American Literature
The hope for religious freedom is what lured the original English settlers to the New World. The original settlers sought a utopian society, "a New Jerusalem, on the barren coast of New England" (McMichael 4). John Wintrop (1588-1649) explicitly reflects these sentiments and culture of the early settlers (Puritans) in The Journal of John Wintrop. However, William Byrd II (1674-1744) in The Secret Diary Of William Byrd Of Westover, expresses the rapid change in the American sentiment and culture a few generations after the original settlers. The latter generation swayed from the religious an
If one observes the sentiments of Byrd through the lens of his vague and selfish writing style one can see a "mind free of the strained Calvinism of his New England contemporaries" (McMichael 171). Through the writings of John Winthrop and William Byrd II, one can see how the colonial feelings about the New World changed as new enterprise was introduced and new religious ideologies became popular. This reflects the Puritan ideology of self-denial and the "community as members of the same body" ( Wintrop 1of2). Wintrop's uses very detailed language as if he does not want to leave any details in his writings unaccounted. As the New World began to increase in population, new religious doctrines, and prosperous businesses made its way into the colonial settlements. Works CitedMcMichael, George, ed. d community based society, and turned to a more commercial and secular lifestyle. Byrd's Diary focuses on business and personal occurrences rather than religious matters. This makes evident the original settlers religious mission was replaced with commercial and entrepreneur endeavors. One can agree that the prosperous economy and the rise of new religious sects contributed to this cultural revolution. Concise Anthology of American Literature.
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Acceptance Essays
