Affirmation :: essays research papers

Affirmation is defined as a recognition of political, personal, cultural values and identity. The Puritans, African Americans, and Native Americans affirmed their identity in Colonial America through: oral traditions, songs, and rituals. This is the reason they are studied all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Puritans affirmed their identity through their religious beliefs, utopian ideas and theocracy. The Puritans had a storyteller who spoke of their genealogy. Since these stories were based on the bible, most of the listeners (children) were isolated from the reality of life. They grew up with their same beliefs as their parents, grandparents, and elders. All Puritans were considered sinned because of the teachings on the bible. However, they believed in predestination (only those people, â€Å"the elect† by God are saved and go to Heaven) yet the other Puritans continued to value the bible and obtained good citizenship. The Puritans respected hard work and had a distrust of leisure, a suspicion that the poor are shiftless which is said to have contributed to their downfall. When the Puritans escaped Europe from its Religious persecution and came to the colonies, they dreamed of becoming a utopian society. This society was also looked at as â€Å"the city on top of the hull† probably expressing the point of view the Puritans had of themselves. They used their theocracy (belief that the bible was the supreme authority) to complete their utopian society and has been debuted by historians if they achieved their dream. The Puritans did affirm their beliefs by their storytelling, by their genealogists, their theocracy, and the achievement of their utopian society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enslaved African-Americans affirmed their identity through their developmental resistance towards slavery, sacred songs and their storytelling. Storytelling has existed in many cultures, but existed for different reasons than that of the Puritans. Survival skills folk wisdom and hope, were the most common reasons and were important to their everyday survival. Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear is one of many stories told by the griot (genealogist) which focuses on hope that the Enslaved African-Americans will one day be a trickster like Mr. Rabbit and escaped slavery; like the Rabbit escaped being hung from a tree. After a long bitter life, the Enslaved African-Americans began to imagine and dream of freedom. Most slaves had learned to speak English and sang. Having been a slave herself, Harriet Tubman, helped other slaves escape by using her songs to guide them North, thus becoming the founder of the Underground railroad; by her will to give and her heroism, she is still re membered and her determination inspires people still today.