Feminine American Myth-Making

During our class discussion on The Female American (10/12/10), Dr. Logan asked us if American myth-making can ever be independent of colonization, decimation, and eradication.  My answer was an emphatic “no.”  Despite the blood-free colonization that Unca Eliza Winkfield enacts upon the natives of the island, she still decimates their religious way of life, destroying their sun idol and converting them to Christianity.  Even the idealized female utopia portrayed in The Female American involves colonization, decimation, and eradication.  

What does occur, in American literature, is the pretense of emptiness, an imaginary lack of native people already occupying the Americas.  This, of course, is one of the strategies of American myth-making – pretend that the land was un-occupied when in reality it was occupied by a large amount of Native peoples.  Reality (historical fact) vs. fantasy (what authors wrote) in American literature is incredibly fascinating and requires careful reading to know when you’re being duped by the author.  Another strategy is religious justification.  Edward J. Gallagher has a digital archive dedicated to the literature of justification, aptly titled The Literature of Justification.

Imagine my surprise when I found an example of (feminine) American myth-making by Hannah Griffitts in MMMB, signed with her pen name Fidelia.  And by feminine, I mean written by a woman.  The entry is “The Review of past & present Times in Pennsylvania.  June 1776,” MMMB # 91 (not available in the GoogleBooks preview).  

Rather than retype the entire entry, I’m going to post small sections that I belief best represent American myth-making.


But first, a brief overall description of the entry since you don’t have access to it.  Griffitts details the original settlement of America and the peace that followed.  Mimicking Cotton Mather, she bemoans the succeeding generations’ failure to follow in the footsteps of their fathers in religious compliance and worship.  She states “The Isles of Renown poured out their Thousands, & the Cities of antient Fame sent forth their Children;” (261) which I assume references the later migration of native British people to America (again, I’m making an assumption, I could be wrong – it may be a Biblical reference).  Then, Griffitts references the war between England and America, painting the war in terms of disobedience to God’s will.  Even though I was surprised by the passage, I did enjoy it – I think Griffitts accomplished her revision of American history through a religious lens, and her manipulation of language and images is excellent, if unsettling.  

“…he brought them to the Wilderness, he planted them in a desart Land, but the Angel of his Presence went forth with them, & his Wisdom directed their Councils;” (260)

“…the destroying Sword was sheathed in the Land of Quiet, & the Desolations of War were unknown to the Children of Peace; by the ‘Bands of Love’ they engaged the Natives, & the ‘Laws of Kindness’ were their only Weapons, they took the Strangers into the Communion of Brethren, & with — mutual Faith held the Covenant of Friendship;—then did our Fathers establish Justice thro’ the Land & executed Judgment in Uprightness, the Eye of Compassion was ever open, & the Hand of Mercy turned the Balance” (261).

“The Banners of Peace were erected as her Standard, & her Laws were supported on the ‘Rights of Justice’—the Voice of Complaint was not heard in her Borders, & the Violence of Oppression was exiled from the Land,” (261)

“…they left the fair Possession to their Offspring, & the Fruits of their Labour to succeeding Generations,” (261)

Hmmm, I wonder what the Native Americans would have to say about the “Bands of Love,” “Laws of Kindess,” and the so-called Covenant of Friendship.  This short quote from the passage completely ignores the historical reality of Puritan-Native American massacres and wars, especially King Philip’s War/ Metacom’s War/ Metacom’s Rebellion.  This war, as Dr. Logan informed our class, was the bloodiest and least merciful war in American history, statistically.  All the tribes of the Americas are reduced to “natives,” dismissing the variety of culture found within the native peoples.

I think it’s important to note the land is gendered as a woman (“a well watered Garden, her Beauty shone as the Vales of Eden”), and so is Justice (her banners of peace, her laws).  As I was reading this entry, I couldn’t decide if Griffitts is being sincere or using satire – what do you think?  Is she aware of her participation in American myth-making? 

“they [Sons] tore in Pieces the ‘Tree of Union’ whose Root was supported on the ‘Rock of Virtue’— its Branches produced the fair ‘Fruit of Freedom’ & the healing of its Balm was the ‘Strength of the People’—The Isles of Renown poured out their Thousands, & the Cities of ancient Fame sent forth their Children; they sought the Shelter of its peaceful Covert & the Wing of its Shade gave sweet protection,—they sat them down in the Land of Safety, & the Vales of Innocence secured their Liberties, her Glory was the Envy or Admiration of the Nations, & the wretched fled to Pennsylvania as to the ‘Altar of Refuge’” (261)

“…you have sounded the Alarm of War, in the City of Peace, & banished the ‘Law of Kindness’ from the ‘Land of Love’” (262)

“—Oh! ye degenerate Sons, go weep over the Sepulchre of y[ou]r. Forefathers, for Confusion reigns in their peaceful City, & the Foot of Anarchy tramples upon Statues of Benevolence” (262)

“…you have pressed forward in yr. own Strength, you have rejected the Voice of Admonition, & your Weakness shall stand conspicuous to the View of the World, ‘till you again return to the Lord yr. Leader & seek for Strength from the God of your Fathers” (262).

Griffitts positions Philadelphia as the “Altar of Refuge” and the “City of Peace” and America as the “Land of Safety,” ignoring the historical reality that all was not peace and perfectness within America at the time.  It is the “degenerate Sons” who have “suffered the Hand of Oppression to bear Rule in the Land” which leads to the “Alarm of War.”  The complexity of the historical reality of the American Revolutionary War is condensed and couched into terms of disobedience to God’s will and plan for his children.  It is unclear who the “Voice of Admonition” is – is it the Quakers?  Women?  Those who held to proper religious worship and obedience?  Keeping in mind that Griffitts is a Quaker pacifist and opposed to the war, does the passage contain a tone of scorn?  

So, what do you all think?  Is this an example of American myth-making?  Does it maintain the tradition of colonization, decimation, and eradication?    

Works Cited:

Griffitts, Hannah. "The View of past & Present Times in Pennsylvania. June 1776." Milcah Martha Moore's Book: a Commonplace Book from Revolutionary America. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1997. 260-62. Print.