What was the belief about earth's crust and landforms before the theory of plate tectonics?

Continental drift

Explanation:

Before the theory of plate tectonics, was made by Abraham Ortelius in 1596, the American continent and the African continent, seem to fit like a puzzle.

With that observation the Continental drift was born, Abraham in his work Thesaurus Geographicus, said these continents were divided by earthquakes and floods.