When I found the institutions and experiences of the United States deliberately quoted in the reformed parliament, as affording safe precedent for British legislation, and learned that the drivellers who uttered such nonsense, instead of encountering merited derision, were listened to with patience and approbation by men as ignorant as themselves, I certainly did feel that another work on America was yet wanted, and at once determined to undertake a task which inferior considerations would probably have induced me to decline." Harriet Martineau, ardent advocate of political reform at home, found in the United States proofs for her faith in democracy[16].

Captain Marryat belittled Miss Martineau, but in his six volumes proved himself less a critic of America than an enemy of democracy.

Answering a review of his earlier volumes, published separately, he wrote in his concluding volume: "I candidly acknowledge that the reviewer is right in his supposition; my great object has been to do serious injury to the cause of democracy[17]." The fact was that British governing and intellectual classes were suffering a recoil from the enthusiasms leading up to the step toward democracy in the Reform of 1832.

The electoral franchise was still limited to a small minority of the population.

Britain was still ruled by her "wise men" of wealth and position.