Carnival Post on 1700-1820

Some of America's most exciting and difficult times were during the period of 1700-1820. The Revolutionary War, Great Awakening, Age of Reason, and founding fathers all can be linked to this time period. The literature during this time period depicted the difficulties for settlers and slaves alike.

When looking through my classmates, I was able to find several similarities and disagreements with interpretations of the assigned literature. To begin with, Jonathan Edwards seemed to stir many of my classmates' ideas of him. Esther, Andrew, and Nicole all mentioned their discomforts with the preaching techniques and ideas of Edwards. Though they agreed that he had some valid points, they wondered just what it was that Edwards wanted to prove. On the other hand, Hannah, Tanisha, and Lindsey appreciated the honesty and urgency of Edwards message.

Another popular topic among bloggers dealt with slavery and African American's early influences in American Literature. Phillis Wheatley's work was appreciated by almost every blogger I came across. Her desire to express her love for God and education must've been a staple for many African Americans during the time period. She undoubtably was a leader in the African American community. A

Along with Wheatley, Olaudah Equiano used his ability to write well to captivate readers and share his adventurous life story. Esther mentioned his strong faith and how impressed she was that he would sacrifice his freedom in order to keep his faith. Another interesting dynamic to his story, as Nicole mentions in her blog, was that he came to be a Christian through his captors. Equiano would begin to question the morality of slavery in America and he would do it well with his well-educated background. As Andrew mentioned, Equiano's vocabulary and ability to pick up English was extraordinary.

Finally, another favorite topic was the exchanges of letters between John and Abigail Adams. Both Tanisha and Julia mentioned the power of a letter as opposed to our technological ways in which we communicate today. The idea of having to communicate through constantly writing letters is unbelievable. I have a hard enough time containing exciting news when I want to wait to tell it in person. Imagine hearing about the signing of the Declaration of Independence days after it happened. It would be unheard of in our social savvy world. The Adams family reminds us to appreciate the things we have in today's society. Communication is very easily taken for granted these days.

This exciting time period slowly set America up for it's real struggles and changes during the 19th century. A Civil War that would tear a nation apart and the freedom of many slaves.

Phillis Wheatly: A Woman

Several years ago, I read Wheatly's poem On Being Brought from Africa to America. Coincidentally, we read it again and, to my surprise, I was able to recall most of it. Wheatly's rhyming scheme makes it fun to read but the true beauty of this poem comes from her ability to express God's love for ALL people. It's a short but sweet poem that, despite it's short length, is able to open up debates about racism, God's sovereignty, and America's sinfulness.

Another one of my favorite Wheatly poems was To the University of Cambridge, in New England. This poem was addressed to the students of Harvard College. Wheatly stressed the importance of taking advantage of the opportunity to be educated at the University. She also made sure to stress the importance of having a relationship with Jesus. I wonder how Harvard students would receive this nowadays.

Christianity and Slavery: Equiano's Questions

For many years, the morality of slavery has been questioned. Early American settlers thrived on the labor of the slaves, making it difficult for them to imagine a world without them. Even Christian settlers attempted to justify their actions in hopes that the institution of slavery would live on forever. On the other hand, slaves would often use Bible passages as their arguments for the injustices and immoralities of slavery. One of the first men to do so through his literature was Olaudah Equiano.

Equiano came over from Africa as a slave and experienced many hardships. His writing in The Narrative Life shows the severity and brutality of the treatment towards slaves on their trips to America. Equiano, through his interesting encounters with slave traders and masters, questioned their Christian faith and the labeling of America as a "Christian Country."

Equiano's fearlessness to talk about this subject paved the way for many great Human Rights Activists to follow. Unfortunately, he never would get to see how far America would come since the late 18th century.

The Ad(d)am's Family

Yes, I took a lame shot at a pun to start off this next blog. Don't be too quick to judge. It DOES NOT deal with Gomez or Uncle Fester but rather the letters from John and Abigail Adams. When analyzing letters, one must remember that the targeted audience is for one person, making it a lot different than novels or poetry.

Considering this, I expected a lot of endearment and personal matters to be discussed between the couple. Surprisingly, they seemed to stick to business when exchanging letters. There was a repetitive nature in their letters to one another. They seemed to talk about business, especially the fate of the country at the hands of the British. The only exceptions were the few times that John was upset that Abigail didn't tell John about the smallpox breakout back home and his exhaustion with all of the meetings in Philadelphia. His vulnerability and anxiousness made him seem like less of an immortal founding father figure and more like an ordinary man: one that we can relate to.

