Synopses & Reviews
Widely known as the anthology that best meshes tradition with innovation, The American Tradition in Literature enters its fifth decade of leadership among textbook anthologies of American Literature. Literary merit remains the guiding principle of selection; flexibility of organization, with Walt Whitman represented in both volumes, continues to be one of the text's hallmarks.
About the Author
George Perkins is Professor of English at Eastern Michigan University and an Associate Editor ofNarrative. He holds degrees from Tufts and Duke universities and received his Ph.D. from Cornell.He has been a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Newcastle in Australia and has held a Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh. In addition to Newcastle and Edinburgh, he has taught at Washington University, Baldwin-Wallace College and Fairleigh Dickinson University. His books include THE THEORY OF THE AMERICAN NOVEL, REALISTIC AMERICAN SHORT FICTION, AMERICAN POETIC THEORY, THE HARPER HANDBOOK TO LITERATURE (with Northrup Frye and Sheridan Baker), THE PRACTICALIMAGINATION (with Frye, Baker and Barbara Perkins), BENET'S READER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN LITERATURE (with Barbara Perkins), KALEIDOSCOPE: Stories of the AmericanExperience (with Barbara Perkins), WOMEN'S WORK; An Anthology of American Literature (withBarbara Perkins and Robyn Warhol), and THE AMERICAN TRADITION IN LITERATURE, 9TH edition (with Barbara Perkins).Barbara Perkins is Adjunct Professor of English at the University of Toledo and Associate Editor of Narrative. Since its founding, she has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for the Study of Narrative Literature. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and has taught at Baldwin-Wallace College, The University of Pennsylvania, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Newcastle, Australia. She has contributed essays to several reference works including CONTEMPORARY NOVELISTS, GREAT WRITERS OF THE ENLGISH LANGUAGE, and THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Her books include CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE (with George Perkins), BENET'S READER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OFAMERICAN LITERATURE (with George Perkins and Phillip Leininger), KALEIDOSCIPE: StoriesOf the American Experience (with George Perkins), WOMEN'S WORK: An Anthology of American Literature (with George Perkins and Robyn Warhol) and THE AMERICAN TRADITION IN LITERATURE, 9th edition (with George Perkins).
Table of Contents
* - indicates selection or author new to this editionPREFACEEXPLORATION AND THE COLONIESThe Original InhabitantsVirginia and the SouthNew England EXPLORATIONGIOVANNI DA VERRAZZANO (1485?-1528).Verrazzano's Voyage: 1524.ALVAR NÚÑEZ CABEZ DE VACA (C.1490-C.1557). The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca.Chapter 12: The Indians bring us food. Chapter 14: The departure of four Christians. Chapter 16: The Christians leave the island of Malhado. Chapter 17: The coming of Indians with Andres Dorantes, Castillo, and Estevanico. Chapter 19: Our separation by the Indians. Chapter 20: Of our escape.Chapter 21: Our cure of some of the afflicted. Chapter 22: The coming of other sick to us the next day.SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN (c.1567-1635). Voyages of Samuel de Champlain: The Voyages of 1604-1607. Chapter 8: Continuation of the discoveries along the coast of the Almouchiquois, and what we observed in detail.THE COLONIESJOHN SMITH (1580-1631). THE GENERAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, NEW ENGLAND, AND THE SUMMER ISLES. The Third Book. The Proceedings and Accidents of the English Colony in Virginia. Chapter II: What Happened till the First Supply.The Fourth Book: The Proceedings of the English after the Alteration of the Government Of Virginia.John Smith's Relation to Queen Anne of Pocahontas (1616).The Sixth Book. The General History of New England.The Description of New England.WILLIAM BRADFORD (1590-1657). Of Plymouth Plantation, Book I. Chapter IX: Of their Voyage, and how they Passed the Sea; and of their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod. Chapter X: Showing How they Sought out a place of Habitation; and What Befell them Thereabout. Of Plymouth Plantation, Book II. [The Mayflower Compact (1620)]. [Compact with the Indians (1621)]. [First Thanksgiving (1621)].[Narragansett Challenge (1622)]. [Thomas Morton of Merrymount (1628)].THOMAS MORTON (C.1579-1647) NEW ENGLISH CANAAN. The First Book: Containing the Original of the Natives, Their Manners, and Customs, with their Tractable Nature and Love towards the English. Chapter IV: Of Their Houses and Habitations. Chapter XV: Of their Admirable Perfection in the Use of the Senses. The Third Book Containing a Description of the People that are Planted There. Chapter XIV: Of the Revels of New Canaan. Chapter XV: Of a Great Monster Supposed to be at Ma-re Mount.JOHN WINTHROP (1588-1649). A Model of Christian Charity.ROGER WILLIAMS (1603?-1683). The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for Cause of Conscience.Preface. Chapter XCIII. The Bloody Tenet Yet More Bloody. Letter to the Town of Providence.ANNE BRADSTREET (1612?