How to Categorize Colonial American Lit
From your Literature: Classic Guide

You are reading a work and you think it might have been written in during the Colonial Period of American Literature, but you aren't sure. Here are some characteristics that will help you to know.

Difficulty Level: Easy    Time Required: varies

1. The Colonial Period spans the years 1607, when the English settlers founded Jamestown, Virginia, to 1765, when the British passed the Stamp Act and set off the American Revolution.
2. Colonial works were influenced by British writers, since America was a colony during that period.
3. The works consist largely of historical and teaching materials. You will find lots of letters, journals, narratives, and histories from that period.
4. Common works include Mary Rowlandson's captivity narrative, the histories of William Bradford and John Winthrop, the sermons of Jonathan Edwards, etc.
5. A few poets emerged during this period: Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Michael Wigglesworth.
6. The other notable voice of the period was Benjamin Franklin, memorable for his non-religious and non-historical prose.
   

Tips:

1. If in doubt, look it up or ask a librarian.
2. The more you read, the more you will start to pick of characteristics and features of each period.

Related Information:

• American Literature
• Ben Franklin
• Anne Bradstreet
  

More How To's from your Guide to Literature: Classic