Travel writers or adventurers all write articles that deal with the same principle: the discovery and experience of the New World. However, in their writings it is obvious that there is an ulterior motive in mind. These motivations or goals can be classified into two broad categories: to persuade people to come to the new world and to warn people of the dangers they may encounter in the new world. It is easy to explore these themes by paying particular attention to a few famous writers: Christopher Columbus, Bartolomé De Las Casas and John Smith. When reading articles by writers involved in the exploration and colonization of the new world, it is important to keep in mind their intended audience. These plays were not published in America, but rather were transmitted to Europe, published and read by a wide European audience. Additionally, these travelers were paid by the government to spread propaganda about the new world and encourage readers to want to go or settle there. With this in place, it is easy to see how travel writers' primary goal would be to advertise the New World. The letters of Christopher Columbus were considered one of the first reports of the New World. Columbus landed in the Antilles but thought he was in India. He depicts his surroundings with a conquistador mentality, in that he says that the people are savages, that he has taken command of them, and that they admire him greatly. In "Letter to Luis de Santagel Concerning the First Voyage" he talks about the wealth and beauty of the New World using very descriptive imagery and planting the image of natural abundance in the reader's mind. It describes the land, mountains, terrain, animals, birds and people in such a manner...... middle of paper...... the Christian versus the native. His writings read like preaching, which makes it feel like propaganda. Adventurers and travel writers all wrote works with differences in focus, theme, and scope, but in the cases of Smith, Columbus, and De Las Casas, the themes were similar, even if the purpose behind the argument was different. Works Cited Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc, 2003. Columbus, Christopher. “Letter to Luis de Santangel regarding the first voyage (February 15, 1493).” Baym 34-36.Las Casas, Bartolomé. “The very brief account of the devastation of India”. Baym39-40.Smith, John. “A Description of New England.” Baym 114-118. Smith, John. “The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Islands.” Baym 105-114.