Author
Richard Hakluyt is a london lawyer, and promoter of english colonization.
Context
This passage was written in the late 1500’s, England, during this time the new world had just been divided between spain and portugal. The author greatly disagreed with this decision, a main motivator for the writing of this passage.
Audience
This letter seems to be directed towards the english (mainly merchants) and specifically towards the Queen, encouraging english colonization.
Purpose
To encourage English colonization of the americas, and also to discourage the Spaniards claims to land, which he accuses as unlawful, and illegitimate compared to the Queen’s claim on the West Indies.
Significance
This is a prime example of how certain