The American in England During the First Half Century of Independence

By: Spiller, Robert Ernest

"The American in England During the First Half Century of Independence" is a scholarly and engaging examination of the cultural and diplomatic interactions between the United States and Great Britain during the formative decades following the American Revolution. Written by the noted literary historian Robert Ernest Spiller, the work synthesizes a vast array of journals, letters, and published travel accounts to reconstruct how Americans perceived their former mother country. From the arrival of John Adams as the first minister to the burgeoning tourism of the early 19th century, the book traces the evolution of American identity through the lens of those who crossed the Atlantic.

Spiller explores the varied perspectives of diplomats, students, artists, and men of letters, detailing their reactions to English society, politics, and landscapes. This study highlights the complex blend of lingering resentment and deep-seated cultural affinity that characterized the post-independence era. By analyzing the firsthand reports of figures like Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper alongside lesser-known travelers, the work offers a unique window into the social history of the early Republic. It remains an essential resource for understanding the roots of the shared history between the two nations and the development of American international thought.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102605088X
• ISBN13: 9781026050880
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"