHANGING OF AN ERA: THE ENLIGHTENMENT
An intellectual movement in the mid 1600s that began in Europe
Led to an American Revolution
Emphasized reason, science, and observation.
People believed that reason and science could be applied to society.
A shift from a God-centered way of life to a man-centered view of life.

6. RATIONALISM LITERARY MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS (1750-1800)
Focus:
Reason, Patriotism/ Unity, and Issues of Equality
Style:
Persuasive writing, realistic, non-fiction, political
•Political documents (e.g. Declaration of Independence, Constitution)
•Newspaper Articles
•Literary letters (private)/ Epistles (public)
•Essays
•Speeches
Philosophies:
Belief that man is inherently good
Truth comes through reason, rather than God
Men have free will

7. Puritanism vs. Rationalism?
Puritans
Rationalists
God:
God is directly influencing and controlling the world
Less insistent on deities, instead focusing on the general idea of God, or not mentioning God whatsoever
Things happen because:
God’s intervention
The laws of Nature and humans’ actions
Man’s Nature:
Man is inherently evil
Man is inherently good
Source of truth:
God
Reason and logic
Fate:
We are predetermined what we are going to do in life, nothing can change that
People have free will, and God does not interfere in the ultimate fates of individuals
Truth is available to:
The elect
Everybody

8. RECAP: REVOLUTIONARY LIT
Writers focused on justifying the American Revolutionary War
Emphasis on reason as opposed to faith alone; rise of science, philosophy, theology
Shift to a print-based culture—literacy is seen as a sign of social status.
Instructive in values, ornate writing style, highly political/patriotic
Representative Authors:
Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson

9. Persuasive Rhetoric In addition to Logos, Ethos, Pathos…
•Rhetorical Questions–
•Show that writers’ arguments make answers obvious
•Repetition—
•Emphasizes the importance of a point
•Parallelism—
•A form of repetition, expressing related ideas in a similar way
•Allusions—
•Help the audience comprehend complex ideas by connecting them to their own understandings

10. Patrick Henry •Self-Taught Lawyer, Member of Virginia Legislature
•Strongly supported states’ rights; suspicious of federal government
•Opponent of British rule •
•Revered for his quick wit, eloquence, rhetorical gifts
•Speech in the Virginia Convention –March 1775
•Six months after the colonies sent formal petitions to King George III, asking for their rights as British subjects
•Speech given by Henry at the Second Virginia Provincial Convention
•Henry tried to convince delegates of the need for armed resistance