interesting and clear as an independent unit? Second, is the selection representative of
American thought? and, Third, is this the best available statement? That is, in seeking to
represent American written expression of American intellectual and emotional life, we
have not sacrificed literary quality. A glance at the Contents will reveal that the funda-
mental body of American literature, with which each student should be acquainted, has
been included. Generous portions from the writings of each major author exemplify his
style and subject matter.

The arrangement of the selections is, in general, chronological, but it has been found
wise, chiefly for purposes of instruction, to group related items into units. By this device
we have avoided the haphazard sequence which defeats the practicability of many similar
books.

Although we have printed entire selections wherever possible, we have not hesitated to
excide irrelevant or uninteresting passages. The gain thereby is immense. Students' time
is saved; interest is maintained; and useful space is made available for other items.

We have attempted to secure the best text for each item, but we have not used manu-
script versions when it is manifest that the printed form is best. In some cases, as in
the writings of Cotton Mather, Joel Barlow, Noah Webster, and some few others, we
have normalized the punctuation, for the original pointing hinders comprehension. In
some essays and in the diary excerpts, sub-headings have been added to clarify transi-
tions. All ascribed titles and sub-headings have been placed within square brackets. The
spellings have been maintained as found, except an occasional seventeenth- and eight-
eenth-centurythen which has been printed in its modern form, than, and except obvious
printer's errors. Orthographical peculiarities, such as the use of capitals and italics, have
been retained. Our intention has been to aid the reader to understand the text rather
than to indulge in an antiquarian delight in exhibiting texts.

Our introductions to the work of each writer have been designed to supply, briefly,
the background of thought or action out of which he grew, his leading ideas or accomplish-
ment, the significance of the selections, a short biographical summary, and a selected bibli-
ography of his writings and of writings about him. Readily available are the Dictionary
of American Biography, Who's Who in America, the encyclopedias, and Harry Hardwick
bibliographies in Walter Fuller Taylor A History of American Letters ( 1936), and from
these books, as well as from others listed in our bibliographies, further direction in study
may be found.

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