Part II american literature historicai background

The Western Hemisphere had already been reached by courageous Scandinavian seafarers in the 10th century, but the actual discovery of America was made in the 16th century. In search of a shorter and safer trade route from Europe to Asia, Christopher Columbus landed on some island near Cuba in 1492 which he mistook for India. Later Amerigo Vespucci explored that coast and the new continent came to be called America after the name of its undoubted discoverer. The northern part of America was explored by Henry Hudson, the southern continent was explored by the Spaniards and the Portuguese. At first the only aim of the white adventurers was to get gold. It was at the beginning of the 17th century that colonization of America really started. Four European nations competed in that overseas expansion: Spain, Holland, France and England. Spain colonized the part of North America where Florida, Georgia and South Carolina now are. The Dutch founded colonies around the mouth of the Hudson River. Then further north, in Canada, the French founded their colony Gwebec. The English merchants organized a company for starting farming colonies in Virginia.

Colonization of America was due to the changing conditions in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of poor peasants who had lost their land in Britain and Germany were forced to leave their native countries and search for new homes across the Atlantic.

In the 18th century a bitter struggle was fought between the 4 countries to determine to which country the American conti­nent should belong. England took over the Spanish and Dutch settlements, defeated her rivais and became supreme ruler of the North-American continent.

But this New World had already been inhabited long bafore the Europeans came. The natives met the first Europeans with hospitality. They were eager to trade with the pale-faces, as they called the white men. But the Europeans in their greed for riches were ruthless. The way the Indians were treated is one of the darkest pages in the history of mankind.

At the beginning of the 17th century the colonists started bringing convicts from the prisons of Europe as labour, and also Negroes from Africa. During the following decades the Black population of America increased rapidly. The white masters treated their slaves with utmost cruelty to keep them in subjection. Not only were Negroes bought and sold. The ship-ping companies also organized the kidnapping of 12-13 year-old white children. Another type of white slaves imported to America were poor wretches from the cities and villages of Ireland, Scotland and other countries. These were poor artisans and peasants, unable to pay their passage to America, and ready to risk everything to save their families from starvation.

It was in the 18th century that America gave first prominent names of its writers. The first period in its literature may be called Enlightenment. American literature originated in journalism.