History is the core and foundation of our society, and what we know about history is from literature. These written records tell the long-forgotten stories of the past that share the story of where we have been and who we really are as a society. In particular, American literature has captivated countless readers from as far back as the 1600s to now, and many of these works have sparked movements that had a great impact on history. American literature is full of creativity, variety, and innovation. Thanks to these works, we have a clear image of what kind of life our ancestors lived and the hardships that they had to face. American literature is an essential piece of the mysterious puzzle that is our history, and it answers the questions that …show more content…
It has a strong influence on one’s morals and values, and these morals help us to form our opinions of what is right and wrong. As a nation built on democracy and freedom to express thoughts, religious ideas inevitably influenced our government and our society. Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the impact that religion had on society in his short story, “Young Goodman Brown”. Hawthorne writes about how people during that time viewed behavior that they deemed “sinful” and how ostracized one could become if they went against what the church said. When tempted by evil, Goodman Brown said that he and his family, “are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness,” and after being exposed to the sinfulness of others, Brown, “[became] a stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man” (Hawthorne). During that time, religion was the essence of their society, and these ideas and values have been passed down from generation to generation to who would eventually become know as our founding fathers and presidents. These men determined the fate of this new land, and their religious beliefs impacted their …show more content…
Among those brave people are our founding fathers. George Washington was the courageous military leader that led the colonists to victory and later became the very first president of the United States of America. With lots of hard work, dedication, and care, he laid the foundation of our country and set the precedent for future presidents. In Washington’s Farewell Address, he said that, “[he has], with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable” (Washington). He tried his very best to make something of this country, and his hard work has mixed with other traits to become the American identity. Another important leader was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln was faced with the extremely challenging task of uniting the northern and southern states after slavery had split the nation in half. He was the president during the bloodiest war in American history, and we often look at his writing when we are seeking words of great wisdom. He is a man who was a poor farm boy at the beginning of his life but worked his way up to being one of the most powerful men in the entire country. This helped to show Americans that anything is possible through hard work. In his famous speech, “The Gettysburg Address”, Lincoln reminded the Americans