How the Colonization Era Affected Authors

The atmosphere of which a writer adapts to affects his/her works.   The


writer's environment, and the churnings of history that feed the writer,


gives him the material whereby he can construct, and create in.   History, in


this instance the colonization of the American continent, dictates what and


how he is to write. Authors such as John Smith, William Bradford, and St.


Jean de Crevecoeur are all examples of this.   The atmosphere or society these


authors were in directly affected the attitude, tone, genre, etc. of their


works.   This can be shown both by facts in history and their actual writings


of that period.


During the 17th century Pilgrims, which were a group of Separatist Puritans,


disliked being in England and wanted to go to America for the right to


practice their religion freely (and in 1620 they received a patent from


Virginia which allowed them to settle in New England aboard the Mayflower).  


In 1606, King James I granted a charter authorizing overlapping grants of


land in Virginia to two separate joint-stock companies, one based in London


and the other in Plymouth.   Captain John Smith planned to conquer New


England's "goodly, strong, and well-proportioned (Indian) people" and


establish an English colony there.   He then led the Virginia Company of


London to successfully establishing the colony.   His work The General History


of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles told about his colonization


process and explorations, as he described America as a utopian society.


As mentioned in his work, Smith maintained satisfactory relations with the


Indians, as shown by his letter to Queen Anne when he says "That some ten


years ago being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan


their chief King, I received from...