23 English eng Patterson, Daniel Contributor <p><em data-start="20" data-end="59">Witnessing the Wilds of Early America</em> explores how early Americans and European colonists described and interpreted the natural environment of North America. The article examines representations of wilderness in travel narratives, historical writings, and cultural texts, showing how “the wild” was connected to ideas of exploration, colonial expansion, and encounters with Indigenous peoples. It argues that descriptions of nature were shaped by political, religious, and colonial perspectives rather than being neutral observations. The study also considers how Indigenous understandings of land differed from European views of wilderness. Overall, the article reveals how ideas about nature influenced the formation of early American identity and colonial power.<br></p> University of North Carolina Press 2018 pdf ISSN 0012-8163 Early American Studies Witnessing the Wilds of Early America mixed material University of North Carolina Press