Faux's Memorable Days in America, 1819-20

In Short

This volume collects the journals of two British travelers—William Faux and Adlard Welby—who toured the United States between 1819 and 1820. Driven by the hope of evaluating America as a destination for emigrants, both men documented the geography, social customs, and economic realities of the frontier and the coastal cities. Because they wrote with the candid, often critical eyes of disillusioned "John Bulls," their observations provide a sharp, unvarnished look at the realities of early American life, from the wilderness of the Illinois territory to the bustling ports of Philadelphia.

The Story

The narrative arc of these journals follows the physical movement of the authors from the Atlantic coast, through the arduous interior, and back again. For both travelers, the voyage begins with the expectation of finding a new, egalitarian world, but their experiences quickly shift toward a weary assessment of American character. They describe the transition from the relatively settled regions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey into the wild, unpredictable terrain of the Ohio Valley and the Kentucky frontier.

As they move westward, the tone becomes increasingly focused on the practicalities of settlement. They document the challenges of navigating raw, unmapped roads and the "delusive" nature of land schemes designed to entrap newcomers. The authors interact with a variety of figures, including American tavern keepers who hold political office, stoic indigenous leaders, and fellow British expatriates who have staked their fortunes on remote wilderness settlements. Throughout their travels, they are struck by the contrast between the high-minded rhetoric of American liberty and the harsh, often brutal realities of a society driven by the pursuit of money.

The journey reaches its thematic core in the western settlements, where they witness the isolation of those who sought a new start in the wilderness. They observe the rise and fall of utopian projects and the persistent instability of frontier life. As they return eastward to spend a winter in Philadelphia, the focus shifts to urban society, the nuances of American law, and the stark realities of slavery, which they view with a complex mix of horror and detached curiosity. The journals conclude with a sober reflection on the differences between the British and American temperaments. The authors return home with a profound skepticism regarding the promise of the "republican experiment," ultimately advising their countrymen to be wary of the siren call of American prosperity.

How It Unfolds

The arrival and coastal tour The travelers navigate the Atlantic to reach the port cities, where they encounter the initial frictions of American manners, noting the lack of deference from the working classes and the high cost of luxury goods. They describe the geography of the East, from the rivers of Pennsylvania to the bustling taverns that serve as the centers of local public life.

Crossing the Alleghenies The journey pushes inland, where the authors contend with the rugged challenges of travel in a developing nation. They document the transition from the familiar comforts of the coast to the more primitive conditions of the frontier, where state boundaries mean little compared to the quality of the roads.

The Western frontier The accounts move into Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, where the narrative centers on the realities of the wilderness. Here, the travelers report on the interactions between settlers, the influence of political figures like Henry Clay, and the social dynamics of slave-holding states versus free territories.

Settlements and return The journals detail visits to experimental communities like Harmony, where the travelers assess the success of utopian ideals against the backdrop of harsh isolation. Finally, they recount a winter spent in Philadelphia, where they evaluate the institutions, law, and social atmosphere of the established republic before embarking on their return voyage.

The People

William Faux and Adlard Welby serve as the primary lenses through which the reader sees America; both are pragmatic, skeptical Englishmen whose primary goal is to protect their compatriots from financial ruin. Henry Clay emerges as a prominent political figure, described by Faux for his quick, intuitive mind and his ability to command authority with a plain, easy manner. The authors also encounter various "American" archetypes, such as the tavern-keeping 'Squire—a man who balances professional duties with manual labor—and the indigenous leaders who move through the cities, displaying a quiet dignity that contrasts with the frantic, money-hunting behavior of the white settlers. The utopian visionaries like the founders of the Harmony colony represent the experimental, often misguided optimism of the era, while the enslaved populations they encounter serve as a grim, silent witness to the contradictions of a "free" nation.

In Its Own Voice

"There is, indeed, a something in a real upright and downright honest John Bull, that cannot be found in the sly, say-nothing, smiling, deep speculating, money-hunting Jonathans of this all-men-are-born-equally-free-and-independent, negro-driving, cow-skin republic."

Faux reflects on the fundamental cultural divide between the British character and the emerging American identity.

"The American upon his own soil is in business and speculation an overmatch for Europeans."

Welby offers a blunt warning to any prospective immigrant who believes they can outmaneuver the locals in the rough-and-tumble American economy.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is a study of the clash between idealistic expectations and the grinding reality of a frontier economy. The authors grapple with the overarching question of whether the "republican experiment" is a genuine leap forward for humanity or merely a new, more aggressive iteration of human avarice. They examine how the promise of equality and freedom is mediated by a ruthless focus on profit, questioning if the American spirit is defined by its stated democratic values or by an underlying, insatiable desire for land and wealth. The book serves as a critique of colonial-era romanticism, stripping away the mythology of the New World to reveal a society struggling with the burdens of slavery, social volatility, and the profound isolation of the wilderness.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in early American social history will find this volume invaluable for its granular, ground-level perspective. It is a rewarding read for those who prefer historical accounts that eschew romanticism, favoring instead the sharp, sometimes prickly observations of a contemporary visitor. The book captures the distinct, often jarring sensation of a traveler navigating a country that is physically vast and socially unfamiliar.

Readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes of the authors, which include a deep-seated bias toward British social norms and a sometimes jarringly detached view of the brutal realities of slavery. The prose, while occasionally dense with the vernacular and long-winded observations of the nineteenth-century journal style, offers a rare, unfiltered window into the daily life of the early 1800s. You will find yourself lingering over the authors' descriptions of the fireflies in the night air or the strange, "abominable" cooking practices they encountered in rural taverns. It is a book that stays with you, not because it tells a sweeping, heroic story, but because it captures the raw, human, and often messy struggle of building a nation from the ground up.