The Hudson
by Wallace Bruce (1844–1914)
- Free to read
- 5 hours to read
- 11 chapters
- Reading level: 8th & 9th grade
"The Hudson" by Wallace Bruce is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This centennial edition delves into the rich history, romance, and inventions associated with the Hudson River over the course of three centuries. The text explores significant moments, figures, and the aesthetic grandeur of the river that connects New York City to Albany and serves as a vital artery of American culture and commerce. At the start of the book, the author sets the stage by highlighting the historical significance of the Hudson, intertwining the legacies of explorers like Hendrick Hudson and inventors like Robert Fulton. He reflects on the river's majestic beauty and its role as a metaphoric "open book" of history, inviting readers to appreciate its stories, from indigenous peoples and early settlers to its transformation into a bustling transport route. Bruce enriches his narrative with poetic observations, emphasizing the Hudson as a source of inspiration and pride, portraying a captivating blend of exploration, artistic heritage, and the evolving American identity.
- Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) · Guidebooks
Read the opening
The Hudson
Among all the rivers of the world the Hudson is acknowledged queen, decked with romance, jewelled with poetry, clad with history, and crowned with beauty. More than this, the Hudson is a noble threshold to a great continent and New York Bay a fitting portal. The traveler who enters the Narrows for the first time is impressed with wonder, and the charm abides even with those who pass daily to and fro amid her beauties. No other river approaches the Hudson in varied grandeur and sublimity, and no other city has so grand and commodious a harbor as New York. It has been the privilege of the writer of this handbook to see again and again most of the streams of the old world "renowned in song and story," to behold sunrise on the Bay of Naples and sunset at the Golden Gate of San Francisco, but the spell of the Hudson remains unbroken, and the bright bay at her mouth reflects the noontide without a rival. To pass a day in her company, rich with the story and glory of three hundred years, is worth a trip across a continent, and it is no wonder that the European traveler says again and again: "to see the Hudson alone, is worth a voyage across the Atlantic."
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About this edition
This free edition of The Hudson by Wallace Bruce comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17823, released 2006-02-22. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Travel Writing, History - American.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
