Skip to content

America Quote by Isabella Bird

“Water is a beverage which I never enjoyed in purity and perfection before I visited America. It is provided in abundance in the cars, the hotels, the waiting-rooms, the steamers, and even the stores, in crystal jugs or stone filters, and it is always iced. This may be either the result or the…” quote by Isabella Bird
Download Open image
“Water is a beverage which I never enjoyed in purity and perfection before I visited America. It is provided in abundance in the cars, the hotels, the waiting-rooms, the steamers, and even the stores, in crystal jugs or stone filters, and it is always iced. This may be either the result or the cause of the temperance of the people.”

Isabella Bird

About This Quote

Source Travelogue: The Englishwoman in America, 1880

She observes that American water is always served iced, reflecting cultural habits of abundance and possibly a desire for temperance.

In simple terms: American water is always iced, showing cultural abundance and temperance.

Key Takeaway

Notice cultural details that reveal deeper social habits.

Themes

culture food drink temperance observation

Mood

curious analytical

Type

observational travelogue

When to use this quote

  • travel writing
  • hospitality industry
  • personal experience
  • social commentary
  • cultural analysis

Key Concepts

social customs environmental influence consumer behavior

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does a simple beverage reflect broader cultural values?
  • What assumptions might we make about other societies based on such observations?
A Different Perspective

May overlook regional variations and personal preferences.

3.4 out of 5 (8 ratings)

More by Isabella Bird

Explore all 71 Isabella Bird quotes

More America quotes

Browse all 20,382 America quotes