American Literature: Revolutionary Times (1976)

[Music] [Applause] a printed word the fuel of discontent before the outbreak of the American Revolution writings of the time affected villager as well as Aristocrat they read the pamphlets the newspapers and many were moved to action the literature of defiance spread along a network of Patriots from Savannah North through the colonial cities to Boston the printed arguments led to debate in the colonial legislatures and finally fired the par that drove colonists to war the printer had attained a position of power his influence had grown steadily during the trying years preceding the revolution only decades before his work seemed quite routine the printing of poetry recipes Community announcements but printers started to publish political events opinions and newspapers flourished Benjamin Franklin was one of the better known Publishers of the day and his Pennsylvania Journal kept Philadelphia citizens informed Franklin also published Poor Richard's Almanac it was essentially a calendar of the years with timetables for planting crops but it featured sayings which caught the fancy of the colonists three may keep a secret if two of them are dead fish and visitors smell in in three days poor Richard Almanac expressed an emerging American personality practical humorous and independent as well as Franklin's Keen wit and sharp mind in his autobiography started at age 67 Franklin wrote of colonial Philadelphia and his youth he was only 17 when he arrived poor friendless and looking for work work as a printer I was in my working dress and my best clothes being to come around by sea I was dirty from my journey my pockets were stuffed with shirts and stockings thus I went up Market Street passing by the door of Mr Reed my future wife's father when she standing at the door saw me and thought I made as I most certainly did a most awkward ridiculous appearance and when he wrote about his significant later life in public service and government that same humility shines through he had indeed fulfilled his childhood ambition to be a tolerable English writer The increased number of presses encouraged writing on a wide variety of subjects from science and agriculture to philosophy religion and politics pamphlets were frequently published which proposed elaborate plans for a future America the new political literature began to confront the great issues of the day whether the colonies should remain loyal to the crown in London will become separate states bound together in a union in Virginia at a secret meeting of the colonial legislature held at St John's Church in Richmond Patrick Henry Rose and delivered a speech which will long Be Remembered in American political literature 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 post riters carried copies of the spe teaches and essays calling for Liberty to every corner of every Colony early in 1776 Philadelphia radical Tom Payne wrote The Revolutionary period's most passionate plea for Liberty his pamphlet Common Sense argued strongly for a separate nation an astonishing 150,000 copies were circulated urging every American to join the fight oh ye that love mankind ye that their oppose not only tyranny but the Tyrant stand forth as support mounted Thomas Jefferson was asked to write a moral defense of the Revolution this became the declaration of independence based upon the natural rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness during the long years of the Revolution colonists often turn to the printed word for encouragement in verse Francis hopkinson's humorous The Ballad of the kegs sazed British confusion when kegs of patriot gunpowder came floating down the Delaware therefore prepare for bloody war these kegs must all be routed or surely we despised shall be and British courage doubted and in a series of essays called the crisis Tom pain observed 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 their country but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman the revolution succeeded a new nation was born After the Revolution and the period of constitutional debate literature turned its attention from politics to other matters like the earlier writings of Franklin the new writings reflected American interests Noah Webster published a spell for use in American schools he also printed an American reader the first collection of American writings of its kind on the stage the first American Comedy contrast by Royal Tyler was presented in verse the Voyages of Christopher Columbus were the subject of Epic poems Phyllis Wheatley at the age of 20 astonished the literary worlds of Boston and London with her elegant verse she paid tribute to General Washington proceed great Chief with virtue on thy side thy every action let the goddess guide a crown a mansion and a throne that shine with gold unfading Washington be thine and Philip freno the most famous poet of the revolutionary period expressed his Great Hopes for the future of the new nation far brighter comes a future Age The Muse predicts these states will hail whose genius May the world Engage The Frenchman Jean de crer wrote of the excitement so many Europeans felt when they came to America in letters from an American Farmer he asked what is an American here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men whose label and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world Americans are the Western pilgrims who are carrying along with them that great mass of Arts Sciences Vigor and Industry which began long since in the East they will finish the great cycle thus the writers of the revolutionary period addressed themselves to the nature and the future of the new nation they were for the most part a highly idealistic group sharing a deep faith in the prospects of the young United States of America iica