Indigenous population of the New World in reports of the discoverers, pirates, and privateers of Elizabethan era

Abstract

The American continent found by the Europeans at the dawn of the Age of Discovery, immediately drawn the eye of adventurers who dreamt of fame and wealth. Special attention is turned to the representatives of England, who quite missed division of the world between the two great Catholic powers of that time – Portugal and Spain. English explorers were interested not only in natural resources of the New World, but particularly in its inhabitants. Testimonies on the First Nations were reported to Europe mainly by the Spaniards, often in an overly tendentious manner. The discoverers, pirates and privateers of Elizabethan era were interested in all details that can be useful to Europeans, such as appearance, language, culture and lifestyle of indigenous population of the New World, peculiarities of their social structure, religious attitude. The evolution of ideas and formation of image of the holds special place in the modern historical science. Review of the testimonies of English discovers, pirates and privateers who first arrived to the American continent during Elizabethan era, allows reconstructing impression on region at the early stages of its colonization, as well as tracing the peculiarities of perception of the New World in Protestant England right before the country turned into one of the world's leading colonial powers. Examination of the First Nations that inhabited the American continent not only satiated the thirst for knowledge of the English explorers, but also served as the practical purpose for seeking allies in the fight against Spaniards and Portuguese in the region. The common features of forming image of strong and kind indigenous people suffering from Spanish tyranny were aimed at consolidation of Spanish “Black Legend”, which lays the foundation for English trade and colonial expansion in the region in future years.