Documenting the American South

Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2011

© This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text

The Influence of the discovery of America on the world. [1]

The birth of Christ excepted, the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in the year fourteen ninety two, has produced greater changes in the affairs of the world than any other circumstance that has ever happened either before or since. It took place in the latter part of the Middle or Dark Ages, when the [2] human mind was neglected and debased, all learning and civilization disappeared, the state of morals among all classes very low, Christianity had lost almost all her original excellence and was corrupted into a degrading superstition.

But on the discovery of this vast continent, we see mankind waking, as if from profound sleep to a life of ativity and bold adventure. It seems as if a sudden light had burst upon the world to dispel the clouds which had so long hung over it, and to cause ignorance, barbarism, and superstition

to retreat before advancing civilization, knowledge, religion and freedom.

Men began to b[e] more enterprising and to seek after information, a natural consequent of which was to expose the faults both in government and religion,

For a long time a passage had been sought to India and it being supposed that it was now found, hundreds of men fitted out vessels to visit this new world, which caused commerce to increase rapidly, by greatly increasing the value of many important articles of trade, and also by bring into use many before unknown. By the discovery of its rich mines, it has contributed greatly to augment the circulation of the precious metals and consequent diffusion of wealth throughout the world. It opened a vast theatre for the advantages of civilized life, gave a new impulse to colonization, and prepared th a way for the blessings of Christianity to be diffused throughout vast regions, which before were the abodes of barbarism and heathen idolatry. Religion at this time was beginning to be understood and men began to see and to shake off

the fetters of popery which they had hitherto worn in silence. This caused a freedom of thinking and acting, and the consequence was that the power of the church was greatly diminished and that many of the religious institutions were abolised. Those who left the church of Rome were styled dissenters and were persecuted by the majority, who were catholics, and perhaps would have been until the present time, had not America been discovered and opened an asylum for all to obtain the quiet enjoyment of religious liberty. These settlers and [3] their posterity, by their enterprise and industry, their love of liberty, their attention to education, their morality and piety have renderdered them a free [4] and religious people, an example of every thing good, great and prosperous.

To only one class of beings has it been a source of misery, I mean the poor africans, whom it has caused to become slaves and to suffer every hardship, to die ignorant and unlamented.

Much more might be said concerning America, but we will only mention the American Revolution, "a war, the issue of which will remain until time shall

be no more an encouragement to the oppressed to endeavor to rid themselves of oppression, and a lesson to those who, unmindful of the rights of the people would lift against them the arm of power, and force them to a compliance with their unjust demands." [5]

It was one [6] of the indirect causes, that caused the late Revolution in France, by the dissemination of the notions and feelings of liberty, by means of the return of the French officers and army to France, a Revolution, the final result of which was, to diminish the power of Sovereign's to abolish the remaing institutions of the Dark ages, to limit the priveledges of the nobility, and to promote the liberty of the people and the advancment of civilization. In fine America is may be called a magnet which produces a good effect on every thing connected with it, Ergo, on the world.

ELDusenbery