American Travel Narratives

Ever since the founding of the American Republic (and some might argue from the earliest days of colonial settlement), visitors and natives alike have travelled the United States of America in search of the US National Character. Perhaps the most eloquent summation of the search comes in one of its earliest attempts Hector St John de Crevecoeur’s Letters from an American Farmer. Letter III is entitled “What is an American?” It is a question that no-one, native or outside observer, has yet found a satisfactory answer to.

There is something about the American Dream that is intoxicating – its promises of freedom and progress almost inextricably intertwined. It finds its expression in all kinds of nooks and crannies, from Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis to Michael Howard’s invocation of a ‘British Dream’ early in his tenure as leader of the Conservative Party here in Britain. And yet pinning it down to something more tangible is a somewhat more tricky task.

A whole host of writers, then, from Alexis de Tocqueville to Bill Bryson, have travelled across America hoping to divine some insight into the nature of democracy, into the paradoxes and oddities of such a large, diverse nation. It goes without saying that they all bring their own personal hopes and dreams with them in their narratives; it goes without saying, also, that they were travelling in remarkably different times.

One of the things I am currently doing with my spare time is reading (or, often, re-reading) these narratives to see what sort of picture of America they portray, and on what issues they differ. Have views of America stayed the same over the years (especially over the 20th century)? Did the hopes of 18th and 19th century writers come to fruition? From what sources does admiration of America flow most easily from?

So, over the coming months, expect to see a number of book review-style posts as I work my way through the books I have at hand. It’s part of my aim to make the list as eclectic as possible, with Americans and foreigners alike included, as well as journalistic and serious studies. If anyone has any suggestions for what I might like to include on my list, please feel free to make suggestions in the comments.