Revolutionary literary period
The Revolutionary literary period refers to the body of written works produced during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, as well as the preceding decade and the years following the war. This period is marked by a growing discontent among American colonists towards British rule, catalyzing a shift from religious literature to political discourse. Literary outputs included satirical pieces aimed at critiquing British governance and incendiary texts that encouraged rebellion. Notable documents from this era include the Declaration of Independence, which articulated the colonies' grievances and aspirations for independence, and the Federalist Papers, which advocated for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
The context of this literary movement is rooted in the broader Enlightenment ideals of liberty and reason, and it emerged in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and Britain. As the colonists sought to establish a new identity and government, influential writers, such as Thomas Paine, produced compelling works that galvanized public support for independence. The revolutionary literary period not only played a crucial role in shaping American political thought but also had a significant impact on the development of democratic principles in Western societies.
On this Page
Revolutionary literary period
The revolutionary literary period is characterized by the written works associated with the American Revolution (1775–1783). These included works that illustrated the growing dissatisfaction of the American colonists with the British government and works published during and after the American Revolution. Some of these documents were satirical in nature, intended to amuse their audiences while pointing out the flaws in the colonies’ relationship with Great Britain. Others were directly incendiary, working to persuade the colonists to rise up and rebel against the British.
The most important American political documents written during this time are considered hallmarks of the revolutionary literary period. These include the Declaration of Independence, which details the colonists’ grievances with Britain and announces their intent to form an independent government. They also include the US Constitution and the Federalist Papers, a collection of documents written to ease the passage of the Constitution.
These documents changed the political landscape of North America for centuries to come. However, they were also heavily influential in the development of Western democracies across Europe. For this reason, the revolutionary period is considered one of the most important periods of political writing in the Western world.
Background
In 1763, Britain emerged victorious from the conflict known as the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), but the victory left the nation deeply in debt. Reasoning that part of the conflict took place in North America protecting Britain’s colonies from the French, the British government felt the American colonies should help foot the bill through the implementation of taxes. However, the colonists reacted with anger and rioted against British attempts to tax the colonies. The British responded with a series of increasingly harsh crackdowns against the rebellious colonies, inflaming the rising tensions and bringing the two sides closer to war.
Initially, colonial political leaders had no interest in breaking away from Britain. They only wanted the British government to address colonial grievances and back off on some of their more restrictive punishments. In 1774, representatives from twelve of the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the First Continental Congress and decided to formally present their arguments to the British Parliament and King George III. Their efforts were rejected, leading to the eventual outbreak of war in April 1775.
A month later, the colonial representatives met again for the Second Continental Congress. This time, the voices wishing to break away from Britain and declare American independence grew louder. After more than a year of debate, the colonists announced their intention to form a new nation with the approval of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, that independence was not assured until the United States defeated the British in 1783. In the years that followed, the new nation tried to work out the details of a new government, eventually agreeing on a founding document known as the US Constitution in 1787.
Overview
Most scholars consider the revolutionary literary period to encompass the years from 1765, a decade before the start of the American Revolution, to 1790, the year after the Constitution officially took effect. The period was heavily influenced by colonial politics and the political and literary ideas of the era that led to the revolution. These included ideas of humanism, reason, liberty, and freedom that arose during the period of European Enlightenment in the eighteenth century.
For much of the early history of the American colonies, religious works such as the Bible were the most commonly read forms of literature. In the decades before the American Revolution, newspapers and pamphlets grew in popularity as people began to seek out information on a wider variety of topics. One of the most popular sources of information from the era was the almanac, a collection of news, poetry, weather forecasts, planting advice, and other information deemed useful by the colonists. The most famous almanac series was Poor Richard’s Almanack, which was published by Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, from 1732 to 1758.
Despite the adoption of printing presses in the American colonies, Americans imported most of their books from Great Britain throughout the early 1760s. Additionally, the strict religious traditions of New England’s Puritans, a group that founded the colony of Massachusetts in the 1600s, influenced the types of literature available in colonial North America. The Puritans were opposed to plays, dramas, and other non-religious literary works. However, as their influence began to fade in the 1750s, American writers and playwrights began to produce the colonies’ first popular literary works. In 1767, the Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia performed Prince of Parthia, the first play written by a native-born colonial citizen. The Prince of Parthia was a Greek-style tragedy set in the ancient Parthian Empire of Iran.
As tensions between the colonists and the British government grew, the literature of the revolutionary era began to shift towards political work. Many American writers adopted satire, utilizing plays, poems, and essays to create comedy while drawing attention to the issues caused by the British government. Additionally, many famous American writers began to produce political essays intended to spur rebellion among the colonial citizens. Thomas Paine’s persuasive pamphlet, Common Sense, is considered one of the most significant works of revolutionary propaganda. In this essay, Paine argues that England was too small and too distant to rule the Americans and that the American people should overthrow their colonial oppressors. Conversely, some writers who opposed independence from Britain produced books and pamphlets advocating for repairing the rift between the colonies and the homeland.
During the Revolution, America’s Founding Fathers produced several political works of historical significance. These included the Declaration of Independence, a document detailing the colonies’ grievances with the British government and their intent to secede from Britain. After winning independence, the political battle turned toward founding a new government. To promote their ideals of how this government should operate, Founding Fathers James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton authored a series of eighty-five political essays known as the Federalist Papers. These essays were specifically written to promote the ratification of the Constitution.
Bibliography
“American Literature & Culture: American Literature.” Miami Dade College, 22 Aug. 2023, libraryguides.mdc.edu/Americanlit. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
“Books that Shaped America.” Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/1750-to-1800.html. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Burgess, Adam. “A Brief Overview of American Literary Periods.” ThoughtCo., 9 July 2019, www.thoughtco.com/american-literary-periods-741872. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Kiger, Patrick J. “7 Events That Enraged Colonists and Led to the American Revolution.” History.com, 5 Sept. 2023, www.history.com/news/american-revolution-causes. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.
Rhodehamel, John. The American Revolution: Writings from the War of Independence 1775–1783. Library of America, 2001.