Chapter II: Preface: To the “charles Dickens” Edition of “american Notes”

MY readers have opportunities of judging for themselves whether the influences and tendencies which I distrusted in America, had, at that time, 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 indications, 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

DEDICATION OF “AMERICAN NOTES” v PREFACE TO THE FIRST CHEAP EDITION OF “AMERICAN NOTES” vii PREFACE TO THE “CHARLES DICKENS” EDITION OF “AMERICAN NOTES” ix AMERICAN NOTES FOR GENERAL CIRCULATION CHAPTER I Going Away 3 CHAPTER II The Passage out 10 CHAPTER III Boston 22 CHAPTER IV An American Railroad. Lowell and its Factory System 52 CHAPTER V Worcester. The Connecticut River. Hartford. New Haven. To 60 New York CHAPTER VI New York 67 CHAPTER VII Philadelphia, and its Solitary Prison 81 CHAPTER VIII Washington. The Legislature. And the President’s House 94 CHAPTER IX A Night Steamer on the Potomac River. Virginia Road, and a 107 Black Driver. Richmond. Baltimore. The Harrisburg Mail, and a Glimpse of the City. A Canal Boat CHAPTER X Some further Account of the Canal Boat, its Domestic Economy, 121 and its Passengers. Journey to Pittsburg across the Alleghany Mountains. Pittsburg CHAPTER XI From Pittsburg to Cincinnati in a Western Steamboat. 130 Cincinnati CHAPTER XII From Cincinnati to Louisville in another Western Steamboat; 137 and from Louisville to St. Louis in another. St. Louis CHAPTER XIII A Jaunt to the Looking-glass Prairie and back 147 CHAPTER XIV Return to Cincinnati. A Stage-coach Ride from that City to 153 Columbus, and thence to Sandusky. So, by Lake Erie, to the Falls of Niagara CHAPTER XV In Canada; Toronto; Kingston; Montreal; Quebec; St. John’s. 167 In the United States again; Lebanon; The Shaker Village; West Point CHAPTER XVI The Passage Home 182 CHAPTER XVII Slavery 189 CHAPTER XVIII Concluding Remarks 202 Postscript 210

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE EMIGRANTS _Marcus Stone_, _R.A._ _Frontispiece_ THE SOLITARY PRISONER 90 BLACK AND WHITE 112 THE LITTLE WIFE 144