The journey that Weber undertook in the United States in 1904 was decisive in more ways than one: not only did his observations and encounters there enable him to develop his theories on the role of Protestantism in the evolution of capitalism, but they also gave him an opportunity to broaden his perspective on the disenchantment of middle-class civilization. Largely under the influence of the malaise of European modernity, he captured the originality of the New World: through his interpretation of America, he apprehended the disadvantages of progress and individuality cut off from its religious roots.