What an amazing new country the first Europeans found when they arrived on America's shores! They were so overwhelmed by the magnificence and bounty that they knew they were within God's blessed domain, seeing and feeling His spirit around them. That spirit of the early traveler evolved over time with the advancement of transportation and scientific discoveries. Travelers in the 18th and 19th centuries had similar religious beliefs and many had classical educations. These influences affected their philosophical and spiritual understanding of America's geographical wonders.