Revolutionary Literature

1. Revolutionary Literature Persuasive Literature And The American Revolution

2. The American Revolution • 1775-1783 • American colonists revolt against unfair taxation and laws and break from British rule

3. The American Revolution Cont... “Give me liberty or give me death!” • Patrick Henry, the most famous orator (speaker) of the American Revolution, delivered a fiery speech to convince delegates of the need for armed resistance. • “Speech in the Virginia Convention” led to The Declaration of Independence” and life and freedoms as we know it today.

4. The Political Pamphlet • The most common and popular type of literature • The most famous one was Thomas Paine’s Common Sense that sold over 100,000 copies in its first 3 months of publication.

5. Powerful Persuasion • Most literature was persuasive trying to get people to understand • The wrongdoings of the British Government • How America was to rebuild after the Revolution

6. Important Revolutionary Literature • The most important pieces of literature: • “Speech in the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry • “The Declaration of Independence” drafted by Thomas Jefferson • “What is an American” by Michael-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur

7. What is an American? • After the Revolutionary War, a definition of what the term “American” means was needed. • We will read a section of “What is an American?” by Jean de Crevecoeur • You will also write your own definition essay about your idea of what the term “American” means to you.