-1672). The Prologue. The Four Ages of Man. Childhood. The Flesh and the Spirit. Contemplations. The Author to Her Book. Before the Birth of One of Her Children.To My Dear and Loving Husband. A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment. Another [Letter of Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment]. In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665 Being a Year and a Half Old. Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th, 1666. Meditations, Divine and Moral.MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH (1631-1705). The Day of Doom.PURITANISMMARY ROWLANDSON (1636?-1711?). A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.SAMUEL SEWALL (1652-1730). The Diary of Samuel Sewall. [Customs, Courts, and Courtships].EDWARD TAYLOR (1642?-1729). The Preface. Meditation 1, First Series. Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children. The Experience. Huswifery. Meditation 8, First Series. The Glory of and Grace in the Church set out. Upon a Spider Catching a Fly. The Reflexion. The Joy of Church Fellowship rightly attended. Meditation 42, First Series. A Fig for thee Oh! Death. [TWO MEDITATIONS ON "THE SONG OF SOLOMON," CANTICLE VI]. Meditation 142, Second Series. Meditation 146, Second Series.COTTON MATHER (1663-1728). The Wonders of the Invisible World. Enchantments Encountered. The Trial of Bridget Bishop. A Third Curiosity. Magnalia Christi Americana. The Life of John Winthrop. The Life of His Excellency Sir William Phips. Bonifacius: Essays to Do Good. Much Occasion for Doing Good. The Excellence of Well-Doing. The Reward of Well-Doing. Opportunities to Do Good. On Internal Piety and Self-Examination.SARAH KEMBLE KNIGHT (1666-1727). The Journal of Madam Knight. [New England Frontier]. [Connecticut]. [New York City].THE SOUTH AND THE MIDDLE COLONIESEBENEZER COOK (1667?-1733?). The Sotweed Factor.WILLIAM BYRD (1674-1744). The History of the Dividing Line. [The Marooner]. [Lubberland]. [Indian Neighbors]. A Progress to the Mines. [Reading a Play in the Backwoods].JOHN WOOLMAN (1720-1772). The Journal of John Woolman. 1720-1742 [Early Years].1749-1756 [On Merchandise]. 1757 [Evidence of Divine Truth]. [Slavery]. 1755-1758 [Taxes and Wars].ST. JEAN DE CRÈVECOUR (1735-1813). Letters from an American Farmer. What Is an American? Description of Charles-Town; Thoughts on Slavery; On Physical Evil; A Melancholy Scene.Sketches of Eighteenth Century America. Manners of the Americans.WILLIAM BARTRAM (1739-1823). Travels Through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida. [Alligators]. [The Amazing Crystal Fountain]. [Indian Corn, Green Meadows, and Strawberry Fields].REASON AND REVOLUTIONThe Englightenment and the Spirit of Rationalism.From Neoclassical to Romantic Literature.JONATHAN EDWARDS (1703-1758). Sarah Pierrepont. A Divine and Supernatural Light.Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Personal Narrative.BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790). The Autobiography. Poor Richard's Almanack.Preface to Poor Richard, 1733. The Way to Wealth: Preface to Poor Richard, 1758.An Edict by the King of Prussia. The Sale of the Hessians.The Ephemera. To Madame Helvetius. Information to Those Who Would Remove to America. Letter to William Franklin [We Are Men, All Subject to Errors].Letter to Ezra Stiles [Here Is My Creed]. Speech in the [Constitutional] Convention.THOMAS PAINE (1737-1809) Common Sense. Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs. The American Crisis. The Age of Reason. [Profession of Faith]. [Of Myth and Miracle].[Christian Revelation and Nature]. [First Cause: God of Reason]. [Recapitulation].JOHN ADAMS (1755-1826) and ABIGAIL ADAMS (1744-1818).Letters. THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826). The Declaration of Independence. First Inaugural Address. Notes on the State of Virginia. [A Southerner on Slavery].Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush [The Christian Deist]. Letter to John Adams [The True Aristocracy].OLAUDAH EQUIANO (1745?-1797?)The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Chapter 2: [From Childhood to Slavery]. Chapter 3: [Travels to Various Countries].Chapter 7: [He Purchases his Freedom].PHILLIS WHEATLEY (1753?-1784). To the University of Cambridge, in New-England.On Being Brought from Africa to America. On the Death of the Reverend Mr. George Whitefield.An Hymn to the Evening. To S.M. a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works. To His Excellency General Washington.THE FEDERALIST (1787-1788). The Federalist No. 1 [Alexander Hamilton]. The Federalist No. 10 [James Madison].PHILIP FRENEAU (1752-1832). To Sir Toby. To the Memory of the Brave Americans.On Mr. Paine's Rights of Man. The Wild Honey Suckle. The Indian Burying Ground. On a Honey Bee.To a Caty-Did. On the Universality and Other Attributes of the God of Nature.JOEL BARLOW (1754-1812). The Hasty-Pudding. Advice to a Raven in Russia.ROYALL TYLER (1757-1826). The Contrast.CHARLES BROCKDEN BROWN (1771-1810). Edgar Huntly. Chapter XV. Chapter XVI.THE ROMANTIC TEMPER AND THE HOUSE DIVIDEDRegional InfluencesNature and the LandThe Original Native Americans NATURE AND SOCIETYTHE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE. TALES. Manabozho.The Chief's Daughters.Coyote and Bear. A Tale of the Sky World. ORATORY. Speech of Logan. Speech of Red Jacket.Speech of Tecumseh. Speech of Speckled Snake. Speech of Red Cloud. POETRY. Twelfth Song of the Thunder.