Royall's Sketches

Printed privately in 1826, Anne Newport Royall's Sketches of History, Life and Manners in the United States caused quite a stir, as did most of her publications. Considering herself to be the guardian of democracy (she later became a friend of John Quincy Adams), Royall used her works to expose corruption and bad dealings wherever she went, with a boldness that was remarkable for an era obsessed with gentility and "womanly virtue." "Sketches" catalogs Royall's travels from Louisiana to Maine, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Springfield, Hartford, Worcester, Boston, and New Haven, noting each city's population, industry, physical description and modes of available transportation, as well as regional dialects, modes of dress and the character of the city's residents.