Hi Class,
You may ask: what was life like in 1630, when people like John Smith and Anne Bradstreet were writing? This page, brief as it is, helps us to gain a picture:
(Please be patient, it takes a minute for this page to load)
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/americanlit2e/default.asp#883085__892167__
Best,
Prof. Scanlan
