The Foundation Period

The Foundation Period began about 500 years ago in the 16^th century. The Puritans paved the path for a new society. When the foundations began, the Puritans moved from England to come to America. They went to Plymouth, Massachusetts, leading to both the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. William Bradford wrote the novel Of Plymouth Plantation about the journey to America and the hardships that came along with it. It also focuses on God’s divine Providence. The Puritan writers based their writings and literature off the Bible and focused on the power of reason. Important forms of Puritan literature included diaries kept by them because they recorded the works of God. The Puritans highly valued the idea of hard work and discipline.  When the Puritans arrived in America, they believed they were the first ones there, yet American Indians had lived there for thousands of years prior to them arriving. The literature of the Native Americans was rooted in oral tradition and their story tellers were highly respected within their communities. The story tellers would pass down popular myths that answered people’s questions about the origins of the world. Another popular novel written during the foundations would be Anne Bradstreet’s’ The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America. A short story written by Jonathan Edwards titled Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God.  Poems written during this era include Anne Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, and Phillis Wheatly’s “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.”