American Literature: Revolutionary Times (1954)

[Music] writings during the revolutionary period of the 18th century revealed an emerging American personality to understand these writings we must look behind them to 18th century America Itself by the mid 1700s the English colonies had become thriving communities the names of Savannah Charleston Williamsburg Philadelphia New York and Boston were becoming famous although life along the frontier remained hard and strenuous in the older bigger centers of colonial life homes were bigger people were living better and easier the pace of living was more leisurely and there was time for pleasantries for reading and even for politics in fact politics became the dominant theme as Colonial legislator struggled against the Royal Governors these struggles finally came to a climax in a direct clash between England and the colonies the Revolutionary War during this period the colonial printing business played its part by the mid 1700s every colony had a printing establishment the ordinary person legal and Commercial announcements made up the bulk of the business some of the enterprising printers published newspapers and from the Press of Benjamin Franklin came a remarkable American book Poor Richard's Almanac essentially a calendar of the year and Almanac was printed chiefly for Farmers but this Almanac had a wider appeal for it was filled with typically American sayings three may keep a secret if two of them are dead fish and visitors smell in three days keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee such writings were a reflection of the new and revolutionary America the emerging American personality strong practical humorous this emerging personality was expressed in other ways too as in Franklin's inventions his stove was a more efficient heater than the European fireplace the lightning rod brought in the greatest Fame bifocal glasses were another of his inventions practical simple direct Franklin epitomized the emerging American personality off the presses came an increasing variety of Works scientific papers philosophy y but increasingly off the presses came political works until the writings of the day and the politics of the day became as one as the colonists fa the great political questions of their day whether or not to separate from England if it meant war and whether or not to form a new nation some of the best political literature of of our country was written and spoken in Virginia Patrick Henry addressed the colonial legislature in a secret meeting at St John's Church in Richmond if we wish to be free if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the Glorious object of our contest shall be obtained we must fight I repeat it sir we must fight while in Virginia a political literature was developing breezes blowing from the north brought words by Tom Payne words to unite the American colonists his Common Sense was a call to arms that was read throughout the colonies oh ye that love mankind ye that oppose not only the Tyranny but the Tyrant stand forth every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression Freedom hath been hunted around the globe Asia and Africa have long expelled her Europe regards her as a stranger and England hath given her warning to depart oh receive the fugitive and prepare in time an asylum for mankind kind the effects of these writings culminated in another literary historical document written by Thomas Jefferson the Declaration of Independence stands in proof that words can guide the course of human events with its signing the decision was made to break the ties with England even at the cost of War and the cost of war was terrible during the long years in which defeat seemed inevitable writings and words were used to encourage and Inspire these are the times that try men's Souls the summer Soldier and the Sunshine Patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of the country that he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman when the war finally ended in the surrender of the British at Yorktown political literature turned to the question how strong should the union be while out of this question came our federal government and Constitution the presses in this new nation were turning more and more away from political writings the period of revolutionary literature was coming to an end and the search for a new literature was beginning like the earlier writings of Franklin the new writings exhibited the emerging American personality a textbook for the use of schools in the United States also by Noah Webster an American reader the first of its kind a comedy for the budding American Theater was written by Royal Tyler early American history such as the voyage of Columbus inspired other writers to create epic poems these writings Mark the aftermath of the Revolution writers ever since the Revolution have looked back on the mighty drama of that period and found in it inspir ation for their work so the revolutionary period has given us indirectly other literature as authors of the 19th and 20th centuries have examined it in novels essays stories plays and poems these writers have in a sense helped to fulfill the promise of Philip freno one of the early poets who wrote far brighter scenes a future Age The Muse predict these states will hail whose genius May the world engage whose Deeds May over death Prevail and happier systems bring to view than all the Eastern sages new such was revolutionary American atature a criticism of its day a dream of tomorrow