Books in the Cambridge Library Collection - North American History series

In 1841, aged just sixteen, the intrepid young Scotsman Robert M. Ballantyne (1825-94) joined the Hudson's Bay Company. Posted immediately to North-Eastern Canada, he spent five years traversing the region's inhospitable terrain by sleigh and canoe. His journal and letters home were so evocative that, upon his return, he was persuaded to publish an account of his experiences. Combining anthropological observations with descriptions of landscapes, plants, and animals, the account was applauded by the Dundee Courier for 'opening up a mine of information to the curious' and 'describing the everyday life of a novel and singular existence' with 'buoyancy and animation'. Appearing within a year of the first edition in 1848, the second edition reproduced here is illustrated throughout with views and vignettes. 'Free from tedious details and unnecessary wordiness', Ballantyne's fast-moving and readable narrative challenges many misconceptions about nineteenth-century Canada and its indigenous peoples.

Robert Dale Owen (1801-77) was a social reformer and politician who emigrated to the United States in 1825. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1842, and appointed US Minister at Naples in 1853. He was the author of political pamphlets, as well as books inspired by spiritualism, such as Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World (1860; also reissued in this series). First published in 1874, this autobiography focuses on Owen's early life, beginning with the history of his family before his birth. As well as Owen's childhood in New Lanark, it documents the beginnings of the experimental community set up by Robert Owen, the author's father, in New Harmony, Indiana. Owen, who emigrated to the United States to help his father in this project, tells of his own experience of communal life, and sheds light on an early example of Utopian socialism.

The American artist George Catlin (1796-1872) was fascinated by the indigenous peoples of North and South America. Spending many years travelling and living among different tribes, he felt compelled by a desire to rescue from destruction 'the looks and customs of the vanishing races of native man in America'. Famed for his paintings of Native Americans, he also wrote a number of books. In the present work, first published in 1861, Catlin recounts his childhood in Pennsylvania, where he witnessed hostilities between settlers and the indigenous people. He also covers his later travels through the Americas and his time in Europe, where he introduced visiting Native Americans to English and French royalty. Although intended for children, his illustrated stories make lively and compelling reading for all ages. Catlin's 1868 follow-up, Last Rambles Amongst the Indians of the Rocky Mountains and the Andes, is also reissued in this series.

The American artist George Catlin (1796-1872) was fascinated by the indigenous people of his homeland and spent many years living among them, painting them, and collecting their artefacts. In 1839 he took his vast collection to Europe to exhibit it, and he also toured with groups of visiting Native Americans. This illustrated two-volume account of his experiences was published in 1848. In Volume 2, Catlin discusses his travels with visiting Native Americans to Dublin, and later Paris, where he staged another exhibition and met King Louis Philippe. The final chapter recounts Catlin's attempt to sell his entire collection to the United States government to preserve 'all the records of this dying race'. His earlier account, Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians (1841), is also reissued in this series, along with two later books for children about life among various tribes.

The American artist George Catlin (1796-1872) was fascinated by the indigenous people of his homeland and spent many years living among them, painting them, and collecting their artefacts. In 1839 he took his vast collection to Europe to exhibit it, and he also toured with groups of visiting Native Americans. This illustrated two-volume account of his experiences was published in 1848. Volume 1 begins with Catlin's voyage to England across the Atlantic, for which he embarked with eight tons of freight. He goes on to discuss such events as introducing a group of Native Americans to Queen Victoria. He also includes, in the appendices, press reviews of the exhibition and a catalogue of his collection. Catlin's earlier account, Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians (1841), is also reissued in this series, along with two later books for children about life among various tribes.

The Victorian printer Emily Faithfull (1835-95) published Three Visits in 1884. The work is an account of her American lecture tours that took place in 1872-3, 1882-3 and 1884. Faithfull, a controversial and independently minded figure, campaigned for the employment and education rights of women. In 1860, Faithfull set up a printing establishment for women, the Victoria Press, where, despite fierce resistance from the printing trade, she employed and trained women as compositors. In 1862, she was made Printer and Publisher in Ordinary to Queen Victoria. Faithfull, a talented speaker, lectured widely on how America was dealing with the changing position of women, and the campaign for women's employment rights. This account remains a key source for the history of liberal feminism and the emancipation of nineteenth-century women.

