"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a sermon written by British Colonial Christian theologian Jonathan Edwards, preached to his own congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts to an unknown effect, and again on July 8, 1741, in...

This site contains definitions and analysis of American captivity narratives. Describes the conventions, rhetorical purposes, and themes of the captivity narrative genre. Lists example captivity narratives.

Description of American colonist narratives written for relatives and friends left behind in England. Click on the link at the end of each page to access the entire chapter.

This unit focuses on the "Journey Motif" using the following works: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, "Shooting An Elephant" by George Orwell, "Journey" by Edna St. Vincent Millay,"Sailing to Byzantium" by William Butler Yeats, "The...

A brief look at the fascinating life of African American poet, Phillis Wheatley. Provides two portraits, and a sample page from Wheatley's collection of poems.

Had history taken a different turn, the United States easily could have been a part of the great Spanish or French overseas empires. Its present inhabitants might speak Spanish and form one nation with Mexico, or speak French and be...

This resource presents a brief overview of the life, works, and poetic style of Edward Taylor.

This article looks at a ballad, 'Bars Fight,' by 18th century African-American writer Lucy Terry. It considers the literary qualities of a ballad, and its historical role in society. It then goes on to consider why a Black slave might...

This website briefly describes the life of Phillis Wheatley, poetess and freed slave.