Inventing Americans in the Age of Discovery

Narratives of Encounter

Nonfiction, History, Americas
Cover of the book Inventing Americans in the Age of Discovery by Michael Householder, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Householder ISBN: 9781317113225
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Michael Householder
ISBN: 9781317113225
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 6, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Inventing Americans in the Age of Discovery traces the linguistic, rhetorical, and literary innovations that emerged out of the first encounters between Europeans and indigenous peoples of the Americas. Through analysis of six texts, Michael Householder demonstrates the role of language in forming the identities or characters that permitted Europeans (English speakers, primarily) to adapt to the unusual circumstances of encounter. Arranged chronologically, the texts examined include John Mandeville's Travels, Richard Eden's English-language translations of the accounts of Spanish and Portuguese discovery and conquest, George Best's account of Martin Frobisher's voyages to northern Canada, Ralph Lane's account of the abandonment of Roanoke, John Smith's writings about Virginia, and John Underhill's account of the Pequot War. Through his analysis, Householder reveals that English colonists did not share a universal, homogenous view of indigenous Americans as savages, but that the writers, confronted by unfamiliar peoples and situations, resorted to a mixed array of cultural beliefs, myths, and theories to put together workable explanations of their experiences, which then became the basis for how Europeans in the colonies began transforming themselves into Americans.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Inventing Americans in the Age of Discovery traces the linguistic, rhetorical, and literary innovations that emerged out of the first encounters between Europeans and indigenous peoples of the Americas. Through analysis of six texts, Michael Householder demonstrates the role of language in forming the identities or characters that permitted Europeans (English speakers, primarily) to adapt to the unusual circumstances of encounter. Arranged chronologically, the texts examined include John Mandeville's Travels, Richard Eden's English-language translations of the accounts of Spanish and Portuguese discovery and conquest, George Best's account of Martin Frobisher's voyages to northern Canada, Ralph Lane's account of the abandonment of Roanoke, John Smith's writings about Virginia, and John Underhill's account of the Pequot War. Through his analysis, Householder reveals that English colonists did not share a universal, homogenous view of indigenous Americans as savages, but that the writers, confronted by unfamiliar peoples and situations, resorted to a mixed array of cultural beliefs, myths, and theories to put together workable explanations of their experiences, which then became the basis for how Europeans in the colonies began transforming themselves into Americans.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Justice, Crime, and Ethics by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Girls with Guns by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Contemporary Western European Feminism (RLE Feminist Theory) by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Mediaeval Education and the Reformation by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Enlivening Secondary History: 50 Classroom Activities for Teachers and Pupils by Michael Householder
Cover of the book UN Millennium Development Library: Toward Universal Primary Education by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Directory of Islamic Financial Institutions (RLE: Banking & Finance) by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Researching Sustainability by Michael Householder
Cover of the book China Threat: Perceptions Myths by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Religion and Psychology by Michael Householder
Cover of the book International Handbook of Survey Methodology by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Corrections in the Community by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Aspects of the Economic Implications of Accounting by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Sport and Body Cultures in East and Southeast Asia by Michael Householder
Cover of the book Toward Justice by Michael Householder
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy