The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12 America, Part I

"The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12" by Richard Hakluyt is a historical compilation from the late 1500s that tells the stories of English sea explorations and trading, especially voyages to the area now called America. Serving as a record of the age of exploration, it includes the journeys of explorers such as John Cabot as they looked for trade routes and new land. Richard Hakluyt introduces the book with an explanation about why these voyages are important for discovering new places, stating the importance of keeping track of these trips to teach others about navigation and preserve history. Then the stories tell of early travelers, such as Madoc, a Welsh prince believed to have found America before Columbus, setting the scene for later journey descriptions. The writings mention a wealth and potential to be extracted by colonization in the New World.