The American Nations, Vol. I. / Or, Outlines of a National History of the Ancient and Modern Nations of North and South America

by C. S. Rafinesque

Chapter I.

General Introduction.—Natural Regions of America.—Ancient and Modern Nations.—Historical Periods.

Since our Globe is better known, it is no longer divided into 4 Continents; but must be divided into 3 great parts of the world or Tholomeres, each containing 3 lesser divisions or Geotomes, viz:

I. Protholia or Tholarkon, the ancient world, containing, 1. Asia, 2. Africa, 3. Europe, which are continents.

II. Neotholia or Hesperia, the new world, containing, 1. Atalia or North America, 2. Columbia or South America, which are two continents ... and 3. the Antilles or West Indies, the Archipelagos to the East and North, Carib and Lucayes islands.

III. Oceania or Tholonesia, the Oceanic or Insular world, containing, 1. Australia, which is a continent, 2. Meganesia or the great Islands from Japan till Ceylan and Madagascar, 3. Polynesia, the small Eastern Islands. These two last form immense groups of archipelagos, or clustered islands.

Therefore the terrestrial world includes 6 continents, and 3 groups of archipelagos, forming 9 geotomes.

It is of Neotholia that I write the history, of this third of the world, named likewise [pg 014] America, or the two Americas; a double continent, crowned in the East and towards the two poles by archipelagos.

Such an extensive part of the world, reaching nearly to both poles, offers to our notice and researches a crowd of objects, nations and events. If our universal histories which are confined to a small part only of the old world, form already bulky collections; it would be equally so with America, if we had complete annals of it. But, notwithstanding the scanty materials which have reached us on its ancient history; the modern annals and the old traditions of the nations dwelling there, afford many facts: and many auxiliary means contribute to enlarge the previous history, in unfolding the origins and revolutions of the nations and empires of both Americas. Thus, we shall often have to make a choice or abridge these materials, particularly in these outlines of a general history.