Which of the aspects of the American Dream (abundant land, veritable wealth, religious fortitude, open hospitality, laborious work ethic, etc. ), established by the early American writers and explorers, do you feel was best conveyed in the writings of Bradford, Smith, Columbus, or Bradstreet? Explain. (This post closes at midnight on March 3rd.)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The American Legacy
Which of the aspects of the American Dream (abundant land, veritable wealth, religious fortitude, open hospitality, laborious work ethic, etc. ), established by the early American writers and explorers, do you feel was best conveyed in the writings of Bradford, Smith, Columbus, or Bradstreet? Explain. (This post closes at midnight on March 3rd.)
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9 comments:
I feel abundant land was the best conveyed aspect of the american dream. Many nations at this time were all exceeding in populations and trying to expand their boundaries. Some of these explores exceeded the descriptions of America to get settlers here, while claiming this area for their mother nation. In frech history the king sent a ship load of women to marry the men that settled here to help populate it, while extending his claim on the land.
Rm-4
I believe religious fortitude was conveyed the best out of all of the aspects of the American Dream. During the time period, it seems like everyone wanted to spread Christianity, and the New World was a prime location for missionaries.
BK-4
I believe that smith did a wonderful job of pesuading the people in thinking that America is the best place to come to because of the abundant land. He said that the land was fertile and everything was great. If I was reading his letters I would think America was awesome and I needed to go there.
CA-4
I feel abundant land was the best conveyed aspect of the American dream. Smith' main focus was to focus on how incredible the land was and he tried to persuade people to come to America. He only talked about the good things America offered.
RL-4
To me, religious freedom would persuade me to want to migrate to America. I think the writers all did well at persuading the other people in Europoe that America was a land of religious opportunity. America, as stated by the writers, is not only a land free from religious prosecution; it is also a place to help others learn of god, and spread the christan beliefs
BW-4
Each author’s writings emphasized a different aspect of the American Dream. Bradford’s diary, because of the Puritan lifestyle reflected in it, stressed the religious fortitude aspect of the American Dream. He also highlighted open hospitality when he described the way the Pilgrims cared for their sick and the Indians welcomed the newcomers peacefully. Smith practically advertised America as a department store with super-sales and free giveaways. He definitely best conveyed the veritable wealth aspect of the American Dream. Columbus accentuated the abundant land aspect of the American Dream with his picturesque descriptions of the vibrant West Indies. (Even though this was not actually America, the principle still applied.) Bradstreet, our only female writer so far, conveyed religious fortitude in the references to Heaven in both of her poems we read as a class. Altogether, the four writers’ works paint the vast, beautiful, and complex picture of the American Dream as we—and other nations—know and love it today.
JJ-3
I believe that religious fortitude was the most emphasized aspect of the modern American Dream by the early American writers and explorers. Each writer seemed to incorporate Christianity into his/her piece because religious faith was a powerful, persuasive topic at the time. Columbus advertised the missionary capabilities for converting Native Americans to Christianity as a way to encourage funds for future expeditions. In addition, Smith stressed that Christians were responsible for converting the savage peoples that were native to the new world. Bradford and Bradstreet also used religious references in their writings. It is easy to see how faith was used as a method of advertisement during an age of religious revolution throughout Europe. Even today, America's national motto is, "In God We Trust."
BS-4
I think that in William Bradford’s writing the aspect of the American Dream that was best conveyed was laborious work ethic. As displayed in the writing, when the Pilgrims came to America, they did not find a paradise where they could simply arrive and achieve instant success (although this may be what they were led to believe they would find). Instead, they had to work hard and relentlessly to reach their goals. Only after much effort did they begin to establish stability and thrive. This mirrors one of the fundamentals of the American Dream: those who put much effort and dedication into their work will eventually find success.
ST-3
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