Retrospect of Western Travel

Retrospect of Western Travel by Harriet Martineau, author of “Society in America,” Illustrations of Political Economy,” etc. In Two Volumes: Volumes 1 and 2

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY: Books for College Libraries; Guide to the Study of the United States of America; Usiana; Literature of American History; Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature.

While Mrs. Martineau’s comments on slavery were received with hostility, this account of her perceptive observations on a visit to the United States in the 1830’s continues to be relevant to today’s history students. As she was strongly solicited to communicate more of her personal narrative, and of the lighter characteristics of men, and incidents of travel than she did in her work “Society in America,” the author has attempted to supply to the English what the Americans do not want--a picture of the aspect of the country, and of its men and manners. Retrospect of Western Travel documents travels by Ms. Martineau which started in 1834 and went to such places as The Hudson, Pine Orchard House, Fort Erie, Niagara, Washington, the Capitol, Mount Vernon, Madison, Jefferson’ University, New Orleans, The Mississippi, Cincinnati, The Natural Bridge, The White Mountains, Massachusetts and Lake George to mention a few and documents her experiences including visiting prisons, her first sight of slavery, country life in the south and city life in the south.