A Woman’s Perspective on Backcountry America

MARGARET VAN HORN DWIGHT, A Journey to Ohio (1810)

The democratic America that de Crèvecoeur celebrated (Document P3-2) was the same one Margaret Van Horn Dwight barely endured while traveling from Connecticut through southern Pennsylvania to join her family in Warren, Ohio. Margaret was twenty when she left her well-heeled Connecticut family (both her uncle and a cousin were presidents of Yale), and her observations of the young republic, with its multiethnic and economically diverse population, betray her gendered and class-bound conception of American society, one in competition with other perspectives she encountered.

Sunday Eve — Sundown —

I can wait no longer to write you, for I have a great deal to say — I should not have thought it possible to pass a Sabbath in our country among such a dissolute vicious set of wretches as we are now among — I believe at least 50 dutchmen have been here to day to smoke, drink, swear, pitch cents, almost dance, laugh & talk dutch & stare at us. They come in, in droves young & old — black & white — women & children. It is dreadful to see so many people that you cannot speak to or understand — They are all high dutch, but I hope not a true specimen of the Pennsylvanians generally — Just as we set down to tea, in came a dozen or two of women, each with a child in her arms, & stood round the room — I did not know but they had come in a body to claim me as one of their kin, for they all resemble me — but as they said nothing to me, I concluded they came to see us Yankees, as they would a learned pig — The women dress in striped linsey woolsey petticoats & short gowns not 6 inches in length — they look very strangely — The men dress much better — they put on their best cloaths on sunday, which I suppose is their only holiday, & “keep it up” as they call it — A stage came on from Bethlehem & stopt here, with 2 girls & a well dress’d fellow who sat between them an arm round each — They were probably going to the next town to a dance or a frolic of some kind — for the driver, who was very familiar with them, said he felt just right for a frolic — I suspect more liquor has been sold to day than all the week besides — The children have been calling us Yankees (which is the only english word they can speak) all day long — Whether it was meant as a term of derision or not, I neither know nor care — of this I am sure, they cannot feel more contempt for me than I do for them; — tho’ I most sincerely pity their ignorance & folly — There seems to be no hope of their improvement as they will not attend to any means — After saying so much about the people, I will describe our yesterday’s ride — but first I will describe our last nights lodging — Susan & me ask’d to go to bed — & Mrs W spoke to Mr Riker the landlord — (for no woman was visible) — So he took up a candle to light us & we ask’d Mrs W to go up with us, for we did not dare go alone — when we got into a room he went to the bed & open’d it for us, while we were almost dying with laughter, & then stood waiting with the candle for us to get into bed — but Mrs W — as soon as she could speak, told him she would wait & bring down the candle & he then left us.… I did not undress at all, for I expected dutchmen in every moment & you may suppose slept very comfortably in that expectation —— Mr & Mrs W, & another woman slept in the same room … in the middle of the night, I was awaken’d by the entrance of three dutchmen, who were in search of a bed — I was almost frightened to death — but Mr W at length heard & stopt them before they had quite reach’d our bed.… I think wild Indians will be less terrible to me, than these creatures — Nothing vexes me more than to see them set & look at us & talk in dutch and laugh.…

From Easton, we came to Bethlehem, which is 12 miles distant from it — Mr W. went a mile out of his way, that we might see the town — It contains almost entirely dutch people — The houses there are nearly all stone — but like Easton it contains some pretty brick houses — It has not half as many stores as Easton —— The meeting house is a curious building-it looks like a castle — I suppose it is stone, — the outside is plaister’d — We left our waggon to view the town — we did not know whether the building was a church or the moravian school, so we enquir’d of 2 or 3 men who only answer’d in dutch — Mr & Mrs W were purchasing bread, & Susan & I walk’d on to enquire — we next saw a little boy on horseback, & he could only say “me cannot english” but he I believe, spoke to another, for a very pretty boy came near us & bow’d & expecting us to speak, which we soon did; & he pointed out the school & explained the different buildings to us as well as he was able; but we found it difficult to understand him, for he could but just “english” — We felt very much oblig’d to him, though we neglected to tell him so — He is the only polite dutchman small or great, we have yet seen; & I am unwilling to suppose him a Dutchman.…

