Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe in 1719. He claimed it was a biography, and that “the Editor believes the thing to be a just History of Fact, neither is there any Appearance of Fiction in it.” Why did he claim the story was true when it wasn’t? In this lecture-based course, we will examine Defoe’s motives in writing in what was to become a literary masterpiece.
Robinson Crusoe was part of a hundred year promotional wave written to convince the English to emigrate. It functioned as a blueprint that showed English middle and lower classes how to become rich in North America. We will contrast Defoe’s three novels (Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders, and Colonel Jack), all of which he insisted were accurate representations of life in North America, with what actually happened according to historical documents and archaeological finds.
Beverly Dowdy holds an M.A. in liberal studies from Duke University. Her master’s thesis, "Robinson Crusoe as Promotion Literature: The Reality of English Settlement in the Chesapeake, 1624-1680,” was awarded an exemplary designation. She served as department head in Duke University Libraries, 2008-20.
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