Progression From William Bradford to Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Paine, Essay Example

As a writer active during the Puritan period, circa 1520 to 1690, and best remembered for his “History of Plymouth Plantation,” William Bradford’s literary voice stressed the importance of religion via Christian ethics and principles and illustrated that religious beliefs related to order (much like Franklin), hard work, and a good education helped to encourage God-centered societies and communities as found in the American Colonies, particularly along the Eastern Seaboard. Bradford also stressed in his writings that the “nature of man was evil and that wealth is a gift from God” as a result of living a virtuous life. In addition, Bradford stressed the importance related to the colonies of depending on Mother England and adhering to its religious and political ideals (“Writing Styles for American Literature”).

As to Benjamin Franklin, his literary voice was one of the first to move away from the strictness of the Puritan ideal and perhaps the first to emphasize the development of an American identity separate from England. Franklin also focused more on the principles of the Enlightenment via the idea that “nature and humanity are governed by immutable laws, reason is more important than imagination, social order is greater than personal preference, the common good is more important than individual rights, and tradition is better than change” (“Writing Styles for American Literature”). This literary style could also be found in the writings of Patrick Henry, John Adams, and especially Thomas Paine who completely abandoned the Puritan ethic and instead focused upon the ideals and principles of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Perhaps the most important variation or progression related to Paine was his use of logic and reason in works like “Common Sense” which advocated individual freedom and individual self-expression.

Thus, the American literary voice progressed from a focus upon Christian ethics and beliefs which Bradford felt was necessary for the moral well-being and development of the colonists, to the principles of the Enlightenment with a focus on reason and logic via the principles of humanism with Franklin as one of its most staunch advocates, and lastly to the “Common Sense” approach of Thomas Paine which stressed the importance of social and political activism during a time when the English Crown still dominated the American colonial landscape.