One of the Greatest Firsthand Accounts of America's Early Frontier Ever Written
What was it really like to leave everything behind and journey into the unknown American frontier?
In 1831, John and Rebecca Burlend gathered their children, said farewell to their home in Yorkshire, England, and embarked on an extraordinary journey that would forever change their family's destiny. Bound for the untamed wilderness of western Illinois, they could scarcely imagine the hardships, dangers, and triumphs that awaited them.
Unlike fictional accounts of pioneer life, A True Picture of Emigration is exactly what its title promises-a vivid, firsthand memoir written by a woman who lived it.
From the crowded docks of Liverpool and the long Atlantic crossing to the bustling streets of New Orleans, the growing river town of St. Louis, and finally the dense forests and open prairies of Pike County, Illinois, Rebecca Burlend records every stage of the family's remarkable journey with honesty, warmth, humor, and remarkable detail.
Her observations transport readers into a world few can imagine today. Her words capture the fears, joys, disappointments, and victories of ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things.
This carefully prepared edition faithfully reproduces the complete 1848 memoir while adding new historical material that enriches the reader's understanding of the Burlend family and the Illinois frontier they helped settle.
Included are:
- The complete 1848 text faithfully reproduced from the original publication.
- A new foreword by historian Robert Turek exploring the historical significance of Rebecca's remarkable memoir.
- Beautifully restored historical illustrations, maps, period-inspired artwork, and rare photographs.
- An engaging afterword examining the enduring legacy of one of America's most important pioneer families.
Few frontier memoirs have earned the praise bestowed upon Rebecca Burlend's work. As the Western Historical Quarterly observed:
"Burlend's book is not just among the best women's texts on Midwestern farm life during the first half of the nineteenth century; it may well be the best document by anyone on that subject."
Nearly two centuries after it was first published, Rebecca Burlend's voice remains as compelling as ever. Her story is more than the history of one family-it is the story of thousands of emigrants whose determination, resilience, and unwavering hope helped shape the American Midwest.
Whether you are fascinated by pioneer history, genealogy, Illinois history, immigration, or the settling of America's frontier, A True Picture of Emigration is an unforgettable journey into a vanished world whose lessons continue to inspire today.
