PartIITheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution.docx

PartIITheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution.docx

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PartIITheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution

PartII.TheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution

vI.HistoricalIntroduction（※）

vII.Enlightenment（※）

vIII.Literature

vIV.ThomasPaine

vV.ThomasJefferson

vVI.PhilipFreneau

vVII.BenjaminFranklin（※）

vVIII.TheAutobiography（※）

I.HistoricalIntroduction（※）

InEconomy:

TheIndustrialRevolution:

spurredtheeconomyinAmericancolonies.

InPolitics

TheologydominatedthePuritanphaseofAmericanwriting.Politicswasnowthegreatsubjecttocommandtheattentionofthebestminds.

1.ThewritersheldvitallyimportantplacesinthemovementforAmericanindependence.FreedomwaswonasmuchbytheirfieryandinspiringspeechesandwritingsasbytheweaponsofWashingtonandLafayette.The13originalAmericanstateswerepersuadedtobecomeasinglenationbytheargumentsofstatesmenandmenofletters.

2.StrictrulesmadebyEnglishgovernmenthamperedtheeconomicdevelopmentofthecolonies.TheBritishwantedthecoloniestoremainpoliticallyandeconomicallydependentonthemothercountry,whichledtothecolonies’intensestrainwithEngland.SotheAmericanWarforIndependencebrokeoutin1775.

IndependenceWar（1775-1783）:

TheindustrialgrowthledtointensestrainwithBritain.TheBritishgovernmenttriedtosuppresstheirgrowtheconomically,andruledthemfromabroadpoliticallyandleviedheavytaxonthem.Thesearousedbitterresentmentincolonies.ConstantconflictsresultedinAmericanrevolutionarywar.

（1）1775,Lexington,beginningoftheIndependenceWar.

（2）July4,1776,ThomasJefferson,DeclarationofIndependence.

（3）1778,alliancewithFrance,turningpointforAmericanarmy.

（4）1778,Englisharmysurrendered.

（5）1783,formalrecognitionbytheBritishgovernment.

3.Theproceduresoftheestablishmentofthenewnation

（1）colony

（2）state

（3）federalrepublic---theUnitedStatesofAmerica

InIdeology（Enlightenment）

vSpirituallifeofthecolonies—Enlightenment,aphilosophicalandintellectualmovement.

vAdvocatedreasonorrationality,thescientificmethod,equalityandhumanbeings’abilitytoperfectthemselvesandtheirsociety.

vInfavoroftherevolutionaryideasandtookactivelyinthewar.

vOpposedthepuritantraditionsandbroughttheseculareducationandliteraturetolife.

II.Enlightenment（theAgeofReason）

1.Enlightenment

vThespirituallifeinthecoloniesduringtheperiodwastoagreatdegreemoldedbythebourgeoisEnlightenment.

v

（1）OriginatedinEuropeinthe17thcentury

v

（2）Sources:

Newton’stheory;deism（自然神教派）;Frenchphilosophy（Rousseau,Voltaire）

（3）Basicprinciples:

stressingeducation;stressingReason（Order）（TheagehasbeencalledAgeofReason.）;employingReasontoreconsiderthetraditionsandsocialrealities;concernsforcivilrights,suchasequalityandsocialjustice;theideaofprogress.

v2.AttheinitialperiodthespreadoftheideasoftheEnlightenmentwaslargelyduetojournalism.AlltheleadersoftherevolutionwereinfluencedbytheEnlightenment;

3.Representatives:

BenjaminFranklin,ThomasPaine,ThomasJefferson,etc.

vTherepresentativesoftheEnlightenmentsetthemselvesthetaskofdisseminatingknowledgeamongthepeopleandadvocatingrevolutionaryideas.TheyalsoactivelyparticipatedintheWarforIndependence.

2.Anintellectualmovementthatoriginatedinthe17thcenturyEngland—France—Europe—EnglishcoloniesinAmerica

vAnageofgreatdiscoveriesandnewmen

vStressedthepowersofhumanreason,theimportanceofscientificmethodsanddiscoveriesinsteadoftheomnipresenceandomnipotenceofGod

vInspiredandenlightenedbyIsaacNewton’snewscientificidea,believedthathumansocietymustoperatebynaturallaws,thatbydiscoveringandapprovinglaws,mankindcouldachievealmostinfiniteprogress

vInAmerica,theEnlightenmentcontributedtofreeingtheAmericansfromthelimitationsofPuritanismandstimulatingthemtostrivefortheestablishmentoftheirindependenceanddemocraticnation.

III.Literature

1.CallforAmerica’sindependenceinliterature

vAssoonasAmericabecamepoliticallyandeconomicallyindependent,thecallforitsindependenceinliteraturestartedtoemerge.

vIn1783,NoahWebsterdeclared,“Americamustbeasindependentassheisinpolitics,asfamousfortheartsasforarms”.YetthroughoutthecenturyAmericanliteraturewaslargelypatternedonthewritingof18thcenturyEnglishmen.

2.TheDevelopmentofLiterature

vPrincipalfeatures:

vThemenofletterswerepreoccupiedwithrationalityandshowedaprofoundlovefortheorderandbeautyofclassicalart.

vInform,itwaslargelypatternedonthewritingofthe18thcEnglishclassicalwriterswhowerecharacterizedbyclarity,precisionandorder.

vIncontent,itwascharacterizedbyitsutilitariantendency.

vWhileimaginativeliteratureinAmericaremainedderivativeanddependent,theheroicandrevolutionaryambitionsoftheagehadcreatedgreatpoliticalpamphleteeringandstatepapers.Essayistsandjournalistshadshapedthenation’sbeliefswithreasondressedinclearandforcefulprose.

