American Notes
Encyclopedia
American Notes for General Circulation is a travelogue
by Charles Dickens
detailing his trip to North America
from January to June, 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of these societies almost as if returning a status report on their progress. This can be compared to the style of his Pictures from Italy
written four years later, where he wrote far more like a tourist. His American journey was also an inspiration for his novel Martin Chuzzlewit
.
, and her maid, Anne Brown, from Liverpool
on board the steamship RMS Britannia
bound for America
.
Arriving in Boston
on January 22, 1842 the author was at once mobbed. Dickens at first reveled in the attention but soon the endless demand of his time began to wear on his enthusiasm. He complained in a letter to his friend John Forster
:
He traveled mainly on the East Coast
and the Great Lakes
area of both the United States
and Canada
, primarily by steamship, but also by rail and coach. During his extensive itinerary he made a particular point of visiting prison
s and mental institutions and even took a quick glimpse at the prairie
. He was particularly critical of the American press and the sanitary conditions of American cities. He also wrote merciless parodies of the manners of the locals, including, but not limited to, their rural conversations and practice of spitting tobacco in public (Ch. 8 - Washington):
In Washington, D.C.
, he called upon President John Tyler
in the White House
, writing that:
Although generally impressed by what he found, he could not forgive the continued existence of slavery
in the United States
, and the final chapters of the book are devoted to a criticism of the practice. He was also unhappy about copyright
issues. Dickens, by this time, had become an international celebrity, but owing to the lack of an international copyright
law, bootleg copies of his works were freely available in North America
and he could not abide losing money.
Dickens' letters home to his friends, including illustrator Daniel Maclise
and John Forster
, helped to form the basis of the book.
(2005), an authored documentary
series by Miriam Margolyes
in which Margolyes followed Dickens' journey through the United States, visiting many of the places mentioned by the author in his book.
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
detailing his trip to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from January to June, 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of these societies almost as if returning a status report on their progress. This can be compared to the style of his Pictures from Italy
Pictures from Italy
Pictures from Italy is a travelogue by Charles Dickens, written in 1846. The book reveals the concerns of its author as he presents, according to Kate Flint, the country "like a chaotic magic-lantern show, fascinated both by the spectacle it offers, and by himself as spectator".-Background:In...
written four years later, where he wrote far more like a tourist. His American journey was also an inspiration for his novel Martin Chuzzlewit
Martin Chuzzlewit
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit is a novel by Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialized between 1843-1844. Dickens himself proclaimed Martin Chuzzlewit to be his best work, but it was one of his least popular novels...
.
Background
On January 3, 1842, one month shy of his 30th birthday, Dickens sailed with his wife, KateCatherine Dickens
Catherine 'Kate' Thomson Dickens was the wife of English novelist Charles Dickens, with whom he fathered 10 children.-Marriage:...
, and her maid, Anne Brown, from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on board the steamship RMS Britannia
RMS Britannia
The RMS Britannia was an ocean liner of the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, later known as Cunard Steamship Company. She was launched on 5 February 1840, at the yard of Robert Duncan & Company in Greenock, Scotland...
bound for America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Arriving in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on January 22, 1842 the author was at once mobbed. Dickens at first reveled in the attention but soon the endless demand of his time began to wear on his enthusiasm. He complained in a letter to his friend John Forster
John Forster
John Forster , was an English biographer and critic and a friend of author Charles Dickens.-Life:He was born at Newcastle upon Tyne. His father, a Unitarian who belonged to the junior branch of a Northumberland family, was a cattle-dealer...
:
"I can do nothing that I want to do, go nowhere where I want to go, and see nothing that I want to see. If I turn into the street, I am followed by a multitude."
He traveled mainly on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
area of both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, primarily by steamship, but also by rail and coach. During his extensive itinerary he made a particular point of visiting prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s and mental institutions and even took a quick glimpse at the prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
. He was particularly critical of the American press and the sanitary conditions of American cities. He also wrote merciless parodies of the manners of the locals, including, but not limited to, their rural conversations and practice of spitting tobacco in public (Ch. 8 - Washington):
"As Washington may be called the head-quarters of tobacco-tinctured saliva, the time is come when I must confess, without any disguise, that the prevalence of those two odious practices of chewing and expectorating began about this time to be anything but agreeable, and soon became most offensive and sickening."
In Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, he called upon President John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, writing that:
"...he looked somewhat worn and anxious, and well he might; being at war with everybody - but the expression of his face was mild and pleasant, and his manner was remarkably unaffected, gentlemanly, and agreeable. I thought that in his whole carriage and demeanour, he became his station singularly well."
Although generally impressed by what he found, he could not forgive the continued existence of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the final chapters of the book are devoted to a criticism of the practice. He was also unhappy about copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
issues. Dickens, by this time, had become an international celebrity, but owing to the lack of an international copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
law, bootleg copies of his works were freely available in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and he could not abide losing money.
Dickens' letters home to his friends, including illustrator Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise was an Irish history, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England.-Early life:...
and John Forster
John Forster
John Forster , was an English biographer and critic and a friend of author Charles Dickens.-Life:He was born at Newcastle upon Tyne. His father, a Unitarian who belonged to the junior branch of a Northumberland family, was a cattle-dealer...
, helped to form the basis of the book.
Documentary (2005)
The book formed the basis for Dickens in AmericaDickens in America
Dickens in America is a 2005 television documentary following Charles Dickens' travels across the United States in 1842, during which the young journalist penned American Notes....
(2005), an authored documentary
Authored documentary
An authored documentary is a television documentary series that presents the subjective view of its author on the topic of the documentary. The format, expanding upon the presenter/author's thesis over a number of episodes was popularised with Kenneth Clark's landmark BBC 2 series Civilisation.The...
series by Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
in which Margolyes followed Dickens' journey through the United States, visiting many of the places mentioned by the author in his book.
External links
Online editions- American Notes at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated)- American Notes, New York: John W. Lovell company. 1883
- American Notes at University of AdelaideUniversity of AdelaideThe University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
(HTML) - American Notes at Virginia UniversityVirginia UniversityVirginia University could refer to one of several universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the southern United States:* Virginia University of Lynchburg, a historically black university in Lynchburg...
(HTML with reviews and maps)