English 11 / Unit 1: Early American Voices
1.2 Colonial and Puritan Writing
Notes
The Puritans settled New England in the 1600s hoping to build a community that followed God's will. Their writing was practical, religious and direct.
- William Bradford, governor of Plymouth, wrote the history Of Plymouth Plantation. Its plain style is simple and unadorned.
- John Winthrop spoke of a "city upon a hill" in 1630, meaning the colony would be watched as an example to the world.
- Puritans valued hard work, education, self-examination and a sense of God's providence (God's guiding hand in events).
- Genres: diaries, sermons, histories, and captivity narratives such as Mary Rowlandson's account of being taken captive in 1676.
- Worked example: Bradford describes the voyage and hardships in short, factual sentences instead of decorative language. That is plain style.
Practice
Which phrase best describes Puritan plain style?
Puritans distrusted showy language and preferred clarity.
What did Winthrop mean by a "city upon a hill"?
The image meant the community had to live up to high standards because others were watching.
A student reads a diary entry that records weather, harvests, and thanks to God for survival through winter. Which Puritan value does it best show?
Puritan journals often tracked daily events as signs of God's guidance.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 1 test.