Anonymous Travel Diary from Boston to New Orleans
File — Box: 4281.001
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The fifty-two page travel diary documents an unnamed Northern man's travels from New England to the South. He used various means of transportation including stagecoach, railroads, and steamboats. His journey took him from Boston to New York, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and then to Florida where he spent the most amount of time. He described various Florida towns in detail: Tallahassee, Quincy, Chattahoochie, Apalachicola, Iola, and Cambridge. From Florida he traveled up to Columbus, Georgia, and then into Montgomery, Alabama,before heading south to Mobile. From Mobile, he traveled to New Orleans.
The writer comments extensively--usually unfavorably--on Southern cooking. He describes many aspects of Southern life and culture, with many observations on slavery and enslaved persons with whom he comes in contact. In Macon, Georgia, he witnessed the murder trial of a Black man, reporting that the man was acquitted. He describes the towns and cities he passes through and stays in, noting their architecture and business climate, often delivered with pithy and interesting anecdotes. His March 9 entry mentioned that a bridge over the Chattahoochee River had been designed by an enslaved person; this unnamed enslaved person was undoubtedly Horace King. The journal is especially interesting for its extensive descriptions of life and conditions in Florida.
The writer comments extensively--usually unfavorably--on Southern cooking. He describes many aspects of Southern life and culture, with many observations on slavery and enslaved persons with whom he comes in contact. In Macon, Georgia, he witnessed the murder trial of a Black man, reporting that the man was acquitted. He describes the towns and cities he passes through and stays in, noting their architecture and business climate, often delivered with pithy and interesting anecdotes. His March 9 entry mentioned that a bridge over the Chattahoochee River had been designed by an enslaved person; this unnamed enslaved person was undoubtedly Horace King. The journal is especially interesting for its extensive descriptions of life and conditions in Florida.
Dates
- 1842 - 1843
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.
Extent
From the Collection: 0.75 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository