Final answer:
The mid-nineteenth century American audience primarily wanted well-known European authors, but advancements in technology and infrastructure later helped to expand the audience for American authors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The small cultivated audience in America during the mid-nineteenth century predominantly wanted well-known European authors. This can be understood in the context of American literary development where the success of British authors like Walter Scott and Charles Dickens, whose works were popular indeed via pirated editions, had a significant impact. American publishers, noting the strong demand for these British literary works, inferred that the American market was also ready for new writings, thereby setting the stage for American authors to expand their audience. Nevertheless, substantial growth in American literary publishing did not occur until after technological and infrastructural advancements, such as the First Transcontinental Railroad and the Industrial Age, which allowed a broader distribution of printed materials and created a more significant opportunity for leisure activities such as reading.