A Closer Look At Jonathan Edwards

The Great Awakening was a powerful movement led by ministers like Jonathan Edwards. These ministers were often depicted as captivating orators and soap box preachers but Edwards offers us a different view. Although one would picture Edwards as a fire and brimstones-type preacher, he was known for his relatively calm manner during his sermons. In fact, he would typically sit in front of the audience and read off his sermons. Why am I spending time sharing this with you?

Well, quite frankly, I wasn't very fond of Edward's ideas of Christianity when I first read his sermon "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God." I felt that he was missing important pieces to Christianity. He hardly mentioned God's love for his people despite their sinning ways. After a discussion in class, I started to understand where he was coming from. He knew that preaching about God's wrath and anger would get the attention of his congregation and instill a fiery passion for Christ. Edward's honesty and willingness to stir emotions are several reasons why he is remembered to this day. He realized that the important thing was for his congregation to seek a relationship with God from the heart.

Christianity In The New World

During the Lit Circles discussion last week, I chose to read Early American Religious Traditions: Native Visions and Christian Providence. It touched on the influences of Christianity in the Native American culture and the beginning of the separation of church and state. Protestants weren't as adamant to "save souls" like the Catholics because they were more worried about the well-being of their colonies. Trading was usually the only contact they'd make with the Natives but eventually religion would come into the picture. Several Native American tribes adopted ideas of Christianity while keeping their original traditions intact. The Native American Church of North America still uses peyote as a part of their religious practice.

The beginning of the separation of church and state originated when town leaders realized that toleration was necessary to growth within the community. William Penn and the Quakers capitalized on expanding their communities by opening the doors to Jews, Puritans, and many other denominations. America's ideas of religious freedom and separation of church and state originated long before the Founding Fathers.

Rowlandson's Ideas of Faith

It's no wonder why Mary Rowlandson's accounts of her encounters with the Native Americans was a good read during her time. The descriptions and writing style were very similar to John Smith's. Although she was a devout Christian, one of her ideas of faith should cause Christians to throw up a warning flag. That idea: that God punishes those who are unfaithful. Her Biblical references were mainly from the Old Testament which mirror her Puritan ways. Interestingly, she must not have been too familiar with the book of Job. One could argue that God tests his most faithful followers more than those who stray away from Him. Her idea that the Native Americans attacked her because she was disobedient is a dangerous. To her fairness, God punishes the wicked but I find it very difficult to believe that Rowlandson was living wickedly leading up to the attacks.

Altogether, Rowlandson's ideas of faith are deeply grounded in Puritan ways. She, like Bradstreet, had an extremely strong faith despite the many trials she faced.

Bradstreet's Tensions

Anne Bradstreet had a gift to use poetry as a medium to express her inner tensions and conflicts. In her poem, "Prologue," she expresses her frustration with the views of women in society. Since she was a woman, she argued that her poetry wouldn't be published or well-read compared to that of her male colleagues. Her feminist ideas were far ahead of her time and the irony was that many of her poems were the first published works in the New World.

Bradstreet also discussed her faith in "Here Follows Some Versus upon the Burning of Our House." Her inner tension was very similar to the Old Testament story of Job. She revisits the pain and anger of losing her house like any normal human being would but then she explains how she still holds on tightly to her faith and understanding of God's will. It's very powerful and realistic material that helps one understand the difficulties of living in the New World.

John Winthrop and John Smith

When I first began reading Winthrop and Smith it was easy to imagine the uncertainty, anxiousness and excitement that they experienced in the New World. Smith especially liked to interest readers with his detailed descriptions and third person point of view. However, I was quite surprised by the differences in their writings. Smith was more focused on detailed stories (some might argue that they're fabricated) and describing the land while Winthrop stressed the importance of having a nation founded by God. It's easy to see why they chose these different styles because one could make a good sales pitch in either direction. For instance, Winthrop's ideas of being a city on a hill and establishing a godly nation would appeal to Puritans and other Protestants. On the other hand, Smith's ideas that there are plenty of resources to make one rich would appeal to those who want something new and adventurous in their life. Both Smith and Winthrop touched on important subjects that still apply to Americans today.