Originally published in 1808, this work had long been out of print before being revived in this 1876 edition, which is enhanced by a biography of the author by her godson. A poet, letter-writer and essayist, Anne Grant (1755-1838) lived in America between the ages of three and thirteen, after which her family returned to Scotland. Described by the author as a 'miscellany of description, observation and detail', the book paints a charming picture of New York life in the idyllic world of pre-revolutionary America. Grant blends memories of her childhood in Albany with biographical details of her friend Madame Schuyler, of whom she wrote 'whatever culture my mind received, I owe to her'. Greatly admired by Scott and Southey, the book provides sketches of New York life alongside anecdotes of the Indians. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/protected/svPeople?formname=r&person_id=granan

The Cornish-born traveller and writer James Silk Buckingham (1786-1855) campaigned energetically for social reform while a Member of Parliament during the 1830s. He later spent four years in North America, and in 1839 travelled on to Canada to investigate its social and economic landscape. In this revealing account, first published in 1843, Buckingham recalls his experiences in the Eastern provinces. He found the Canadians to be civilized, hospitable, hard working and unfailingly loyal to Britain (unlike the independent Americans, who he reports they despised). He also encountered evidence of widespread poverty, and argues that in order to advance Canada's economy and, in turn, that of Britain, new emigrants needed better financial support from the British government. He concludes by calling for a new system whereby land, labour, skill and capital would be optimally utilized, in a pioneering proposal that he expected to prove controversial.

Laurence Oliphant (1829-88) was a much-travelled British diplomat and writer. In the mid-nineteenth century, between two stints in the Caucasus, he spent several years in North America, helped Lord Elgin negotiate a trade treaty between Canada and the US, and was for a time Superintendent-General for Indian Affairs in Canada. In this book, first published in 1855, Oliphant expresses his enthusiasm for the rapid development in the American West that was being driven by industry and commerce. He documents a fact-finding journey around the Great Lakes region, travelling on the new railway and adventurously taking a bark canoe down rapids and across portages. From picnics, dances and sleigh rides to mining, forest clearance and land speculation, Oliphant conveys a vivid picture of the opportunities and hardships of the frontier society. He focuses in detail on the Native Americans he encountered, their customs, skills, way of life and future prospects.

Published in 1863, English novelist George Alfred Lawrence's first foray into travel-writing recounts a failed attempt to join the Confederate Army of Virginia. Lawrence (1827-76), who abandoned a law career when his first novel (1853) sold, became known for books that celebrated the brash, violent, aristocratic hero. Lawrence had joined the militia in England, and one critic has suggested that Lawrence's American expedition was his attempt to live as his most famous character, Guy Livingstone, and his attempt to write himself into heroism. In novelistic fashion his work describes his voyage from England to New York, his journey as far as Maryland, his capture by farmers, and his weeks in a Washington gaol. Lawrence embraced the Confederate cause and his work, often racist and relativist, expresses total faith in it.

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 9, on Madison's second administration (1813-17), also includes an index to all volumes.

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 8 continues the account of the second administration of James Madison.

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 7 describes the second administration of James Madison (1813-17).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 6 continues the account of the first administration of James Madison (1809-13).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 5 describes the first administration of James Madison (1809-13).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 4 continues the account of the second administration of Thomas Jefferson (1805-9).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 3 describes the second administration of Thomas Jefferson (1805-9).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 2 continues the account of the first administration of Thomas Jefferson (1801-5).

Henry Adams (1838-1918), journalist, novelist, and historian, was the great-grandson of John Adams and grandson of John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the United States. A professor of medieval history at Harvard whose areas of research were wide-ranging, he was deeply interested in the evolution of democracy in the United States. While Adams is best remembered for his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1907), for which he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer prize, his nine-volume history of the United States during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison (1801-17), which was published 1889-91, has been hailed as one of the greatest historical works in English. Adams was an advocate of scientific history, and this monumental work adheres to its principles, considering social trends and circumstances rather than focusing on particular events. Volume 1 describes the first administration of Thomas Jefferson (1801-5).

The son of a naturalist, William Bartram (1739-1823) was commissioned to undertake a tour of south-eastern North America in 1773. Collecting seeds, taking specimens and making meticulous drawings and observations of previously unknown flora and fauna, his four-year expedition took him from the foothills of the Appalachians, through Florida and on to the Mississippi. First published in 1791, within ten years this account had been translated into German, French and Dutch. A unique historical record now, and of particular interest at the time, his accounts of the Seminole, Creek and Cherokee Indians were seen by contemporaries as being sympathetic towards peoples commonly regarded as little better than savages, but his writings persuaded others of the need for a more humane approach to the indigenous people. This work influenced not only scientists, but writers such as Wordsworth and Coleridge, and it remains a classic of American science, history and literature.

Florence Kelley (1859-1932) was a committed socialist and political reformer who campaigned against child labour in the United States. In 1899 she became the leader of the National Consumers' League, an anti-sweatshop and pro-minimum wage pressure group which she supported until her death. This volume, first published in 1914, describes her views on the problems facing American society due to the expansion of industry. Kelley discusses the negative effects of rapid industrialisation on the American urban working class, in terms of the effects on the family, on the health of workers, on the education of the working class; and discusses the economic 'morality' of controlling the means of production. She also suggests possible legislation to mitigate these problems, some of which later passed into federal law. This volume provides a vivid description of the lives of America's urban working class and illustrates the extent of contemporary industrialisation in America.

