Sarah Kemble Knight was a teacher and businesswoman.

She is best remembered for her

diary of her journey from Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to New York City, Province of

New York. This was a courageous and unusual adventure for a woman to undertake on her own.

Knight's journey was a difficult one. The dangers she faces and her courage and determination

throughout the journey are illustrated multiple times throughout her journal. Knight may have

seemed fearful, but she urges herself on, conquering her fears as she crosses rivers, swamps, and

woods, in a canoe, on horseback and by foot. Knight writes about the less than ideal roads she

traveled. Despite the hardships of her journey, Knight infused humor into her journal as she

traveled. The clearest picture of this humor is the poem to rum that she wrote one night in an inn

when she could not sleep.

William Byrd was a planter, slave-owner and author of Charles City County, Virginia. He

is considered to have founded Richmond, Virginia. Byrd was a man of great education. He could

easily read Greek or Latin. Byrd was not considered a kind master. He beat his slaves often and

sometimes devised other punishments. The History of the Dividing Line is Byrd's most

influential literary accomplishment. Byrd distinguishes the border between Virginia and North

Carolina as a cultural border, as well as a physical one. He describes the residents of North

Carolina as lazy and corrupt, and provides himself as a contrast to their behavior. It is also likely

that Byrd was using these articles as a way of promoting himself politically. In portraying

himself as the only person who is morally upstanding, focused, and responsible, he is describing

himself as a great leader.

The early Puritans had a complicated relationship with their Indian neighbors. They

appreciated the Indians’ advice on farming. However, the Puritans still considered themselves

superior to these people they viewed as savages. When the Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock,
they were welcomed by the Indians in that region, although the Puritans remained somewhat

ambivalent toward them. Their religious beliefs compelled them to treat the Indians with

Christian charity, and trade with the Indians was an essential to Puritan survival. However, the

Puritans were also scared of their Indian neighbors, whom considered to be untamed savages. As

more settlers arrived in New England, hostilities developed and grew, leading to violent clashes.

Thomas Morton’s view of the Indians was, despite their uncivilized state, they shared many of

the same values as the Puritan settlers. The Indians' personal modesty, hospitality to strangers,

respect for authority, and even religious views mirror those of the Puritans. William Byrd picks

up where Morton left off, only in Virginia one hundred years later.

“The Prologue” is one of Anne Bradstreet’s most intellectually stimulating poems

because she invokes a historical and global context. The poem contains allusions to the Greeks,

Christianity, contemporary poetry, feminism, and psychology. While many critics have assumed

that this poem serves as an admission of Bradstreet's ambivalence about her work, it is actually a

bold assertion of the poet’s skill, and her right to compose verse in an era when feminism was far

from becoming a political movement. Many of Bradstreet’s word choices in "The Prologue"

exemplify her position of humility: “mean” “foolish, broken, blemished," and “weak or

wounded” are all part of the traditional self-deprecating style that was popular for this time.

The political issues that Bradstreet may have unintentionally brought to light are still of

concern today. For example, many feel that women should not permitted to take part in our

armed forces. It is not a matter of “if” they can perform the tasks necessary for the job, but “for

how long” can they perform these tasks. It is common knowledge that women tend to be a bit

more personally involved in their work than men. They also tend to take things more personally.

So, how long could a woman actively take part in defending our country before it starts to take a
detrimental toll on her psychological well-being. These are just a few examples of the arguments

as to why women should not be allowed in our armed forces. Just as in Bradstreet’s time, today

women are seen as inferior for a career that for centuries has been exclusive to men.

“Witch-hunting” in colonial time is a prime example of what we today call

“scapegoating.” This is placing blame on a person or group of people for a situation that wasn’t

their fault. An example could be foreigners taking American jobs and keeping minimum wage

low. In the late 18th century, Americans blamed the Chinese for taking American jobs and

keeping wages low. These Chinese had started to migrate during the Gold Rush and stayed to

work on the Transcontinental Railroad. Americans blamed the Chinese for providing cheap,

“unskilled” labor, allowing employers to pay less. Today, Americans blame Mexicans for taking

Americans’ jobs and keeping wages low. In reality, Americans are still being stubborn about

their pay, thinking that they should get paid more to do a job that isn’t pleasant. Just like before,

those who choose to educate themselves get paid higher wages, while those who choose not get

an education work harder for a lower wage.