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The Making of an American

by Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914)

  • Free to read
  • 7 hours to read
  • 17 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Making of an American" by Jacob A. Riis is an autobiographical account written in the late 19th century. The narrative provides a vivid chronicle of Riis's life, exploring his journey from his childhood in Denmark to finding his place as an immigrant in America. It touches upon themes of love, identity, and the struggles faced by immigrants, painting a rich tapestry of hope, hardship, and the relentless pursuit of the American Dream. At the start of the book, Riis reminisces about his idyllic childhood in Ribe, Denmark, particularly the moment he first met Elizabeth, a pivotal figure in his life. As he reflects on his early experiences, Riis reveals the profound impact of his upbringing, his father's influence as a schoolmaster, and the sorrow associated with the tenement life that would later define his work as a journalist. He also recounts his dreams of adventure and the specific moment he decided to seek his fortune in America, marking a turning point from his tender memories to the harsh realities of life as an immigrant. As the opening unfolds, it sets the stage for an exploration of Riis's trials and triumphs, emphasizing the contrasts between his past and the future he seeks.

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  • Riis, Jacob A. (Jacob August), 1849-1914

Read the opening

Chapter I

THE MEETING ON THE LONG BRIDGE

On the outskirts of the ancient town of Ribe, on the Danish north seacoast, a wooden bridge spanned the Nibs River when I was a boy—a frail structure, with twin arches like the humps of a dromedary, for boats to go under. Upon it my story begins. The bridge is long since gone. The grass-grown lane that knew our romping feet leads nowhere now. But in my memory it is all as it was that day nearly forty years ago, and it is always summer there. The bees are droning among the forget-me-nots that grow along shore, and the swans arch their necks in the limpid stream. The clatter of the mill-wheel down at the dam comes up with drowsy hum; the sweet smells of meadow and field are in the air. On the bridge a boy and a girl have met.

He whistles a tune, boy-fashion, with worsted jacket slung across his arm, on his way home from the carpenter shop to his midday meal. When she has passed he stands looking after her, all the music gone out of him. At the other end of the bridge she turns with the feeling that he is looking, and, when she sees that he is, goes on with a little toss of her pretty head. As she stands one brief moment there with the roguish look, she is to stand in his heart forever—a sweet girlish figure, in jacket of gray, black-embroidered, with schoolbooks and pretty bronzed boots—

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter IV
  6. Chapter V
  7. Chapter VI: In Which I Become an Editor and Receive My First Love Letter
  8. Chapter VII
  9. Chapter VIII: Early Married Life; I Become an Advertising Bureau; on the "Tribune"
  10. Chapter IX
  11. Chapter X
  12. Chapter XI
  13. Chapter XII: I Become an Author and Resume My Interrupted Career As a Lecturer
  14. Chapter XIII
  15. Chapter XIV
  16. Chapter XV
  17. Chapter XVI

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About this edition

This free edition of The Making of an American by Jacob A. Riis comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #6125, released 2004-07-01. 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: Biographies, American Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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