Creating America

Creating America Paper

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ENG/491

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Instructor

Creating America Paper

The journey to create America was very long. There were many challenges and obstacles that were faced during this time period. Literature played an important part in documenting what is means to create America.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to unite the 13 United States of America and to let the British government and other countries of the world know why the United States should be free from British rule. Settlers came to America to seek a national identity during the Revolutionary Period. The time period is frequently known as the “empty space” in American Literary history. America attempted to create a literary identity; however, most of the writings during this time period were concentrated on politics and establishing freedom from British rule. Political messages were transmitted through newspaper, essays, ballads, campaign brochures, and pamphlets. During this time period, one of the most important forms of literature was political pamphlets. Thomas Paine was the master of these political pamphlets. Common Sense sold over 100,000 copies in the 3 months. Its purpose was to unite the people in the cause of freedom. Paine also wrote many essays on different subjects such as women’s rights, marriage, slavery, politics, scientific inventions, and motivational pieces for Revolutionary troops called the American Crisis. However, Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac was the best-known writing of the political field.

Many of the writings documenting the creation of America during this time period came from the writers such as a. John Adams and Abigail Adams, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, The Federalist, Olaudah Equiano, Philip Freneau, Phillis Wheatley, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cullen Bryant, and William...