The Amateur Emigrant

"The Amateur Emigrant" is a book by Robert Louis Stevenson, an author who traveled from Scotland to California to meet his future wife. In an attempt to understand how the working class traveled, he chose to travel in steerage class, but was convinced to buy a slightly better ticket at the last minute. He still lived among the "lower" classes and his observations about the experience provide fascinating insight. The book is a firsthand account of his journey and is worth reading for anyone interested in social class differences and travel experiences in the late 1800s.