Crevecoeur's Letters From An American Farmer

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In 1782, Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur published Letters from an American Farmer to establish an official answer his question, “What, then, is the American, this new man?” (1017). Crèvecoeur’s narrator is a young man named James, an American Farmer. As an immigrant coming from Europe, he is overwhelmed by the abundant amount of land and opportunities America will bring to him. He thinks back to the people in Europe, the “useless plants,” and how they are missing out on the opportunity to finally become successful and taking their dreams into reality (1016). Not only is he able to flourish his farming, but “new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system” provide a whole new life for incoming immigrants. (1016). Crèvecoeur accounted America as a nation that created a new society to provide freedom and prosperity. …show more content…
Once they landed on American soil, they were able to feel fully alive and attached to this new country that will allow them to prosper. They experienced a new freedom. No more religious rulings, but a time to explore and experience their faith the way they wanted to. Americans had a national pride and “here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race” (10017). People from all over the world had the opportunity to establish a new life in America. Crèvecoeur found his ideal America in Nantucket, MA, but he then traveled down to Charles Town in South Carolina. His whole perspective on being an American was changed, for the

J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur's Letters From An American Farmer

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equal. However, the definition of what makes a person an American is entirely different from what it is that makes up America, itself. J.Hector St. John Crevecoeur, author of Letters from an American Farmer (1782), exposes what he believes makes an American. However, when compared to the standards of what makes an American in today’s world, it seems that becoming an American then was much simpler then, than it is today. The definition of an American is always evolving due to the influences of our changing…

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