"American literature in its historical, cultural, and social contexts"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (page 94) and index.

As American literature developed it was influenced by a number of factors, such as the wilderness, religious beliefs, ideas about morality, and Enlightenment philosophy. Covering the first 300 years of American literature as well as the literature of the Puritans, American Enlightenment, American Revolution, and more, this volume discusses the writers and works of the American Colonial and Revolutionary periods. Writers covered include: Joel Barlow William Bradford Anne Dudley Bradstreet Hannah Webster Foster Olaudah Equiano Cotton Mather Thomas Paine Edward Taylor Phillis Wheatley Roger Williams John Winthrop and more.