Early American Literature Assignment ENGL-2110-W01 – Early American Literature Write a short essay (1 to 2 pages) addressing one of the following topics.
You need to compose a strong thesis statement that encompasses the questions within the prompt, and then support the thesis with strong paragraphs. You must use support from our textbook in your essay, and use proper MLA format for the paper, including a proper heading, in-text citations and works cited page.
Grading Rubric:
Am Lit 1 – Assignment Rubric
Choose one of the following writing prompts for your topic for this writing assignment:
Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards were born within three years of each other, but, despite their similar ages, the two men had radically different perspectives and beliefs. Compare these two people. How are these writers’ views on morality, personal responsibility, human nature, and/or the limits of human knowledge similar? How are they different? How does Franklin both draw from and reject the Puritan tradition that was so important to Edwards?
- Hector St. John De Crevecoeur was one of the first writers to see America as a place where dogmatic disputes and sectarian violence could be permanently overcome—not by other idea systems but by the landscape and life within it.
Describe his argument, the evidence he offers, and the European historical experience that he turns to for contrast.