3.Featuresofliterature

vTheprosperityofjournalism:

tospreadideasofEnlightenment.

vTheAmericanreadingpublicatthetimedisplaysgreatinterestintheworksofEnglishscientist,philosophersandwriters.

vThesecularidealsinFranklin’sworks.

vEssayistsandjournalistsshapedthenation’sbeliefswithreasondressedinclearandforcefulprose.

4.TheRepresentativeEnlighteners

vBenjaminFranklin（1706-1790）

vPoorRichard’sAlmanac

vTheAutobiography

vThomasPaine（1737-1809）

vCommonSense

vAmericanCrisis

vThomasJefferson（1743-1826）

vDeclarationofIndependence

vPhilipFreneau（1752-1832）

vPoetoftheAmericanRevolution/ThefatherofAmericanpoetry/Transitionalrolebetweenneoclassicismandromanticism

vTheWildHoneySuckle

IV.ThomasPaine（1737-1809）

vRevolutionaryWarpatriotandpamphleteer,borninThetford,England.Paineemigratedin1774toPennsylvania,wherehegravitatedtowardthosewhosupportedcolonialindependence.

Lifeandcareer

vPaine'spamphletCommonSenseappearedinJanuary1776andcausedanimmediatesensation.Init,PainebothsupportedAmericanindependenceandattackedthecorruptionoftheBritishhereditarymonarchy.HefoughtintheRevolutionaryWarandcontinuedtopublish,includinghis1776essayTheAmericanCrisis.

Majorworks

v1.TheCaseoftheOfficersoftheExcise（1772）

v---hisfirstpamphlet,apetitiontoParliamentforalivingwagefortheexcisecollectors.

v2.CommonSense（1776）

---signedsimply“ByanEnglishman”,tourgethecoloniestodeclareindependence;PainbecameforthwiththemostarticulatespokesmanoftheAmericanRevolution.

v3.TheAmericanCrisis（1776-1783）

---Paine’schiefcontributionwasaseriesof16pamphlets（1776-1783）entitledTheAmericanCrisisandsigned“CommonSense”whichdealtdirectlywiththemilitaryengagementstoinspiretheContinentalArmy.

v4.TheRightsofMan（1791-92）

---ananswertoBurke’sRecentReflectionsontheFrenchRevolution,whichnotonlychampionedRousseau’sdoctrinesoffreedom,butalsosuggestedtheoverthrowoftheBritishmonarchy.PainewasindictedfortreasonandwasforcedtoseekrefugeinFrance.

v5.TheAgeofReason（1795）

v---adeistictreatiseadvocatingarationalisticviewofreligion.

v6.AnalysisofTheAmericanCrisis

（1776–1783）

v---aseriesofpamphletspublishedinLondonfrom1776–1783duringtheAmericanRevolution.ItdecriedBritishactionsandLoyalists,offeringsupporttothePatriotcause.

V.ThomasJefferson（1743–1826）

vBorn:

13April1743

vBirthplace:

Shadwell,Virginia

vDied:

4July1826（naturalcauses）

vBestKnownAs:

AuthoroftheDeclarationofIndependence

v1.Hismindrangedcuriouslyovermanyfieldsofknowledge—law,philosophy,government,architecture,education,religion,science,agriculture,mechanics—andwhateverhetouched,heenrichedinsomemeasure.

2.HewasthethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates（1801–1809）,theprincipalauthorofTheDeclarationofIndependence（1776）,andoneofthemostinfluentialFoundingFathersforhispromotionoftheidealsofRepublicanismintheUnitedStates.HighpointsofhispresidencyincludetheLouisianaPurchasefromNapoleonandtheexplorationofthewestbyLewisandClark（1804–1806）.

v3.Asapoliticalphilosopher,JeffersonwasamanoftheEnlightenmentandknewmanyintellectualleadersinBritainandFrance.Heidealizedtheindependentyeomanfarmerasexemplarofrepublicanvirtues,distrustedcitiesandfinanciers,andfavoredstates'rightsandastrictlylimitedfederalgovernment.JeffersonsupportedtheseparationofchurchandstateandwastheauthoroftheVirginiaStatuteforReligiousFreedom（1779,1786）.

vHewastheeponym（名祖，指姓名被用来命名某物）ofJeffersoniandemocracyandtheco-founderandleaderoftheDemocratic-RepublicanParty,whichdominatedAmericanpoliticsforaquarter-centuryandwastheprecursorofthemodern-dayDemocraticParty.JeffersonservedasthewartimeGovernorofVirginia（1779–1781）,firstUnitedStatesSecretaryofState（1789–1793）andsecondVicePresident（1797–1801）.

v4.Apolymath（学识渊博的人）,Jeffersonachieveddistinctionas,amongotherthings,ahorticulturist（园艺家）,statesman,architect,archaeologist,paleontologist（古生物学者）,author,inventorandfounderoftheUniversityofVirginia.

TheDeclarationofIndependencewasanactoftheSecondContinentalCongress,adoptedonJuly4,1776,whichdeclaredthattheThirteenColoniesinNorthAmericawere"FreeandIndependentStates"andthat"allpoliticalconnectionbetweenthemandtheStateofGreatBritain,isandoughttobetotallydissolved.