Domestic Manners of the Americans'it appeared to me that the greatest and best feelings of the human heart were paralyzed by the relative positions of slave and owner' In Domestic Manners of the Americans Frances Trollope recounts her travels through America between 1827 and 1830, describing her voyage up the Mississippi from New Orleans, a two-year stay in Cincinnati, and a subsequent tour of Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. A transatlantic best-seller on publication in 1832, its forthright criticisms of American manners encompassed spitting, religious extremism, ladies' dress, the relentless pursuit of money, and the unequal treatment of women, slaves, and Native Americans. Witty, satiric, and hugely entertaining, Trollope also had a serious purpose in warning her compatriots of the consequences of democratic freedoms at a time of great social change in England. Deploring slavery and the hypocrisy that sanctioned it, she fuelled abolitionist debate on both sides of the Atlantic and so impressed Mark Twain that fifty years later he considered her book to be the most accurate portrait of American life in the nineteenth century. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
American amusement appeared arrived asked attention beautiful become began believe better called CHAPTER church Cincinnati conversation described Domestic Manners effect England English entered equal expect extremely eyes fall feeling forest Frances gentlemen give ground half hand handsome head heard hour imagine interest Italy kind known ladies land laws leaving less living London look lovely manner means meet miles Miss nature nearly never night novel object observed once party passed perhaps persons poor present pretty produced Quaker reached received river rock scene seemed seen side slave society soon speak streets thing thought told took town trees Trollope United visited walk Washington whole woman women York young