1.
1607–1730
1607–1730
What was the first permanent English settlement in North America?
Jamestown
What famous slogan did many colonists use to protest British taxes?
No taxation without representation.
Name three values that Romantic writers focused on.
Strong emotions, imagination, nature, intuition, personal experience, mystery, and the individual mind.
What did Transcendentalists call the inner moral sense that guides a person?
The “inner light.”
What literary movement tried to show ordinary people and everyday life honestly, without romanticizing it?
Realism.
Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans come to New England?
They came to build a religious community and create a model society based on their beliefs.
Why did many colonists oppose the Stamp Act of 1765?
Because it required people to pay taxes on printed materials such as newspapers, legal documents, contracts, and even playing cards.
Why did the short story become especially important during this period?
Because magazines needed short, dramatic, and memorable texts that could quickly attract readers.
According to Transcendentalists, what are two things a person should do to live a meaningful life?
Think independently, follow their conscience, live simply, be sincere, and have courage.
What does the term “Gilded Age” suggest about American society after the Civil War?
It looked successful and wealthy on the surface, but many social problems and inequalities existed underneath.
How could Puritan community rules affect a person's everyday life? Give two examples.
The community closely watched behavior; people could be judged for missing church, arguing loudly, dressing too brightly, or seeming different.
Why did pamphlets and newspapers become powerful political tools in the colonies?
They spread ideas quickly, were inexpensive, and were often read aloud in taverns and public meetings, allowing political ideas to reach many people.
What are three common sources of fear in American Gothic literature?
Isolation, unreliable perception, hidden guilt, moral conflict, fear of social collapse, and symbolic objects or spaces
Why did nature become such an important symbol in Transcendentalist literature?
Because nature was seen as a teacher, a mirror of the self, a source of truth, freedom, and moral insight rather than simple scenery.
How is Naturalism different from Realism?
Realism focuses on ordinary life and social reality, while Naturalism emphasizes how people's lives are shaped or limited by powerful forces beyond their control
The text says: “In early colonial America, life felt like a test.” What three forces were people being tested by?
By nature, by society, and by God.
Why did many colonists consider the Tea Act of 1773 a “trap”?
Because buying the tea meant accepting Britain's right to tax the colonies without representation, even though the tea itself was inexpensive.
Who took care of Poe after his mother's death?
John Allan, a wealthy merchant from Richmond, Virginia.
Near what pond did Henry David Thoreau live for about two years?
Walden Pond.
What was Mark Twain’s real name?
Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
Why was Anne Bradstreet's publication unusual for the 17th century?
Because women writers, especially those from the American colonies, were rarely published.
Why was Thomas Paine's Common Sense so influential in 1776? Give two reasons.
It was written in a clear, direct style for ordinary readers, and it used strong logic and emotional arguments to persuade people that independence was necessary.
What does the House of Usher symbolize in Poe's story?
he house symbolizes the Usher family itself and the psychological and moral decay of Roderick Usher. As the family collapses, the house collapses as well.
Why did Thoreau refuse to pay a poll tax in 1846?
Because he did not want to support slavery and the Mexican-American War.
What job did Twain have on the Mississippi River before becoming a famous writer?
He was a steamboat pilot.