Aristocracy in America. From the sketch-book of a German nobleman. vol. 2 (of 2)

"Aristocracy in America: From the Sketch-Book of a German Nobleman" by Francis J. Grund is a record of a European aristocrat's journey through 19th-century America, where he finds a society grappling with its own definitions of class and status. Arriving in Boston, the nobleman is immediately struck by the contrast between the democratic ideals of the new nation and the clear social divisions he observes, especially among the upper and lower classes. He keenly watches the emerging American aristocracy and its complex relationship with those beneath them, noting how wealth and perceived merit clash with traditional European notions of lineage and birthright. His travels expose the often self-created barriers between groups and the tensions simmering beneath the surface of American egalitarianism, positioning this historical account as a critical look at the formation of American society.