The Political Writings of Charles Brockden Brown Essay examples -- Cha

The Political Writings of Charles Brockden Brown Charles Brockden Brown, famous as the first professional American writer, was an inventive creator of novels, stories, pamphlets and journal articles. His deport handst extended from 1771-1810, over some of the most significant periods of American history. He came from a Quaker community of Philadelphia, a rattling intellectually and policy-makingly active city. Not surprisingly, Brown was swept up in a strong current of challenges to traditional authority (Watts 51). He was heavily influenced by the thought of his time, notably Godwin, Wollstonecraft, French Revolutionary thinkers and the American disciples of Locke (Clark110). Much of his policy-making writing addressed specific situations, though Brown also held very strong beliefs on government and power generally Law is the shortest and safest road to the obstinacy of power, and power must be desirable by bad men for its own sake, and by good men for the sake of the bene ficial example of it (The Rhapsodist 108). Due to this focus on legislative power, Browns semipolitical writings are intensely critical of the Jefferson government and its actions. He is a moralist, and extractor of lessons from specific incidents, not a pointer of people in action (Warfel X). Brown was generally concerned with the theory of government and its similitude to happiness. Throughout the 1790s he developed many Utopian visions in an undertake to create the perfect political world (Watts 65). He adamantly demanded artistic, intellectual, commercial, and political independence from Europe (Axelrod 4) In every work proceeding from my pen, my party boss demand is the liberty of judging for myself (The Rhapsodist 22). Brown... ...nd the Cession of the Mississippi to France, drawn up by a Counsellor of State. Ed. David Lee Clark. matrimony Carolina Duke University Press, 1952. pp. 261-268.----. Monroes Embassy, of the express of the Government in Relation to our Claims to the Navigation of the Mississippi. Ed. David Lee Clark. North Carolina Duke University Press, 1952. pp. 268-270.---. The Rhapsodist. Ed. blight R. Warfel. New York Scholars Facsimiles and Reprints, 1977. Clark, David Lee. Charles Brockden Brown Pioneer Voice of America. North Carolina Duke University Press, 1952.Warfel, Harry R. Introduction. The Rhapsodist. Ed. Harry R. Warfel. New York Scholars Facsimiles and Reprints, 1977. pp. v-xii. Watts, Steven. The Young mechanic as Social Visionary The Romance of Real Life. Baltimore The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. pp. 49-70.