The Americas

Explorers, soldiers, missionaries, writers, and many other people travelled to North America for a variety of reasons.  Some travelers chronicled war and conquest, while others described the rich natural resources and landscapes they passed through on their journeys.  The expansion of the United States in the 19th century, coupled with advances in printing technology, led to a flood of narratives that commented on all aspects of American life.  This case offers a small sample of North American travel narratives, with some focus on the American environment.

South America was often chronicled by explorers, scientists, and other writers attempting to inventory and understand the vast natural resources and peoples of this continent.  Travel narratives left by Spanish soldiers and missionaries accompanying military parties were part of the first wave of early works on South America.  Later travelers came to South America to establish economic footholds in developing countries, conduct scientific explorations of the land, or simply to visit and experience a new world.