Early Puritan literature played a large role in the developing of our country's politics and theology. One of the earliest Puritan writers was William Bradford. Not only was he a writer but also a political leader. His account of the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and surviving the harsh winter is what he is best known for. The message conveyed in "Of Plymouth Plantation" is that law is the foundation of liberty. Also that religion should be simple and not mixed with man's inventions (Emerson 12). "It is Bradford's history that unites religious, political, and aesthetic value by celebrating 'the primitive order, liberty and beauty' of the fir

for all humankind" (Prentice 121).

In his poem "To a Waterfowl," William Cullen Bryant examines the migration of birds, which is a mystery to scientists. In "Thanatopsis" he compares death with nature (Prentice 191). Washington Irving, James Fennimore Cooper, and William Cullen Bryant shared few similar characteristics. Cooper was vitally intense, Irving cordially human and Bryant simple and plain. The element that linked them together was their simple native romanticism. Their similarities represented the new stage of American literature (Encyclopedia 8). "Poe lived in poverty and died in misery; but without him romanticism in America would lose its most romantic figure..." (Encyclopedia 10). Edgar Allen Poe's tales filled with mystic forces us to label him a romantic writer. The acclaimed "The Raven" used sound devices to draw the reader into the mind of the peculiar speaker. In "To Helen" he tells of a woman whose beauty was not physical but rather spiritual. He did not have many similarities with Cooper, Irving, or Bryant, but by delving into mysteries and questioning everyone's thoughts he reveals his romantic view of life (Prentice 208). Each romantic writer brought new morals and theology to the table. Washington Irving used folklore and absurdity to illustrate morals such as racism and greed. James Fennimore Cooper wrote adventure novels and started a new trend of writing. His novels told of other Native Americans, teaching those who read them about other ethnicities. William Cullen Bryant brought poetry that transcended all other poets before him. He was a defender of humans rights, personal freedoms , and the abolition of slavery (Encyclopedia 9). Edgar Allen Poe was by far the least like any other romantic writers. His tales and poems confused and mystified people. "Often the Romantics sought inspiration and understanding through the observation and contemplation of nature" (Prentice 191). Romanticism influenced the dissemination of ideas and the maintenance of an intellectual life (Encyclopedia 2).

American history. A gifted writer, diplomat, political leader, inventor, architect,

"The breath of the early American world was in Bryant's poetry; he had freed

American romanticism began with three writers, Washington Irving, James Fennimore Cooper, and William Cullen Bryant. With famous works such as "The Devil and Tom Walker" and "The Legend of Sleep Hollow," Washington Irving is not a forgotten name. "He gave legend to the landscape, transformed rudeness with humor and brought elements of picturesqueness into play" (Encyclopedia 8). In "The Devil and Tom Walker" Irving recreates a German folk about a man who sells his soul to the devil. It takes place during the time when Puritans' belief that their life should be devoted to God was being crowded by commercialism and the need for personal gain (Prentice 173). James Fennimore Cooper was known for his novels about Indians, backwoodsman and sailors and the ongoing struggled humans have (Encyclopedia 8). Cooper's most famous novels were the Leather stockings Tales which included; The Last of the Mohicans, The Prairie, The Pathfinder, The Deerslayer, and The Pioneer. His books were translated into numerous languages and are still well known (Faber 8).

st Christian churches" (13). Another religious writer was Cotton Mather. Grandson to Increase Mather, a famous Puritan politician, Cotton Mather

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