Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
Despite this measure, the political power of the Puritan churches continued to
decline, though their cultural power continues to inuence American culture.
Finally, in the spirit of purication and a return to a simpler practice, many
of the works in this section demonstrate the Puritan aesthetic of plain style. In
contrast to the more ornate style of writers like William Shakespeare, the Puritans
and some other Protestant denominations felt that the best style was that which
lacked embellishment or ornamentation and strove for simplicity and accessibility
to the average person. Plain-style writing typically eschewed classical allusions,
preferring to use gurative language originating either in the Bible or in everyday
experience; was didactic (intended to teach a lesson) rather than entertaining; and
featured limited variation in syntactical structures—though those structures might
seem complex to a modern reader. This aesthetic can also be seen in the narrow
color range of Puritan clothing and the distinct lack of gilding, statuary, and altars
in Puritan churches.
2.3 WILLIAM BRADFORD
(1590–1657)
William Bradford was born in Austereld,
Yorkshire and reared as a farmer. In
1606, inspired by the preaching of nonconformist
minister Richard Clyfton (d.
1616), Bradford joined the Separatist group
tied to William Brewster (1568–1644) in
Scrooby, Nottinghamshire. As Separatists
from the Church of England headed by
the English monarch, this group (and
similar others) engaged in treason against
the English crown. To escape the consequent-enforced
secrecy and persecution, the
group left England for the Netherlands. In
1609, Bradford joined them there, became a
weaver, and started his own business upon
inheriting money from his family.
To escape further persecution, the
group petitioned for and won a land grant
Image 2.1 | William Bradford
in North America. Bradford was one of the Artist | Unknown
Source | Wikimedia Commons
pilgrims who sailed from Southampton,
License | Public Domain
England in 1620 on the Mayower to settle
in the land granted. Their land grant was originally meant to be in Virginia but,
due to diculty navigating in storms, they landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
William Bradford helped dene for themselves and future generations their
Puritan settlement and endeavor at Plymouth Plantation. After the death of their
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