A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia

work by Harriot

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June 22, 2026

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A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia is a work by Thomas Harriot, published in 1588. Harriot was a mathematician and astronomer who participated in Sir Walter Raleigh's colony on Roanoke Island in North America from 1585 to 1586.

The report details Harriot's observations of the land, its natural resources, and the indigenous peoples of the region. It was intended to inform potential English colonists about the opportunities and challenges of settling in the New World. The work provides valuable insights into the early encounters between Europeans and Native Americans and the initial European perceptions of North America.

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Thomas Harriot
…upon his return, he published A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (1588). This was his only work published during his lifetime. Very soon after the Virginia sojourn, Harriot was living on and surveying Raleigh’s estates in Ireland.
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…upon his return, he published A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia (1588). This was his only work published during his lifetime. Very soon after the Virginia sojourn, Harriot was living on and surveying Raleigh’s estates in Ireland.
Read More