During the political upheaval in the Revolutionary era, writers would write mostly about the politics of the war. Although in past times people would mostly write about the troubles they faced during the time, the Revolutionary changed the way writers would persuade others. In the past most times, the authors would strictly use facts or strictly write to the select few but everything changed when the colonist faced a Revolutionary War. During the Revolutionary era, the political upheaval influenced writers and intellectuals of the time greatly. The writers of earlier times would write specifically for the educated and ellite people only. Writers would often use language that only ellite people could understand. However, during the Revolutionary
According to Carl N. Degler, the entire Revolution should be viewed as a conservative change. In “A New Kind of Revolution,” Degler talked about how the new actions taken place by the English had help structure and shape the colonial government. Not only did the colonies lack the affection of their motherland, Britain, they were also taxed unfairly. On the other hand, “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” by Gordon S. Wood talks about how the American Revolution was a radical movement. His thesis covered how the country was transitioning from monarchy to republic, and now, democracy. The framers wanted to create a free nation where no single person rule. As well as, the people of the nation having the ultimate say so.
David McCullough author of 1776 puts faces and feelings to the events of the Revolutionary war making this an exciting novel even when the ending is known. Acting as a companion to an earlier work of McCullough’s, John Adams, 1776 is a strictly military view of the era versus political. Although the reader may have to get accustomed to the vast amount of characters introduced McCullough makes sure that those you are supposed to remember you will. Every character introduced is described incredibly well and throughout the novel you begin to feel as if you know the character and are going through the battle with them, specifically General George Washington with whom the reader emphasizes constantly with throughout the war. With the great description of the characters and events we feel as if we are there and in doing this the author creates understanding, the reader by knowing all sides and characters’ personalities the feels they know why the Revolution happened the way it did.
Gordon S. Wood, in The Radicalism of the American Revolution, discusses what it means to be truly revolutionary. In this work, Wood shares his thoughts on the Revolutionary War and whether or not it was a movement radical enough to be considered an honest revolution. Wood discusses the reasoning behind the views of those in favor of the war being considered radical, as well as the views of those who believe the American Revolution to be unfortunately misnamed. He claims that “the Revolution was the most radical and most far- reaching event in American history.” Wood’s work is a valuable source for those studying the revolution because it redefines what it means to be radical, but the piece is also limited by the lack of primary information
The eighteenth century, a time of turmoil and chaos in the colonies, brought many opinionated writers to the forefront in support or refutation of the coming American Revolution. This highly controversial war that would ultimately separate the future United States of America from Great Britain became the center of debate. Two writers, both of whom supported the Revolution, now stand to fully illuminate one side of the debate. Thomas Paine, a radical propagandist, wrote many pieces during this time including “The Crisis Number 1” (1776). Through writing, he appealed to the “common man” in order to convince them to gather their arms and fight for their freedom. In this document, he utilizes many of the same rhetorical skills and propaganda techniques as Patrick Henry, a convincing orator, did in his famous speech delivered to the state’s delegates in 1775. Among these techniques are transfer, abstract language, and pathos. In both works, these were used to call the audiences to war. These influential pieces both contained a call to action which, through the use of strong and decisive language, aided the beginning of the American Revolution.
The Revolutionary War has been seen as a fundamental period into American history. The revolution was not just about politics and rights but also about a social revolution. Some historians like Gordon S.Wood see the revolution in social terms:
The American Revolution was occurring in the same time period as the Age of Reason, and it shows in its literature.
Writers throughout history have always influenced or have been influenced by the era that which they live in. Many famous authors arose during The Age of Discovery and The Romantic Period all of whom had very distinctive writing styles that held true to their era. To find the differences between the two eras, it is important to understand the era, at which time the literature was wrote, the writing style, and the subject matter.
Sectionalism represents the identification with a geological location of the United States with the characteristics of social, cultural, economic and political concerns of that location. During the Revolutionary era, which was from April 19th, 1775 to September 3rd, 1783, Americans already concluded that the basic thirteen colonies could be put into three sectional categories known as: New England, Middle, Southern.
The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.
Between the establishments of the first colonies to the Declaration of Independence, American literature evolved and flourished. A large, diverse pool of writers in the population supported its vast variety of genres including political pamphlets, epics, etc.
Although George Orwell may be a popular guy now, this was not always the case. Growing up he was the odd middle child. He states in a poem “Why I Write” that he was very lonely and had a disagreeable personality which made people not particularly fond of him (Leddy). Orwell had a way with facing unpleasant facts which he says led him to his own private world in which teachers and authorities did not appreciate. They made him feel powerless and undervalued; this inspired him to write about similar circumstances in political context. He had a clear eyed vision for every story and did not want to write all of the extra “fluff” (Smith). He is mostly known for this new style of writing, eliminating “purple passages”, for his Newspeak language and for exploring political writing and making this type popular. This changed the tone of writing in the 1950’s and woke up the world about the dangers of the government.
The American Revolution was more than just a revolt against the taxes and trade regulations that the British had made. I consider the American Revolution to have been a genuinely revolutionary process. These people fought hard for their independence to acquire some principles such as sovereignty, rule of law, and protecting their constitutional rights. They were once amicable with the Britain’s until they started to cause conflicts with their taxation's. Also, they had the Britain’s land policy which would prohibit the Americans from creating settlements in the west which irritated the colonist. The fleets of British troops arriving at their ports weren't to pleasing for them as well either.
The period in American Literature known as the American Renaissance was a time of great change in our country. It was an age of westward expansion and social conflict. Americans were divided on such volatile issues as slavery, reform and sectionalism that ultimately led to the Civil War. Emerging from this cauldron of change came the voice of a new nation - a nation with views and ideals all its own. The social, economic, technological and demographic revolution that was taking place at this time set the stage for a new era of writers. The voice of the nation found a home, first, on the pages of the newspaper. It was there that the hopes, fears and political views of Americans were represented. The newspaper united Americans by giving them a vehicle to voice their opinions and concerns. The result was a newfound spirit of solidarity that opened the door to the first great period of creative writing in America known as the American Renaissance.
Captain John Parker said in 1775, “ Don’t fire unless fired upon , but if they mean to have war , let it begin here”, This quote was between the battle of Lexington and Concord . The American Revolution had many events that were important such as, the Townshend Act, The Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.
Male authors of the late eighteenth century saw the patriarchal hereditary government as tyrannical and viewed Kings as animals. Writers such as Tom Paine, William Godwin, Thomas Holcroft, and Robert Bage believed "reason should decide issues of human affairs, not power based on money, age, rank, sex, or physical strength" (10). Men also saw the possibility of a revolution but only in terms of class structure. Although most male authors were sympathetic to the plight of women, they recognized the need to minimize class distinctions as more important than gender. Nevertheless, male appeals to humanity ironically inspired and became models for revolutionary women writers. Women writers later adopted this emphasis on individual abilities r...