The travels of Christopher Columbus are said to have taken place during 1492 and 1504, and his letter describing the first voyages provide ample evidence on the findings of a new continent, which he named ' New World". The letter written to the Spanish monarch was presumably written in 1503, which was also his Fourth Voyage, while other accounts note that they were written in 1493, a year after the discovery of the New World..
The letter written to the Spanish monarchs contained detailed accounts of Columbus 's endeavors with the people of the ' New World ', as well as the difficulties faced in his attempts to colonize the newly discovered regions, as were the practices of then voyagers.
The letters are of immense importance, as they
also provide grounds for the first merger of European,
African as well as the American populations to
gather on a single piece of land.
From a purely literary perspective, one may also note that the letters sent by Columbus to the Spanish monarch were to provide a highly contested set of documents for the post 1492 era. As they were witness to and evidence of the hegemony power of then European monarchs to gain superiority over vast regions of the globe. At the same time, these documents also provided reasoning for the later voyages. In turn, these later voyages lead to the near extermination of the native inhabitants of the regions discovered or 'captured', whether through ill-treatment, or disease, as also to provide access to and nurture the growth of transatlantic slave trade from the dark continent of Africa.
In particular context of the European traditions, the letter sent by Columbus to the Spanish monarch also marks the continuation of Europe's expansionist policies, a practice duly upheld by Christopher Columbus when he first set foot on the: New World". The description of Columbus about the people first encountered and the strategies to control, manage and divert the riches of the region such as gold are also proof of the depiction of the newly discovered regions as being a 'promised land, and that it contained idyllic beauty, opportunity and had great hope'. As evidence thereof of the traditions and policies of the Spaniards and through their voyagers including Columbus , one may note the following contents of the letter.
"Most High and Mighty Sovereigns,
In obedience to your Highnesses' commands, and with submission to superior judgment, I will say whatever occurs to me in reference to the colonization and commerce...
"That none of the colonists shall go to
seek gold without a license from the governor
or alcalde of the town where he lives....... that
a friar or priest, deputed for the purpose, shall
be also present."
"I beg your Highnesses to hold me in your protection; and I remain, praying our Lord God for your Highnesses' lives and the increase of much greater States". (Leemhuis, 2004)
Captain John Smith's Writings
The name of Captain John Smith conjures up memories of some of the first English settlers on the North American continent at the town of Jamestown in Virginia in 1607. The lack of information about the weather conditions, the encounters with the Native inhabitants of the Americas all made the first few years of the new English settlers some of the worst periods of their lives. The new settlers were also somewhat responsible for the disastrous condition, as they sought to spend time searching for gold and pathways leading to the famous Orient, without realizing the difficult conditions they would have to face. As a result, most of the colonists suffered disastrous consequences. It is said that more than half the colonists of Jamestown died from Indian arrows, sickness, and starvation.
Captain James Smith , was however lucky and some of the fortunate colonists to survive these harsh conditions, which were duly compiled in his famous work titled "A Description of New England" published in 1616. Smith's writings also presented a distinct American appearance as it was his persuasive style of writings that not only attracted larger English settlers to come to the Americas , Smith was also instrumental in attracting the needed financial backing for the newly arrived settlers.
One of the best examples of Smith's persuasive
writings is found in the successful convincing
of a group of Puritans, who were originally Christian
Protestants. These Protestants, however were fed
up with the corrupt policies of the Church of
England, and Smith's luring writings provided
these Protestants an excellent avenue to spread
the word of Jesus Christ as well as establish
their own religion free from the corrupt practices
of Church of England.
It is perhaps the writings of people like Smith, who targeted groups such as those led by William Badford as well as his group of pilgrims to come to New World , and set up camp for their new religious beliefs. In doing so, the needed financial backing was also provided and helped the new arrivals to settle down. However, the writings of Smith failed to mention the difficulties and hardships of the New World . As a result, it is said that more than half the new members of these new settlers lost their lives from the harsh winter conditions, disease and the hostile native inhabitants. For those who did survive, they were able to grow and establish themselves as permanent settlers, largely due to the persuasive style of writings of James Smith who invited these new settlers in the first place. (Jett, 2001)
The Writings of William Bradford and Cotton Mather
William Bradford belonged to the select group of Puritans who was invited to the New World, duly influenced from the writings of Captain James Smith, but more so for his desires to set up new standards of their Christian Protestant beliefs in the newly colonized world. Bradford 's writings are ample evidence of the culture, the praise for the native inhabitants, and the desire to attract new comers to the New World .
For example writing in his famous "Of Plymouth Plantations", Bradford notes that "But about the 16th of March, a certain Indian came boldly amongst them and spoke to them in broken
English, which they could well understand but
marveled at it. .............He told them also
of another Indian whose name was Squanto, a native
of this place, who had been in England and could
speak better English than himself (Applebee 86).
From the above writing style of Bradford's approach towards the native inhabitants, it is amply clear that he was fortunate to have friendly native inhabitants, an aspect which was rare as most of the new settlers as well as their native hosts were more than hostile to each other. The writings of Bradford also exhibit one of the rare moments in American history where new settlers and native inhabitants cohabited in an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation.
In comparison to the William Bradford's writings, one may observe Cotton Mather's writings on Bradford as somewhat similar in both style and context. Just as one may observe that Bradford chose to focus on the lives of the native inhabitants, their good relations, and the depiction of the true cultures of the native inhabitants exhibited and witnessed by Bradford . So do the writings of Mather, who also presents and chooses to focus on the life of William Bradford, as well as his accomplishments.
