Literature of the usa. Colonial period literature

LECTURE 5

LITERATURE OF THE USA. COLONIAL PERIOD LITERATURE.
The first explorers and settlers who came to North America from Europe wrote little beyond practical reports which they sent back to the Old World, describing the continent’s natural beauty, its unique plants and animals, and the customs of the dark-skinned inhabitants already there. They did not note the rich local folklore (myths, legends, tales, and lyrics of Indian cultures) – an oral, not written, tradition – which was really the first American literature.