Unit 1: Beginnings -Unit 1: Beginnings -17501750

There are FOUR groups of people There are FOUR groups of people that contribute to the beginnings that contribute to the beginnings

of American literatureof American literature

Native AmericansNative Americans were already were already inhabiting the U.S. when the inhabiting the U.S. when the first first

explorersexplorers came to our country came to our country

IRONYIRONY

These These explorers explorers

soon planted soon planted roots in the roots in the

U.S. and U.S. and became became

the first the first American American settlerssettlers

IRONYIRONY

As more settlers arrived, they As more settlers arrived, they brought with them brought with them slavesslaves from other landsfrom other lands

Many of the early settlers were religious Many of the early settlers were religious reformers called reformers called PuritansPuritans, whose , whose

religious faith was evident in the literature religious faith was evident in the literature of this timeof this time

Native Americans: Native Americans: What’s their story?What’s their story?

When Christopher When Christopher Columbus reached Columbus reached America in America in 1492, 1492,

several hundred tribes several hundred tribes were already herewere already here

Native Americans:Native Americans:

No one knows No one knows how they got here how they got here or what they had or what they had

been doing been doing

no written record no written record existsexists

How did they receive the How did they receive the colonists?colonists?

The Native Americans greeted the The Native Americans greeted the European settlers as European settlers as friendsfriends

How did they receive the How did they receive the colonists?colonists?

If it wasn’t for the Native Americans, many If it wasn’t for the Native Americans, many of of

the settlers would not have survived – the settlers would not have survived – particularly during the very difficult particularly during the very difficult

winterswinters

How did Native Americans How did Native Americans influence American literature?influence American literature?

Native Americans are known for their Native Americans are known for their oral traditionoral tradition

– – the stories they passed down orally the stories they passed down orally throughout generationsthroughout generations

Their oral performances Their oral performances included included mythsmyths,,

storiesstories, , poemspoems and and songssongs

As a whole, the Native As a whole, the Native American oralAmerican oral

tradition captured its tradition captured its cultural ideals, which cultural ideals, which

included a included a reverence for reverence for naturenature

Another important use of these Another important use of these stories was to stories was to explain the explain the

supernaturalsupernatural

(this occurred primarily in (this occurred primarily in mythsmyths) )

It’s your turn!It’s your turn!

1) 1) What are some common themes that you What are some common themes that you see?see?

2) 2) Why do you think that the Native American oralWhy do you think that the Native American oral

tradition is important to the development of Americantradition is important to the development of American

literature?literature?

Read page 16: Read page 16:

““World on a Turtle’s World on a Turtle’s Back” Back”

3 sentence response: 3 sentence response: