Travels into North America, Volume 1 (of 3)

In Short

Pehr Kalm’s Travels into North America, Volume 1 is an observational travelogue recording a scientific expedition through the mid-Atlantic colonies in the late 1740s. A student of Carl Linnaeus, Kalm travels through maritime channels, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, meticulously documenting local flora, fauna, agriculture, and civic life. The text blends strict botanical and zoological categorization with pragmatic inquiries into colonial economics and domestic habits. It survives as an invaluable, highly detailed snapshot of pre-Revolutionary American landscapes, early colonial society, and the natural environment as viewed through an Enlightenment lens.

The Story

The volume opens during the sea voyage from Europe to North America, where the narrative immediate establishes its rigorous empirical focus. Kalm spends the Atlantic crossing observing maritime phenomena, cataloging species of jellyfish—such as the Portuguese man-of-war—recording sightings of barnacles on floating timber, and marveling at white butterflies blown miles out to sea in the English Channel.

Upon reaching land, Kalm establishes a base in Philadelphia, using the city and its surrounding countryside as a springboard for extensive regional excursions through Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The narrative progresses geographically and seasonally, tracking his journeys through farmlands, river settlements, and woodland trails into late autumn. In Philadelphia, Kalm documents the civic infrastructure, noting the town hall with its assembly tower, and details the diverse religious landscape, describing the worship spaces and customs of Quakers, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Moravians, and Swedenborgians.

As Kalm moves into the rural districts, his attention shifts to the intersection of human settlement and the natural environment. He studies native wildlife, providing detailed accounts of raccoons, beavers, otters, and various squirrel species, while evaluating their potential for domestication or their role as agricultural pests. He pays close attention to the region’s vegetation, examining wild grapes, mulberry trees, Datura, and native shrubs like Kalmia. Throughout his travels, Kalm engages with local settlers, indigenous inhabitants, and fellow naturalists—most notably John Bartram—inquiring constantly into agricultural practices, crop yields, and the economic viability of local industries such as silk production or wine-making.

The narrative tracks the onset of colder weather as Kalm travels toward Elizabeth-town Point, Staten Island, and the borders of New York. His observations adapt to the seasonal shifts, focusing on wintering techniques for non-native crops like sweet potatoes, the impact of severe frosts on imported livestock, and the seasonal prevalence of diseases like ague and malaria near low-lying coastal marshes. The volume concludes with a series of analytical observations on regional trade, the treatment and physical acclimation of enslaved Africans, and the natural history of the northern colonies.

How It Unfolds

The ocean crossing The voyage across the Atlantic is marked by continuous scientific recording of marine life, floating debris, and windblown insects far from shore. Kalm observes distinct varieties of jellyfish and notes the resilience of common flies inside the ship's cabin.

Arrival in Philadelphia Landing in Pennsylvania, Kalm examines the architectural layout, public buildings, and varied religious meeting houses of Philadelphia. He describes the municipal governance structures and the distinct burial grounds used by different religious and racial groups.

Excursions through the countryside Traveling through the rural roads of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Kalm records the state of local orchards, note-taking on heavy morning dews, and observing native trees climbing with wild vines. He marvels at the generosity of local farm owners who allow travelers to pick fruit freely from roadside gardens.

Investigations into native fauna Kalm pauses his travel itinerary to compile detailed natural histories of local animals, including ground squirrels, raccoons, and rattlesnakes. He documents their feeding habits, their impact on maize crops, and local attempts to tame species like otters and beavers for practical use.

Consultations with local naturalists Through conversations with figures like John Bartram, Kalm investigates why certain industries—such as silk production and commercial vineyards—have failed to take root despite the abundance of native mulberries and wild grapes. Labor shortages and poor grape quality emerge as the primary obstacles.

Journey toward New York Crossing Staten Island via rotten ferry craft, Kalm evaluates the transition into New York territory, noting the predominant Dutch heritage of the settlers and the political friction between colonial governors and local legislative assemblies.

The People

Pehr (Peter) Kalm The author and main observer, a Swedish professor of economy and pupil of Carl Linnaeus. Kalm wants to collect useful plants, natural specimens, and agricultural knowledge that can benefit Swedish industry and science. Confronted by unfamiliar terrain and missing European amenities, he approaches every farm, forest, and settlement with methodical curiosity.

John Bartram An eminent American botanist who serves as Kalm’s primary informant and guide in Pennsylvania. Bartram wants to document and cultivate native American flora, sharing his deep practical knowledge of local roots like Tuckahoo, wild grape varieties, and native trees. He continually tempers European theoretical assumptions with grounded colonial experience.

John Reinhold Forster The English translator and scholar who edited the volume for the British public. Forster wants to present Kalm’s work clearly while adding scholarly footnotes to correct or expand upon Kalm's taxonomy and theories. His presence is felt through corrective annotations on animal behavior and mineralogy.

The Colonial Settlers A diverse mixture of Swedish, English, German, and Dutch farmers and townspeople whom Kalm interviews. They want to secure reliable harvests, protect their crops from destructive wildlife, and maintain their religious traditions. They navigate a land of abundant soil but high labor costs.

In Its Own Voice

"The locusts and grasshoppers made likewise such a great noise, that it was hardly possible for one person to understand another."

Kalm describes the intense auditory experience of walking through the early autumn landscape of Pennsylvania.

"The country people in Sweden and Finland guarded their turneps more carefully, than the people here do the most exquisite fruits."

Observing the vast orchards along his route, Kalm contrasts European scarcity with the overwhelming agricultural abundance of the American colonies.

"If an inhabitant of the higher part of the country... removes into the lower parts, he may be well assured that the fever will attack him at the usual time."

Analyzing regional health patterns, Kalm notes how local geography and stagnant marsh waters directly affect the health of incoming settlers.

What It's Really About

Travels into North America is fundamentally an investigation into how human societies adapt to and extract value from a new natural environment. Beneath its catalog of plants and animals lies a constant inquiry into economic utility: Kalm continually measures whether North American species can be cultivated, domesticated, or exported to benefit European markets. The text highlights the tension between theoretical natural science and practical frontier survival, showing how European assumptions about labor, agriculture, and forestry were continually reshaped by the realities of American soil, climate, and availability of labor.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy historical travel literature, early American history, and environmental writing. Reading Kalm feels like walking through an unpaved, eighteenth-century landscape alongside an extraordinarily observant companion who notes every bird call, soil type, and fence design.

The reader must navigate period-specific difficulties, including lengthy taxonomical descriptions, archaic spelling conventions, and historical Eurocentric assumptions regarding native populations and enslaved people. Yet the reward is an unfiltered, highly textured vision of early America before the Revolution—a world where wild vines engulfed entire forests, ground squirrels threatened whole harvests, and small colonial towns teemed with competing religious sects.

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