Founding Fathers

Background to the literature

What is this? A History class?!

If you were to sit and write a journal, poem, or story, what would it be about?

The literature we write reflects who we are and what is important to us.

In the 1770’s, Americans (then just Colonists) were in an intense period of turmoil as they are going to war with their mother country. What do you think their literature at this time is going to be about?

You got it!

Revolutionary War

The most well known literature at this time deals in some way with American Revolution.

To understand the literature, you have to understand the people and what they were going through.

How it Began (the brief version)

• 1754-1763 Brittan fights the French and Indian War and gains land in North America

Colonists are happy to have British troops coming to protect them.

War is expensive!!

So, England decides to get money back by taxing the colonists. They create the Stamp Act.

This makes the colonists mad.

Then the Britian imposes even more taxes on Colonists.

Colonists respond by creating political groups to fight against the taxes.

This, of course, upsets the king.

Parliament responded with the "Intolerable Acts."

- Accused Colonists could be tried in England - - - American homes were forced to host British troops -Boston Harbor was closed

This resulted in the First Continental Congress, in 1774, which met at Philadelphia's Carpenters' Hall. Twelve colonies sent delegates to discuss how to return to a state of harmonious relations with the Mother Country — not revolution! But radical thinking won out. Parliamentary acts were declared "unconstitutional." Taxes were not paid, an import-export ban was established, and Colonists were urged to arm themselves.