Abstract
On committing myself to a study of continuity and change in the American national character, I began to revisit the classics that have long dominated our thinking about the early Americans. Inevitably I turned again to Harriet Martineau’s sensitive and perceptive Society in America. Feeling a bit insecure about relying on shortened and adapted versions available on my own bookshelf, I sought an unabridged text. To my delight, the Stanford University Library yielded up the first edition, published in London in 1837. But on opening this edition I received a rude shock. On the very first page, set off in special type, I encountered a paralyzing statement, which I had previously either not seen or not noticed.
Published Version
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