Gómez Galisteo, Carmen2025-09-082025-09-082009Gómez Galisteo, María del Carmen. 2009. “Leaving the New World, Entering History: Alvar Nuñez Cabeza De Vaca, John Smith and the Problems of Describing the New World”. Alicante Journal of English Studies / Revista Alicantina De Estudios Ingleses, no. 22 (November):115-26. https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.2009.22.08.ISSN-e 2171-861X, ISSN 0214-4808https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.2009.22.08https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/29996The registered version of this article, first published in “Alicante Journal of English Studies / Revista Alicantina De Estudios Ingleses, no. 22, 2009", is available online at the publisher's website: Universidad de Alicante, https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.2009.22.08 La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en “Alicante Journal of English Studies / Revista Alicantina De Estudios Ingleses, no. 22, 2009", está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Universidad de Alicante, https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.2009.22.08Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and British explorer John Smith went to the New World for different reasons but both shared the experience of being a captive to the Native Americans. After their return to Europe, both of them undertook the task of putting pen to paper to describe their New World experiences so as to inform their fellow countrymen. Writing in different countries and separated by a century of colonial discoveries and experiences, nevertheless, they encountered very similar difficulties in being trusted by professional historians. Both had to strive in order to be regarded as authoritative and valid sources of knowledge about a continent where they, contrary to most historians, had actually traveled to and lived in. This essay examines what their problems were and the strategies they made use of in order to persuade their readers of their trustworthiness.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess5505.10 Filologíaartículocolonial discoveriesNew Worlddescriptionhistorical veracitypersuasionhistoriansNúñez Cabeza de VacaÁlvarSmith, John