Chapter Second Half of Eighteenth Century of Index by Simonds History of American Literature

(1741-1775), a Boston physician, in his address on the next anniversary of the Massacre, exclaimed: "These fellows say we won't fight; by Heavens! I hope I shall die up to my knees in blood." It was but a few weeks thereafter that the unconscious prophecy was realized at Bunker Hill. If much of this oratory was turgid, it nevertheless expressed the sincere sentiment of those who gave it voice. Such was the spirit of the time. Josiah Quincy (1744-75) spoke for many another as well as for himself when he declared: "If to appear for my country is treason, and to arm for her defense is rebellion -- like my fathers, I will glory in the name of rebel and traitor, as they did in that of Puritan and enthusiast."

The newspapers teemed with articles signed with symbolic names: Publius, Vindex, Candidus, Novanglus, etc.

Thomas Paine, 1737-1809.

In the flood of political papers, with which patriotic writers deluged the colonies, there was none which wrought such effect as the pamphlet entitled Common Sense, published by Thomas Paine. Paine was an Englishman of radical mind, who, after an unpretentious career in his own country, came to America in 1774, equipped only with a note of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. Catching the spirit of the hour, and seeing the logical issue of events as few, if any, of the colonists had done, in 1776, he sent forth his epoch-making work. He first pointed out that the present struggle must lead to national independence. His literary style was not impressive, the logic of his argument was not invincible, but the effect of his paper was electric. One hundred and twenty thousand copies were sold within three months. In France, and even in England, its power was felt. The authorship of the pamphlet, which was anonymous, was ascribed to Franklin. It carried conviction in America, and made the issues of the conflict clear. During the war, Paine published a series of papers called The Crisis, the opening sentence of which -- "These are the times that try men's souls," became a proverbial phrase. Later he went to France, and in his enthusiasm for the cause of Revolution there, wrote The Rights of Man (1791-92), a reply to Burke's Reflections on the French Revolution. In The Age of Reason(1794-96), a bitter attack on Christianity, Paine's radicalism appears in its extreme form; it is an unpleasant work and does not discover the earlier power or skill of its author.

The Federalist, 1787-88.

After the conclusion of the war, during that critical period which preceded the adoption of a constitution, there appeared at intervals a very notable series of papers which were designed in their entirety to set forth the fundamental principles of government. These appeared as articles contributed to various New York newspapers. There were eighty-five in all, and their authorship was concealed under the pseudonym of "Publius." In 1788, these papers were collected and published under the name of The Federalist -- a collection which ranks as our chief political classic. Of these famous papers, five are attributed to John Jay, twenty-nine to James Madison, and fifty-one to Alexander Hamilton.

The Declaration and the Constitution.

Two other great state documents -- eloquent products of this exalted time -- demand a place in the record of our nation's literature. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson (1743- 1826), a Virginian. Its sonorous sentences need not be subjected to depreciation by the colder literary criticism of to-day. Its lines were written by men who were intensely stirred by the spirit of their deeds. "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Thomas Jefferson was a fluent writer and a statesman who left a lasting impress on the political thought of his country. An exponent of the principles of popular government and a champion of individual freedom, he is the great representative of democracy in America, and is looked upon as father of the ideas embodied in the Democratic party. He published Notes on Virginia, wrote a compact Autobiography, founded the University of Virginia, and established in that institution a chair of English -- the first in America.