Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States of America

Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States of America is a meticulous account by author John Davis of his travels during the years 1798 to 1802, from New York to Philadelphia, and on to South Carolina, Washington, D.C. During his journey, he observes people from a broad range of socio-economic stations, ranging from upper-class Europeans to the indigenous peoples of Occoquan. In his letter to Thomas Jefferson, he wrote, "In frequent journeyings through your country, I have made remarks on the character, customs and manners of the people...I have alike communed with the slave who wields the hoe, and the task-master who imposes his labour." Davis also includes an interesting account of the arrival of the news of General Washington's death, as well as Thomas Jefferson's inaugural speech.