The Discovery of America

It was originally published in 1781/82 as Die Entdekkung von Amerika – ein angenehmes und nützliches Lesebuch für Kinder und junge Leute and deals with the discovery, early exploration and conquest of America by focusing on one explorer in each volume: Christopher Columbus is treated first, followed by Hernán Cortés and finally Francisco Pizarro.

[2][3] Volume I follows the explorer Cristobal Colon, (Christopher Columbus in English) (Kristoff Kolumbus in the German edition) from his hometown Genoa and his first voyages to his encounter with Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.

After the death of the Aztec emperor Montezuma and the takeover of the empire's capital Tenochtitlan, the narrative gives a summary of the following subjugation of the rest of Mexico and of Cortés’ troubles with people envious of him.

Next to the founding of Lima, the murder of the Inca Atahualpa, and the siege and takeover of Cuzco the narrative also relates the quarrels between Pizarro and some of the other Spanish generals.

The focus of philanthropinist children's writers lay in creating age-appropriate books which would serve their pedagogical purposes of teaching moral and factual knowledge.

At the same time Discovery presents a preparation for the subsequently published first collection of travelogues, Erste Sammlung interessanter und durchgängig zweckmäßig abgefasster Reisebeschreibungen für die Jugend (1785–93, 12 volumes).

[12] An anonymous reviewer in the German Enlightenment journal Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek praises Campe's choice of topic and its utility but wishes for a more structured approach instead of the narratives.

"[19] In general, the three men function as moral examples for the reader: Columbus is the hero to look up to, while Cortés and Pizarro present antiheroes and negative role-models.

[20] Rüdiger Steinlein adds that with Discovery, Campe follows the tenet of "Historia magistra vitae:" history is exploited as a teacher in morals and virtues.