American Literature: Beginnings to 1865 By aarond707 Period: Jan 1, 1451 to Jan 1, 1506 Christopher Columbus Feb 15, 1493 Letter Regarding Columbus's First Voyage Optimism Jul 7, 1503 Letter Regarding Columbus's Fourth Voyage Disaster Period: Jan 1, 1580 to Jan 1, 1631 John Smith Period: Jan 1, 1588 to Jan 1, 1649 John Winthrop Period: Jan 1, 1590 to Jan 1, 1657 William Bradford Jan 1, 1606 William Bradford Joings Scrooby Separatists Jan 1, 1608 Scrooby Separatists Left England for the Netherlands Jan 1, 1609 Bradford Joins Scrooby Community in the Netherlands Period: Jan 1, 1612 to Jan 1, 1672 Anne Bradstreet Jan 1, 1620 Plymouth Plantation Settled Pilgrims, Puritans and William Bradford Period: Jan 1, 1620 to Jan 1, 1629 Severe Economic Depression in Europe Jan 1, 1630 John Winthrop Settled Massachusetts Bay Not far north of Plymouth; better financed than Plymouth Period: Jan 1, 1636 to Jan 1, 1711 Mary Rowlandson Period: Jan 1, 1663 to Jan 1, 1728 Cotton Mather Period: Jan 1, 1703 to Jan 1, 1758 Jonathan Edwards Period: Jan 1, 1706 to Jan 1, 1790 Benjamin Franklin Period: Jan 1, 1720 to Jan 1, 1772 John Woolman Jan 1, 1856 William Bradford's "History" Manuscript First Published