Young Writers Society

So, I've been given the task of writing the diary of a European visiting America in 1817. I have to travel between major cities, small towns, farms, and plantations. It shouldnt be too bad, thanks to a stock of historical fiction I've built up. I'm starting in Cape Cod, then off to Boston, Upstate New York, and finally Georgia. Boston is the only one I'm really shaky on. Any thoughts?

Hiya!

So, this is historical fiction, yes?

Anyway, I'm a little blah on the early 19th century but I am very familiar with the majority of the major cities in Boston present and in the past. If you want, in my personal collection, I have maps of Boston in the 18th Century. It may, or may not help you per say because I'm not sure how populated Boston became after the War of 1812, which ended in 1814, if I'm correct.

This brings me to my next suggestion. Heh! While you're writing the diary, I think it would add flavor to the exercise if you related how the ending of the war affected the people in the South Shore of Massachusetts, the New Yorkers and the Deep South.

Blah, my mind is going a mile a minute, such as the Louisiana Purchase, the late 18th Century, pre-Civil War, and yeah... LOL! So because I'm having trouble now organizing my thoughts, can you give me a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish? What's the point by moving to all these different States, and what about the character? Can you give me a detailed but fairly brief background of them?

Let me know if you want those 18th Century maps of Boston, and try googling these sites:

Continental Congress
Library of Congress

Both sites have HUGE archives and are excellent sources to find historic data, though it can be hard sometimes locating exactly what you want. It's because both sites have so much information, it can be challenging to widdle out your goals in your search. You may have to try a couple of "search words" to locate what you want.

EDIT: What exactly about Boston are you shakey on?

the maps would be great. early 1800s? I have to create the characters myself. I'm cheating a bit and throwing in some historical fiction characters from other books, but oh well.

here's the assignment:

It is the year 1817 and young America is experiencing great changes when a young European of welath by the name of Aloysius Twinkletoes travels to the United States to learn about life on this side of the Atlantic. His visit lasted for two years.

You are to assume the persona of Aloysius Twinkletoes who keeps an interesting journal of his observations. Records are kept of everything that isseen, heard, and done in these travels.

You are to write four journals entries that will record the posterity what Republican life was like in America during he early 1800s. Your entries should be from:
a. a major US city of the time
b. a small New England fishing town
c. an upstate New York farm
d. a Southern Plantation

Each entry should indentify his exact location as well as traditions, lifestyles, customs, recreation, transportation, schools, literature wher appropriate, significant historical eventsthat had an impact on that location or that time.