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THE AGE OF THE AGE OF REASONREASON1749-17991749-1799
The Age of Reason Also known as Rationalism and
the Age of Enlightenment Writing Style—pamphlets,
autobiographies, essays, and federal documents
Time Period: Revolutionary War
Beliefs can arrive at truth by using reason
(science and logic) the world operates according to God’s
rules Education as the means for self-
improvement and progress Appeal to reason would provide
solutions for all human problems both of society and the state
Beliefs: DeismPeople are basically good
and perfectible.People can best worship
God by helping others.
AuthorsBenjamin FranklinThomas JeffersonThomas PainePatrick Henry
Franklin and Thomas Jefferson• Both wrote on ideas and concepts to improve
living conditions, to form a new government, and to develop individual minds.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense• Appealed to rationalistic principles–Man should seek independence in order
to restore natural rights taken away by the British.
“These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.” (from Common Sense)
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The Boston Tea Party“No taxation without representation!”
Literature in the Age of Reason• Rooted in reality rather than the
imagination• Social, political, and scientific
improvements• Pamphlets–Pre-war pamphlets preaching independence–Post-war pamphlets preaching organization
and governing
Literature in the Age of Reason• The Federalist Papers by Madison and Hamilton:
explain the ideas and concepts behind the Constitution
• Poetry: unoriginal and imitative of British poets• An American masterpiece: The Autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin. – not like the Puritan narrative/more about self-discovery– the “rags to riches” (American Dream) story written with
clear, witty prose.
Age of Faith vs. Age of ReasonPuritanism• Truth is sought
through the Bible• Predestination &
Divine Providence• Original Sin – man is
inherently evil/sinful
Rationalism
• Truth is sought through science, logic, and reason
• Man controls his own destiny
• Man is inherently good
Persuasive Techniques1. Emotional Appeal: appeals to feelings
(fear, anger, or joy) to sway their readers. 2. Logical Appeal: appeals to reason or
logic (factual).3. Call to Action: Encourages readers to do
something about an issue4. Parallelism: Repetition of words,
phrases, or sentence structure to emphasize an idea
5. Aphorism: A brief, pointed statement expressing a wise or clever observation.
• Examples:–No good deed goes unpunished. —
Clare Boothe Luce –Success always occurs in private, and
failure in full view. —Anonymous
Persuasive Techniques
Theme• Rebellion and Protest–Characters, individually or as a
group, rebel or protest against injustice and/or unfair treatment or practices.
Persuasive Techniques Chart
Persuasive Technique Examples from Paine
Emotional Appeal
Logical Appeal
Call to Action
AphorismRebellion and Protest