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

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

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

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BECOMING AMERICA<br />

REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE<br />

keep my Children in piece—tho’ I am a woman giving you this Talk, I am in hopes<br />

that you and all the Beloved men in Congress will pay particular Attention <strong>to</strong> it, as<br />

I am Delivering it <strong>to</strong> you <strong>from</strong> the Bot<strong>to</strong>m <strong>of</strong> my heart, that they will Lay this on the<br />

white s<strong>to</strong>ol in Congress, wishing them all well & success in all their undertakings—I<br />

hold fast the good Talk I Received <strong>from</strong> you my Brother, & thanks you kindly for<br />

your good Talks, & your presents, & the kind usage you gave <strong>to</strong> my son.<br />

From,<br />

Katteuha<br />

The Beloved woman <strong>of</strong> Chota<br />

3.18.2 Reading and Review Questions<br />

1. Why does this piece suggest women, let alone Cherokee women, should<br />

be listened <strong>to</strong>? How revolutionary or unconventional are its arguments?<br />

2. What qualities characterize the authors <strong>of</strong> this letter, that is, Katteuha<br />

and the three other Cherokee women? How do you know?<br />

3. What aspects <strong>of</strong> Cherokee culture can you discern <strong>from</strong> this letter?<br />

4. Why is this letter sent by a group <strong>of</strong> women, rather than just one woman?<br />

To what eect?<br />

5. What awareness <strong>of</strong> Benjamin Franklin’s personality and/or culture does<br />

this letter reveal? How do you know?<br />

3.19 CHARLES BROCKDEN BROWN<br />

(1771–1810)<br />

Charles Brockden Brown was born<br />

in<strong>to</strong> a Quaker family in Philadelphia.<br />

He studied at the Friends Latin School<br />

in Philadelphia then learned law in a<br />

Philadelphia law oce. However, he<br />

turned away <strong>from</strong> the practice <strong>of</strong> law<br />

due <strong>to</strong> moral repugnance and focused<br />

instead on making a living as a writer.<br />

He had literary ambitions <strong>from</strong> his youth<br />

onwards, including projecting poems on<br />

explorers <strong>of</strong> the New World.<br />

He found inspiration for writing<br />

through a circle <strong>of</strong> friends in New York<br />

City, where he lived <strong>from</strong> the 1790s<br />

onward. These friends included Timothy<br />

Dwight (1752–1817), a future president<br />

<strong>of</strong> Yale, and Noah Webster (1758–<br />

1843), the lexicographer. Brown was also<br />

Image 3.28 | Charles Brockden Brown<br />

Artist | Unknown<br />

Source | Wikimedia Commons<br />

License | Public Domain<br />

Page | 673

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