Everything Worthy of Observation

<p><b>Offers a firsthand account into early-nineteenth-century New York State and Lower Canada during a time of enormous growth and change.</b></p><p><b>Finalist for the 2019 </b><b><i>Foreword</i></b><b> INDIES Book of the Year Award in the History category </b></p><p>In the pre-dawn of August 2 1826 Alexander Stewart Scott stepped aboard the steamboat <i>Chambly</i> in Quebec City Canada. He was beginning a journey that not only took him across New York State but also ultimately changed his view of America and her people. A keen observer the twenty-one-year-old meticulously recorded his travel experiences observations about the people he encountered impressions of things he saw and reactions to events he witnessed.</p><p>This firsthand account immerses the reader in the world of early-nineteenth-century life in both New York and Lower Canada. Whether enduring the choking dust raised by a stagecoach the frustration and delays caused by bad roads or the wonders and occasional dangers of packet boat travel on the newly completed Erie Canal all are vividly brought to life by Scott's pen. This journal also offers a unique blend of travel and domestic insights. With close family members living in both St. John's Quebec Canada and Palmyra New York his travels were supplemented by long stays in these communities offering readers comparative glimpses into the daily lives and activities in both countries. Gregarious funny and inquisitive Scott missed nothing of what he thought worthy of observation.</p>