The following excerpt taken from the "Magnalia Christi Americana: the Eccelesiastical History of New England by Cotton Mather, one may clearly note the sharp focus on the life and accomplishments of William Bradford.
"Among those devout people was our William
Bradford, who was born Anno 1588 in an obscure
village called Ansterfield... he had a comfortable
inheritance left him of his honest parents, who
died while he was yet a child, and cast him on
the education.......When he was about a dozen
years old, the reading of the Scripture began
to cause great impressions upon him; and those
impressions were much assisted and improved, when
he came to enjoy Mr. Richard Clifton's illuminating
ministry........And after many distresses of mind
concerning it, he took up a very deliberate and
understanding resolution, of doing so..."
(Bradford, 1991; Heath, 1963; Applebee (2000);
Jett (2001)
Crevecoeur's environmentalist view And Puritan beliefs
Writing in his famous "Letters from an American Farmer" in 1782, St. John de Crevecoeurs's duly that Americans "had done the most in the least time of any people". This was an ample evidence of Crevecoeur's foresight on the changing world of nature, including the tremendous progresses made by the new settlers. In particular importance was the changes brought about by the colonists in changing the face of America from that exhibited a set of disparate colonies, to one, which emerged as a new nation.
In direct contrast, the Puritan's had there own set of beliefs somewhat similar to "men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment"
On observing both the beliefs of Crevecoeur, and those of the Puritans, one may observe that the later did more damage than conserve or preserve the very nature and land and environment around us. Examples to this respect may include the conquest of the Missouri River during the period of 1804 and 1806 by trappers such as Lewis and Clarke, ever in search of furs or farmland. The new settlers compounded this with the destruction of northern forests, more so due to the westward movement of migration. Then there were violations of treaties with the native Americans, through which settlers were exploring for gold in regions of present day South Dakota . While at the same time, government was passing legislation to open up public lands for mining at prices as low as 2.50 or 5.00 USD per acre, rates that are applicable even today.
George Perkins Marsh perhaps best describes
these state of affairs when he notes that "......man
is everywhere a disturbing agent. Wherever he
plants his foot, the harmonies of nature are turned
to discords." (Marsh, 1864)
Thomas Jefferson's Famous Quote "all men are created equal"
Thomas Jefferson's famous quote that "all men are created equal" when taken in the religious perspective reveals that Jefferson was a highly religious man, and the subject quote was one of the emblems in his staunch religious beliefs in God. This was amply exhibited in his statement, which directly related the equalness of all men in the eyes of God.
For example a part of the Declaration of Independence noted that ""We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments is instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. …" One can thus obviously deduce that Jefferson was a strong believer in religious liberty, as aspect spoken and written in the said Declaration of Independence.
In addition, there are two occasions in the same Declaration of Independence where Jefferson has come out openly and asked for God's assistance, thus proving twice that God's help was indeed needed in creating the nation. For those who may wish to oppose any religious relationship with the Jefferson 's quote, may have a peek at the final paragraph of the Declaration to confirm this aspect. (Available at following url: http://www.constitution.org/usdeclar.htm).
The famous quote by Jefferson also has its due
religious backing from the great president's notes
at WebPages available with the University of Virginia
under the heading of "father and chief architect
of Declaration of Independence". For example
a quote delivered in 1774 notes that The God who
gave us life gave us liberty at the same time;
the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin
them.". In addition, at yet another moment
in 1782, Jefferson notes "Can the liberties
of a nation be thought secure when we have removed
their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds
of the people that these liberties are of the
gift of God?".
Thus, even if moral and social perspectives were set aside, which is highly unlike for a topic such as the "Declaration of Independence", there remains more than a strong set of reasoning in Jefferson's drafting and use of religious wording in his famous quotes that "all men are created equal". This also removes any grounds for reconciliation that has led us to believe in inequality on the basis of intellectual, physical, or spiritual basis; hence "all men are created equal in the eyes of God" is both true in theory and practice, and rightly worded by our founding father. (Freeman, 2000)
'New Adam' by Crevecoeur and Thomas Paine
Writing in his famous title, "The Rights of Man", Thomas Paine duly notes that "the American is a new Adam in a new Paradise " referring to the country's emergence in the history of the world as one that was an emblem of inventions and creations.
This line of thinking for the nation as a whole is perhaps best described by comments by our founding father Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson thus notes "We can no longer say there is nothing new under the sun. This whole change in the history of man is new. The great extent of our Republic is new. Its sparse habitation is new. The mighty wave of public opinion which has rolled over it is new".
A brief history of making of America also reveals that never in the entire history of mankind had there been such an exercise where a government was brought into being through the cohesion of 13 different colonies, variety of religions, people of different nationalities, varied customs, manners, and different habits. The mere thought of uniting all these aspects under a single set of principles, and a set of actions is far fetched, let alone accomplishing the task of uniting so many nationalities and making a boundary expanding the territories between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans on one side, and Canada and the Gulf of Mexico at two other ends. Yet, this was duly done, and the United States came into being with a more heterogeneous population, more religious faiths, and the equally different and variety of natural environments, than any single region on the face of the earth.
Another evidence of 'New Adam' in Thomas Paine's own question and his own answers; "where is the king of America ?", and Paine answers "In America the law is king". The basis of his contention was that the different races and nationalities who had made America a single nation had all come from regions and countries with histories of lawlessness and revolutions. Yet, in America each individual had gathered without the authority of a king, a church, or any secular institution, making law as the supreme set of principles for governance.
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