Wednesday October 31st Highdlegurg — Penn —

We pass’d through Reading yesterday which is one of the largest & prettiest towns I have seen.… Almost every one could talk english — but I believe the greatest part of them were dutch people — As soon as we left Reading, we cross’d the Schuylkill — It was not deeper than the Lehi, & we rode thro’ it in our wagon.… We put up for the night at Leonard Shaver’s tavern — He is a dutchman, but has one of the most agreeable women for his wife I have seen in this State — I was extremely tir’d when we stopt, & went immediately to bed after tea — & for the first time for a long while, undress’d me & had a comfortable nights rest — We are oblig’d to sleep every & any way — at most of the inns now —— My companions were all disturb’d by the waggoners who put up here & were all night in the room below us, eating, drinking, talking, laughing & swearing — Poor Mr W — was so disturb’d that he is not well this morning, & what is more unpleasant to us, is not good natur’d.… If I were going to be married I would give my intended, a gentle emetic, or some such thing to see how he would bear being sick a little — for I could not coax a husband as I would a child, only because he was a little sick & a great deal cross — I trust I shall never have the trial — I am sure I should never bear it with temper & patience.…

Harrisburg — P — Thursday — Eve — November — 1st 1810 —

We put up for the Sabbath at a tavern where none but the servants deign to look at us — When I am with such people, my proud spirit rises & I feel superior to them all — I believe no regard is paid to the sabbath any where in this State — It is only made a holiday of — So much swearing as I have heard amongst the Pensylvanians both men & women I have never heard before during my whole life — I feel afraid I shall become so accustom’d to hearing it, as to feel no uneasiness at it. Harrisburgh is a most dissipated place I am sure — & the small towns seem to partake of the vice & dissipation of the great ones — I believe Mrs Jackson has cast her eyes on Susan or me for a daughter in law — for my part, though I feel very well disposed toward the young man, I had not thought of making a bargain with him, but I have jolted off most of my high notions, & perhaps I may be willing to descend from a judge to a blacksmith — I shall not absolutely determine with respect to him till I get to Warren & have time to look about me & compare him with the judges Dobson & Stephenson — It is clever to have two or three strings to ones bow — But in spite of my prejudices, they are very clever.…

Saturday Eve — 2 Miles from Laurel Hill — Penn —

We came but 9 or 10 miles to day, & are now near the 6th Mountain — in a tavern fill’d with half drunken noisy waggoners — One of them lies singing directly before the fire; proposing just now to call for a song from the young ladies —— I can neither think nor write he makes so much noise with his love songs; I am every moment expecting something dreadful & dare not lay down my pen lest they should think me listening to them — They are the very worst wretches that ever liv’d, I do believe, — I am out of all patience with them — The whole world nor any thing in it, would tempt me to stay in this State three months — I dislike everything belonging to it — I am not so foolish as to suppose there are no better people in it than those we have seen; but let them be ever so good, I never desire to see any of them —— We overtook an old waggoner whose waggon had got set in the mud, & I never heard a creature swear so — & whipt his horses till I thought they would die — I could not but wonder at the patience and forbearance of the Almighty, whose awful name was so blasphem’d — We also overtook a young Doctor-who is going with his father to Mad river in the state of Ohio —— He has been studying physic in New Jersey, — but appears to be an uneducated man from the language he makes use of —— I believe both himself & his father are very clever — I heard them reproving a swearer — He dresses smart, & was so polite as to assist us in getting over the mud — Susan & I walk’d on before the waggon as usual, & he overtook us and invited us into the house & call’d for some brandy sling — we did not drink, which he appear’d not to like very well, & has scarcely spoken to us since.…

Sunday Eve — Nov-19th — Foot of Laurel Hill — Penn —

I wish my dear Elizabeth, you could be here for half an hour, & hear the strangest man talk, that you or I ever saw in this world — He is either mad or a fool — I don’t know which, but he looking over me & telling me I can make a writer — He is the most rating, ranting fellow — I wish you could hear him —— I begin to think him mad — His name is Smith — He & his wife are journeying either to New Orleans or the Ohio —— I never was more diverted than to hear him (he is certainly crazy — repeating a prayer & a sermon & forty other things in a breath) talk about the Dutchmen in Pennsylvania — He & his wife came amongst them one evening & stopt at several houses to get entertainment, but was sent on by each one to the tavern — He began by stating his religious tenets, & at length after every body & thing was created, he says the under Gods (of whom he supposes there were a great number) took some of the skum & stir’d it up, & those fellows came out — or rather Hell boil’d over & they were form’d of the skum —— I believe he has been studying all his life for hard words & pompous speeches, & he rattled them off at a strange rate — His language is very ungrammatical — but the Jacksons are all in raptures with him — They cannot understand his language (nor indeed could any one else) & therefore concluded he must be very learned — Their observations are almost as diverting as his conversation — I could make them believe in ten minutes, that I was a girl of great larnin — if I were to say over Kermogenious — Heterogenious & a few such words without any connection — no matter if I do but bring them in some how.

Margaret Van Horn Dwight, A Journey to Ohio in 1810, ed. Max Farrand, Intr. Jay Gitlin (Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1991), 16–20, 22–24, 28–29, 48–51.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS