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Early American History and Literature Study Guide
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This document gives in-depth notes on the most important characters and events between 1612 and 1783.
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American History/Literature Trimester 1 Midterm Study GuideThe Tempest: Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King
of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero’s fish-monster slave, Caliban, plots to rid himself
of his master, but is thwarted by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be
dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Their celebrations are cut short when Prospero confronts his
brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflict is resolved.
Prospero grants Ariel his freedom and prepares to leave the island.
The Scarlet Letter: Adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame, and a tangible expression of
her sin in her daughter, Pearl. Her lover, a pastor named Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked
with guilt, while her husband, the fiendish Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge by haunting the home of his former
wife’s new man. Pearl is demon child. Chillingworth is demon man. (Headcanon: Mistress Hibbins and
Chillingworth are in love.) Dimmesdale, drowning in his sin, decides to reveal the truth about his relations with
Hester and Pearl rather than escape with them to England for a new life. After his big reveal, the pastor perishes,
with his own scarlet letter branded on his heart. Pearl inherits a lot of cha-ching from Chillingworth after he kicks
the bucket and she and her mother disappear for a couple years. Then Hester returns to live with the Puritans. Many
years later she dies and is buried next to (but not too close) to Dimmesdale’s grave and there’s a scarlet A on their
collective stone. Moral of the story: Don’t hide your dark side. Published 1850.
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672): An early colonist in Massachusetts, Bradstreet was America’s first published poet, the
wife and daughter of governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a mother of eight.
Anne Hutchinson: she claimed to have visions of God telling her some preachers and sermons did not subscribe to
the true gospel. She argued with Winthrop who didn’t like her because she was a woman and she talked too much.
(Fox)
Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784): A young, female slave (later freed) who wrote poetry, styled after Milton and Pope, in
an adopted tongue. She greatly respected George Washington, and wrote a few poems about him. Adopted the name
of the ship that brought her to America, as well as her master’s last name.
Edward Taylor: Edward Taylor was an American Puritan poet and minister of the Congregational church at
Westfield, Massachusetts for over 50 years. Not many knew he was a poet.
Biological Exchange: The discovery of the Western hemisphere coincided with the spread of European power and
culture around the world. Vegetation change–Columbus brought corn back to Europe, horses were brought to
America, etc…Biological exchange also included deadly diseases from Europe and Africa to the New World.
Original 13 Colonies in order: VA, MD, MA, RI, CT, NH, NC, SC, NY, PA, DW, NJ, GA
Carolinas: big areas of land, but nobody to work it, until they use the Indians as slaves. The Dutch are in control of
New Netherlands, but English takes over. NJ is primarily composed of Swedes, Finns, and Dutch people.
PA–William Penn (religiously tolerant/accepting). Georgia–last British colony to be established in North America.
Salem Witch Trials: Witchcraft–mostly lower class, middle age women, or widows. Salem jail overflowed due to the
amount of accusations. Many of the women tried had supposedly defied the traditional roles assigned to women.
Adults pressed the formal charges against the accused and provided most of the testimony–long lingering local feuds
and property disputes may have triggered the prosecutions.
Enlightenment: Discard orthodox religious beliefs in favour of those rational ideas and ideals–arrogant undertone?
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