The American literary canon has been critically debated for the last 50-60 years over non-Anglo influences, or its lack thereof. Many different versions of the early American literary Canon exist today, and virtually all begin with Native American oral traditions, colonial texts and accounts from Spanish explorers and conquistadors. Exploration literature is generally classified under the Epistolary Chronicle genre. This genre is characterized by a lack of literary perfection but an effective use of rhetorical skill to persuade their usually powerful audience. However, the "Elements of Literature" textbook dismisses exploration literature and insists as, "interesting and valuable the explorers' writings are, they were not central to the development of American literary tradition in the way the writing of the Puritans of New England were." Through examining the exaggerated description of America in Columbus' Letter to Luis de Santangel, by analyzing Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca journey and his...