ABSTRACT
These letters from Hugh Nudham (possibly ‘Needham’) to a friend, W. Barns, in Staple-hurst, Kent, record the challenges of farming in Ohio and the nature of land speculation and borrowing. The references to other Englishmen in the area show how British immigrants could gravitate towards each other, even though they also had the advantage of a rapid assimilation. The reference to the Cincinnati area being well-suited for hogs is very accurate, as the city was soon known as ‘Porkopolis’ for its vast hog production. Particularly interesting is the reference to President Andrew Jackson attacking the Second Bank of the United States, as are the references to the Americans’ geographic mobility and the nature of local agriculture.