Having urged political reforms in Britain, Richard Price (1723-91) turned to defending the cause of American independence. Born in Wales, Price became an influential moral philosopher, dissenting Protestant preacher, political pamphleteer, and economic theorist. Known for his trenchant defence of the freedom of the human will against philosophical sceptics, Price applied his justification of individual moral agency to political issues - particularly the American Revolution - during the latter part of his life. This tract on America first appeared in 1784. Defining the right of American colonists to oppose British corruption, it suggested that their independence would offer much 'benefit to the world'. But it also offered a relatively rare critique of the system of racial slavery that continued to develop in America. Reissued here is the 1785 publication that also contained translations from French of a letter to Price by the economist Turgot and a parody by Charles-Joseph Mathon de la Cour which had amused Benjamin Franklin.

The botanist and explorer John Bartram (1699-1777) is regarded as having created the first true botanical collection in North America. Alongside Benjamin Franklin, he was also in 1743 a founding member of the American Philosophical Society. In the summer of the same year, he set out from Philadelphia on an expedition through Iroquois lands. Published in London in 1751 through the efforts of Bartram's correspondent and fellow botanist Peter Collinson, this short work chronicles the six-week journey, offering an important early insight into the region's ecology. As well as providing observations on flora, fauna and geography, Bartram includes insightful descriptions of the activities of the Native American population. The expedition members were able to travel further than was previously possible owing to the participation of the agent and interpreter Conrad Weiser, who had earned the respect of the Iroquois. The work concludes with a brief description of Niagara Falls by the naturalist Peter Kalm.

Published together in 1846 for a British readership, these reports of two westward expeditions shed light on the challenges of exploration in nineteenth-century North America. Led by the army officer and future presidential candidate John Charles Fremont (1813-90), who became known as 'the Pathfinder', the first expedition ranged west of the Missouri River, while the second pushed beyond the Rocky Mountains, north to Fort Vancouver and then south into Mexican-held California. Fremont's detailed accounts are accessible to the non-specialist: this edition omits 'only the portions which are altogether astronomical, scientific, and philosophical, and, therefore, not adapted for general utility'. When originally published separately in 1843 and 1845, the narratives enthused a great many Americans, encouraging them to migrate west by providing stirring inspiration, valuable maps and practical information. Fremont's words and deeds remain of interest in the debate surrounding the 'manifest destiny' of the United States.

The most renowned naval officer of the mid-nineteenth century, Thomas Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald (1775-1860), served in wars against Spain and France, retiring as an admiral in the Royal Navy. He was also an M.P., vociferously calling for naval reform in Parliament. Due to a financial scandal, he left the Royal Navy for a period and became a celebrated mercenary, commanding naval forces in the wars of independence of Chile, Peru, Brazil and Greece. First published in 1851, this work contains notes on a voyage of 1849 around the West Indies and North America. Describing the peoples and geography encountered, it offers progressive remarks on the end of slavery, criticisms of plantation owners, and suggestions for commercial improvements. The book remains of enduring interest to scholars of naval, colonial and Caribbean history.

This collection of some of George Washington's most important letters and speeches documents key moments of his military and political career as a general in the American army during the War of Independence and as the first President of the United States. Published in 1800 following Washington's death in 1799, this collection is dedicated to Washington's widow Martha and contains details of Washington's state funeral and memorial, and letters of condolence. The book includes a short biography covering the triumphs and tribulations of the war and presidency and describing the dedication to his country that caused Washington to be referred to as the 'Father of Our Country'. The public letters and speeches that Washington gave to Congress, the army and the public, such as The Address on the Cessation of Hostilities, mark a turning point in American history and the establishment of the modern democracy.

Fur trader Alexander Henry (1765-1814) and geographer David Thompson (1770-1857) were employees of the Northwest Company. Their unpublished journals were edited by the ornithologist Elliott Coues (1842-99) and appeared in 1897 in three volumes; in this two-volume reissue the index volume is included in Volume 2.

Published in 1860, this is a two-volume account of expeditions to investigate underexplored areas of Canada and their agricultural and mineral potential. Illustrated with plates based on photographs, this work by geologist Henry Youle Hind (1823-1908) remains a classic of nineteenth-century exploration literature, intended for a broad readership.

Sir James Edward Alexander (1803-85), an officer in the British Army, travelled the world extensively and published over a dozen fascinating accounts of his journeys. In this two-volume work, published in 1833, he offers his insights into the landscapes, peoples and practices of the Americas.