The Representation of Native Americans in 19th–century Hungarian Travel Writing

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Although Hungarians followed with great interest the “discovery” and mapping of the Americas, travel writing on North America (especially the US) began in earnest only during the 19th century. The three major concerns for Hungarian travelers of the age included American democracy, progress, and the Native Americans. In my paper I will explain how three of the most important Hungarian travelers (János Xántus, Pál Rosti, and József Szabó) represented (or misrepresented) the Native Americans in their travel writing and scholary articles. I will also illustrate how their accounts reflect 19th century American attempts to explain the origins, customs, and inferiority of American Indians.


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