Worlding America : a transnational anthology of short narratives before 1800

__Worlding America__ explores the circulation of short narratives in the early Americas through a combination of neglected primary materials and scholarly commentary. Building on recent reconsiderations of American literature in light of transnational and hemispheric approaches, it follows the migration of stories from various backgrounds and demonstrates how forms and themes developed in a new literary market that spanned the Atlantic world. While short narratives prior to 1800 have been largely excluded from critical discussions as well as anthologies, they give insight into the conditions of publishing and writing as well as the demand for brief, entertaining pieces that was met by a wide variety of sources, including sermons, letters, diaries, travelogues, and, eventually, magazines and newspapers. Breaking with traditional concepts of period, authorship, and genre, __Worlding America__ groups the different types of narratives it anthologizes according to key subject areas such as "Life Writing," "Female Agency," or the "Cultures of Print." Each section is introduced by a headnote that explains relevant historical and literary developments, situating each narrative in its cultural context and providing its publication history. Suggestions for further reading will also be appreciated by scholars and students wishing to pursue research in these underrepresented forms. Contents 8 List of Illustrations 12 Acknowledgments 14 A Note on the Text 16 Introduction 20 Part I: Life Writing 38 Travel 46 Paul Le Jeune. Relation of What Occurred in New France in the Year 1633 (1643) 46 Edward Taylor. An Atlantic Voyage (1668) 51 Christopher Sauer. An Early Description of Pennsylvania and the Sea Voyage from Europe (1724) 62 Misadventure 69 Anthony Thacher. The Shipwreck of Anthony Thacher (1684) 69 Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora. The Misfortunes of Alonso Ramírez (1690) 74 Confessions 82 Owen Syllavan. A Short Account of the Life of John—Alias Owen Syllavan (1756) 82 Thomas Powers. The Narrative and Confession of Thomas Powers, A Negro (1796) 87 Part II: Female Agency 96 Captivities 101 Marie Le Roy and Barbara Leininger. The Narrative of Marie le Roy and Barbara Leininger, for Three Years Captives among the Indians (1759) 101 Cotton Mather. A Narrative of a Notable Deliverance from Captivity (1697) 109 Anonymous [Nathaniel Hawthorne]. The Duston Family (1836) 112 Authorship 117 Antonetta [Margaretta V. Faugeres]. Inhuman Treatment to a Negro Slave (1791) 117 Ann Eliza Bleecker. Story of Henry and Anne: Founded on Fact (1791) 120 Part III: The Circum-Atlantic World 134 Slavery 138 Anonymous. Negro Trade: A Fragment (1787) 138 [Jean-François de Saint-Lambert]. Zimeo: A Tale (1789) 139 Entrepreneurs 149 Antiphilus [Pseudonym]. Memoirs of a Spy (1798) 149 Philip Freneau. The Inexorable Captain: A Short Story (1788) 155 Part IV: Cultures of Print 162 Orientalism 170 Anonymous: Firnaz and Mirvan: An Eastern Tale (1792) 170 Sabina [Pseudonym]. Louisa: A Novel (1790) 174 Migrant Fictions 185 [Nicholas Bricaire de la Dixmerie]. Azakia: A Canadian Story (1783) 185 Anonymous: The Child of the Snow (1792) 193 Sensationalism 195 Anna [Pseudonym]. An Account of a Murder Committed by Mr. J.— Y.—, Upon His Family, in December, A.D. 1781 (1796) 195 Anonymous [Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian]. Valeria: An Italian Tale (1799) 200 Part V: Ghost Stories 222 Ghosts 229 Cotton Mather. A Narrative of an Apparition which a Gentleman in Boston, had of his Brother, just then Murdered in London (1692) 229 Anonymous: The Ghost of Falkner Swamp (1744) 230 Chiricahua. A Chiricahua Woman Visits the Underworld (n.d.) 233 Legends 234 Anonymous [Anna Lætitia Barbauld]. Sir Bertrand: A Fragment. By Mrs. Barbauld (1787) 234 Washington Irving. The Devil and Tom Walker (1824) 237 Myth 247 K’iche’ Maya. A Maiden’s Story (c. 1524) 247 Penobscot. Corn Mother (n.d.) 250 Benjamin Franklin. The Origin of Tobacco (1784) 252 Works Cited 256 Content: Relation of what occurred in New France in the year 1633 (1634) / Paul Le Jeune -- An Atlantic voyage (1668) / Edward Taylor -- An early description of Pennsylvania and the sea voyage from Europe (1724) / Christopher Sauer -- The shipwreck of Anthony Thacher (1684) / Anthony Thacher -- The misfortunes of Alonso Ramírez (1690) / Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora -- A short account of the life of John, alias Owen Syllavan (1756) / Owen Syllavan -- The narrative and confession of Thomas Powers, a Negro (1796) / Thomas Powers -- The narrative of Marie Le Roy and Barbara Leininger, for three years captives among the Indians (1759) / Marie Le Roy and Barbara Leininger -- A narrative of a notable deliverance from captivity (1697) / Cotton Mather -- The Duston family (1836) / Anonymous [Nathaniel Hawthorne] -- Inhuman treatment to a Negro slave (1791) / Antonetta [Margaretta V. Faugeres] -- Story of Henry and Anne : founded on fact (1791) / Ann Eliza Bleecker -- Negro trade : a fragment (1787) / Anonymous -- Zimeo : a tale (1789) / Anonymous [Jean-François de Saint-Lambert] -- Memoirs of a spy (1798) / Antiphilus [pseudonym] -- The inexorable captain : a short story (1788) / Philip Freneau -- Firnaz and Mirvan : an eastern tale (1792) / Anonymous -- Louisa : a novel (1790) / Sabina [pseudonym] -- Azakia : a Canadian story (1783) / Anonymous [Nicolas Bricaire de la Dixmerie] -- The child of snow (1792) / Anonymous -- An account of a murder committed by Mr. J. -- Y --, upon his family, in December, A.D. 1781 (1796) / Anna [pseudonym] -- Valeria : an Italian tale (1799) / Anonymous [Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian] -- A narrative of an apparition which a gentleman in Boston, had of his brother, just then murdered in London (1692) / Cotton Mather -- The ghost of Falkner Swamp (1744) / Anonymous -- A Chiricahua woman visits the underworld (n.d.) / Chiricahua -- Sir Bertrand : a fragment, by Mrs. Barbauld (1787) / Anonymous [Anna Lætitia Barbauld] -- The devil and Tom Walker (1824) / Washington Irving -- A maiden's story (c. 1524) / K'iche' Maya -- Corn mother (n.d.) / Penobscot -- The origin of tobacco (1784) / Benjamin Franklin. "Worlding America explores the circulation of short narratives in the early Americas through a combination of neglected primary materials and scholarly commentary. Building on recent reconsiderations of American literature in light of transnational and hemispheric approaches, it follows the migration of stories from various backgrounds and demonstrates how forms and themes developed in a new literary market that spanned the Atlantic world. While short narratives prior to 1800 have been largely excluded from critical discussions as well as anthologies, they give insight into the conditions of publishing and writing as well as the demand for brief, entertaining pieces that was met by a wide variety of sources, including sermons, letters, diaries, travelogues, and, eventually, magazines and newspapers. Breaking with traditional concepts of period, authorship, and genre, Worlding America groups the different types of narratives it anthologizes according to key subject areas such as "Life Writing," "Female Agency," or the "Cultures of Print." Each section is introduced by a headnote that explains relevant historical and literary developments, situating each narrative in its cultural context and providing its publication history."--Publisher's website