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1-Page Summary of The Greater Journey

The City of Light Beckons

During the 1820s to 1870s, many Americans traveled to Paris. Some were already famous, such as author James Fenimore Cooper and artist George P.A. Healy; others were not known at all, like Samuel Morse (who later invented the telegraph) and Thomas Gold Appleton (a writer). The trip across the Atlantic by sailing ship was grueling for these people traveling from America to France during this time period because they had no way of getting there quickly. However, once in France, they had more resources than their country could provide them with at that point in time—especially since many of these writers wanted to be artists or painters when they first started out.

While Paris was still primitive in some respects, such as lacking sanitation, it was also more developed than many other cities. Its main attractions included the Palais Royal, the Louvre and the Palace of Tuileries. On the famous Left Bank were schools like Sorbonne College and a medical school. The city had two opera houses and beautiful public parks.

Americans visiting Paris quickly discovered that walking around the city was a major source of entertainment. They also became acquainted with the French attitude about savoring life’s pleasures, especially dining out and fashion. The city made itself accommodating to visitors by offering them great food and shopping opportunities, as well as beautiful architecture and scenery. As a result, Americans came to appreciate Paris’ beauty while obeying its motto: “Live joyfully.” In fact, they liked it so much that one American said: “Good Americans go to Paris when they die.”

Cooper and Morse were friends in America. Cooper encouraged Morse to continue his art. The two moved to Paris together, and soon became leaders of the American social circle in France. They respected each other, as France had honored America during the Revolutionary War. Americans like Morse were conscious that they could represent their country well abroad because of its alliance with France during the war.

However, there was a terrible epidemic in Paris at the time. It began in Europe and spread to Paris by 1832. Over 20,000 people died from it. Although most of the Americans were not affected by this disease, they still left for America because their work had been completed.

Morse was painting a lot in Paris, and he completed an ambitious piece called “The Gallery of the Louvre”. It wasn’t well received at first, but it’s now considered to be a masterpiece. Cooper returned from France with his family in 1833. He never went back to live there again.

Pioneers of Medicine

Paris was the world’s leading center for medicine in the 1830s. It had 12 hospitals that served 70,000 people a year. Famous physicians and surgeons practiced there, as well as thousands of medical students who came to learn from them. Although Parisian surgeons were great at their jobs, they didn’t yet understand the importance of sterilizing instruments or using anesthesia on patients. However, it did have one advantage over other medical environments: Men treated women and cadavers were available for dissection. The school also had an extensive library that rounded out its unparalleled resources for aspiring doctors.

The medical community in Paris responded well to the political unrest that was happening at the time. The French were very accepting of blacks, and because of this, Charles Sumner concluded that racism wasn’t a natural part of American life. Many doctors who had trained in France came back to America with great respect for themselves and their profession. They believed they had learned more than just medicine by living in Paris; they also learned about art, music, poetry, and good conversation.