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Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America

and a Stay of Several Years Along the Missouri (During the Years 1824-1827)

Gottfried Duden

James Goodrich

Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America

400 pages

Published: August 2017

ISBN: 9780826221438

Format:

Paperback

Price: $44.95

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About This Book

The mass migrations to the United States from Europe that began in the 1830s were strongly influenced by what is known today as emigration literature—travelers’ writings about their experiences in the New World. Gottfried Duden’s account, published in 1829, was among the most influential of these books. Written as a collection of letters, the idyllic descriptions of pioneer farming in Missouri made it an instant success that attracted thousands of Germans to the Midwest, particularly to Missouri. This edited and annotated translation is the first complete version to be published in English.

The Mississippi-Missouri valley reminded Duden of his native Rhineland where the rivers facilitated trade and transportation, and fertile river bottomland offered the perfect environment for agriculture. Duden farmed the land he bought during his stay in Missouri, and he includes meticulous descriptions of clearing, fencing, and harvesting. His pro-emigration bias and his ability to hire help on his farm made his view of the farmer’s life, more idyllic than practical. Many would-be gentlemen farmers, inspired by his book to come to Missouri, found pioneer farming more strenuous than they had expected.

Authors and Editors

Gottfried Duden was born in 1785 in Remscheid, Germany and first traveled to America in 1824. While serving in the Prussian civil service, he had become convinced that Germany’s problems stemmed from over-population. It was his belief that emigration was a viable solution to this problem that prompted him to travel to Missouri.

Praise For This Book
“For more than a generation Duden’s writings formed the leitmotif of German settlement in Missouri, with the interpretation of his comments provoking endless discussion among those who came here. Many immigrants continued to revere his memory as the father of the German migration, and even those who blamed him for their misfortunes seem to have had a grudging respect for that kindly, guileless man.”—Charles van Ravenswaay, Director of the Missouri Historical Society 1946–1962, author of The Arts and Architecture of German Settlements in Missouri: A Survey of a Vanishing Culture

Books of Interest

Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America and a Stay of Several Years Along the Missouri (During the Years 1824, '25, '26, 1827)   by Gottfried Duden

Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America and a Stay of Several Years Along the Missouri (During the Years 1824, '25, '26, 1827)

Gottfried Duden

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In partnership with the university, our mission is to advance the humanities and sciences. The University of Missouri Press is committed to publishing important books, including those unlikely to turn a profit for commercial publishers. As the only member of the Association of University Presses in Missouri, the Press is the state’s premier publisher of original and relevant peer-reviewed trade titles, textbooks, references, and monographs in disciplines served by the University of Missouri. We discover and disseminate knowledge through scholarly print and digital publications that will improve the quality of life—not only for all who call Missouri home, but for people across the nation and around the world.

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