Maxwell, an Englishman, lived in Northport, Alabama, when he wrote this letter. In it he discusses commerce, slavery, and social life in the city; river travel and shipping; a steamboat explosion; and Santa Anna's invasion of Texas.
The letter informs Dellet that the bagging and rope he recently ordered have been shipped. It also discusses Dellet's upcoming shipment of cotton to the firm and the state of the cotton market in general: "The demand for cotton continues to be...
In the passages Lyell describes the physical characteristics of the Tombigbee River and gulf coast in Alabama; discrimination against African Americans in both the North and the South; implications of emancipation for the economic and social...
In the passages Frazer discusses river travel before and after the introduction of steamboats; mentions specific boats that traveled in Alabama, including the state's first steamboat in 1818; and describes the type of cargo carried on the crafts,...