ABSTRACT
Thoughts on Emigration in a Letter from a Gentleman in Philadelphia to his Friend in England is a very rare account from 1794 on the advantages and disadvantages in each state soon after the Revolution. It is composed of a series of six letters that provide a generally honest and unbiased report on the climate and health of each state, wages and prices, land prices, the rigours of clearing land, the inferiority of American agriculture, and the advantages and disadvantages for British immigrants at this early time. The nature of the frontier regions is described in detail. It warns that Kentucky requires a militia to keep the Indians at bay (such that immigrants are avoiding the area), and it emphasizes that slavery is prevalent in some states. Political institutions are also discussed. Altogether, these letters capture the essence of early America, what immigrants would have to face, and why British immigration was rather limited during these years.
