American Notes

Dickens, Charles

MY readers have opportunities of judging for themselves whether the influences and tendencies which I distrusted in America had any existence but in my imagination. They can examine for themselves whether there has been anything in the public career of that country since, at home or abroad, which suggests that those influences and tendencies really did exist. As they find the fact, they will judge me. If they discern any evidences of wrong-going, in any direction that I have indicated, they will acknowledge that I had reason in what I wrote. If they discern no such thing, they will consider me altogether mistaken -- but not wilfully.

Prejudiced I am not, and never have been, otherwise than in favour of the United States. I have many friends in America, I feel a grateful interest in the country, I hope and believe it will successfully work out a problem of the highest importance to the whole human race. To represent me as viewing AMERICA with ill-nature, coldness, or animosity, is merely to do a very foolish thing, which is always a very easy one.

CONTENTS: AMERICAN NOTES

• CHAP. PAGE
  
• I. GOING AWAY. 1
  
• II. THE PASSAGE OUT. 11
  
• III. BOSTON. 28
  
• IV. AN AMERICAN RAILROAD. LOWELL AND ITS FACTORY SYSTEM. 71
  
• V. WORCESTER. THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. HARTFORD. NEW HAVEN TO NEW YORK. 81
  
• VI. NEW YORK. 91
  
• VII. PHILADELPHIA, AND ITS SOLITARY PRISON. 112
  
• VIII. WASHINGTON. THE LEGISLATURE. AND THE PRESIDENT'S HOUSE. 130
  
• IX. A NIGHT STEAMER ON THE POTOMAC RIVER. VIRGINIA ROAD AND A BLACK DRIVER. RICHMOND. BALTIMORE. THE HARRISBURG MAIL, AND A GLIMPSE OF THE CITY. A CANAL BOAT. 149
  
• X. SOME FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CANAL BOAT, ITS DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND ITS PASSENGERS. JOURNEY TO PITTSBURG ACROSS THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS. PITTSBURG. 169
  
• XI. FROM PITTSBURG TO CINCINNATI IN A WESTERN STEAMBOAT. CINCINNATI. 182
  
• XII. FROM CINCINNATI TO LOUISVILLE IN ANOTHER WESTERN STEAMBOAT; AND FROM LOUISVILLE TO ST. LOUIS IN ANOTHER. ST. LOUIS. 193
  
• XIII. A JAUNT TO THE LOOKING-GLASS PRAIRIE AND BACK. 206
  
• XIV. RETURN TO CINCINNATI. A STAGE-COACH RIDE FROM THAT CITY TO COLUMBUS, AND THENCE TO SANDUSKY. SO, BY LAKE ERIE, TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. 216
  
• XV. IN CANADA: TORONTO; KINGSTON; MONTREAL; QUEBEC; ST. JOHN'S. IN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN: LEBANON; THE SHAKER VILLAGE; AND WEST POINT. 235
  
• XVI. THE PASSAGE HOME. 256
  
• XVII. SLAVERY. 266
  
• XVIII. CONCLUDING REMARKS. 285
  
• POSTSCRIPT. 296