The early writings of colonial period

PRE - COLUMBIAN PERIOD - before the arrival of Colombus
- different culture
- the orally transmitted myths, legends, tales and lyrics (always songs) of Indian cultures
- Indian stories - nature is alive and endowed with spiritual forces, main characters may be animals or plants, often totems associated with a tribe, group, or individual. The closest to the Indian sense of holiness in later American literature is Ralph Waldo Emerson´s transcendental „OVERSOUL“ with pervades all of life
- Indian oral tradition and its relation to American literature as a whole is one of the richest and least explored topics in American studies. The Indian contribution to America is greater than is often believed. The hundreds of Indian words in everyday American English include „canoe“, „tobacco, potato, moose, totem...

1492 - discovery of America - America was discovered by Colombus.
- Spaniards robbed as much as they could - was good weather so the situation was very good for them
- colonialism started in the 17th century by British colonist who came and settled down.