Native American Literature and Culture Notes

Native American literature was entirely oral. This is

referred to as the ORAL TRADITION.

There was tremendous diversity among Native
American tribesdifferent languages, government,
social organization, customs, housing, and methods
of survival
Theres no written history of the Native American
tribes. What we know of them we know from songs,
legends, and myths.

Native American Literature and Culture Notes

Native Americans usually (but not always) greeted

the European settlers as friends, introduced them to

their agriculture and methods. As a thank you, the
European settlers gave the Native Americans awful
diseases such as syphilis and smallpox.
Native American literature reflects a deep respect for
nature and the natural world

Creation Myth Assignment

Write a short creation myth that explains the origin

of either a natural phenomenon, an animal, or a

geographic location.
Your myth should be at minimum page long.
If you have extra time, you may illustrate your myth
for 10 extra points.

PILGRIMS and PURITANS

Puritans, came over on the Mayflower in 1620left

Europe because they were dissatisfied with the

corruption (or lack of PURITY) in the Church of
England. (puritans, a.k.a., pilgrims, separatists)
The Plymouth settlement survived mostly because the
pilgrims received help from the Native Americans
Massachusetts Bay Colony, also religious reformers,
sought to reform the church from within. They set up a
city on a hill, a model community guided in all aspects
by the Bible. The form of government was a theocracy, a
state under the immediate guidance of God.

Central Beliefs of Puritans

Human beings exist for the glory of God
Bible is the sole expression of Gods will
PredestinationCalvins doctrine that God has

already decided who will achieve salvation and who

will not.
Good can only be accomplished through continual
hard work and self-discipline, a principle that is
today known as the Puritan ethic.

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening sought to revive the declining

Puritan way of life, and was led by eloquent

ministers such as Jonathan Edwards and George
Whitefield. The Great Awakening attracted many
people, but mostly emboldened the growing
Protestant sects, and Puritan society continued to
decline. Some Puritan values, howeversuch as
hard work, frugality, self-improvement, and selfrelianceremain at the core of the American
character.