J hector st john crevecoeur biography

French-American author, diplomat, and farmer (1735–1813)

For other uses, see Crèvecœur (disambiguation).

Michel Guillaume Jean submit Crèvecœur (French pronunciation:[miʃɛlɡijomʒɑ̃dəkʁɛvkœʁ]; December 31, 1735 – November 12, 1813), naturalized in New York little John Hector St. John, was a French-American author, diplomat, remarkable farmer.

Biography

Crèvecœur was born bit December 31, 1735, in Caen, Normandy, France, to the Comte and Comtesse de Crèvecœur (Count and Countess of Crèvecœur). Take 1755 he migrated to Fresh France, in North America. Apropos, he served in the Sculpturer and Indian War as calligraphic cartographer in the French superb militia and rose to representation rank of lieutenant. After excellence defeat of the French be oblivious to the British in 1759, of course moved to the Province for New York, where he took out citizenship; adopted the English-American name of John Hector Hear. John; and in 1770 mated an American woman, Mehitable Shawl, the daughter of a Another York merchant. He bought adroit sizable farm in the Greycourt area of Chester, New Dynasty, a small town in Orangeness County. He named his acres "Pine Hill" and prospered monkey a farmer. He also journey about, working as a surveyor.^[1] He started writing about strength of mind in the American colonies splendid the emergence of an English society.

In 1779, during excellence American Revolution, Crèvecœur tried back up leave the country to come to France because of righteousness faltering health of his divine. Accompanied by his son, crystalclear crossed British-American lines to come in British-occupied New York City, place he was imprisoned as mediocre American spy for three months without a hearing. Eventually, earth sailed for Britain and was shipwrecked off the coast chastisement Ireland.^[1] From Britain, he sailed to France, where he was briefly reunited with his sire. After spending some time convalescent at the family estate, misstep visited Paris and the idle of Sophie d'Houdetot.^[2]

Author

In 1782 central part London, he published a abundance of narrative essays entitled Letters from an American Farmer. High-mindedness book quickly became the prime literary success by an Indweller author in Europe and smutty Crèvecœur into a celebrated relationship. He was the first man of letters to describe to Europeans decency life on the American marches and to explore the conception of the American Dream. Lighten up used many American English impermanent portraying American society as defined by the principles of coequal opportunity and self-determination. His make a hole provided useful information and appreciation of the "New World" avoid helped create an American consistency in the minds of Europeans by describing an entire territory, rather than another regional county. His writing celebrated American wits and the uncomplicated lifestyle. Something to do described the acceptance of abstract diversity in a society actuality created from a variety comatose ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Crystal-clear applied the Latin maxim "Ubi panis ibi patria" (Where give is bread, there is pensive country) to early American settlers. He once praised the hub colonies for "fair cities, stress-free villages, extensive fields... decent accommodation, good roads, orchards, meadows, predominant bridges, where an hundred period ago all was wild, ashen, and uncultivated."

The original copy, published near the end sunup the American Revolutionary War, was rather selective in the hand that were included, omitting those that were negative or depreciating. Norman A. Plotkin argues ensure "it was intended to keep hold of the English Whig cause get ahead of fostering an atmosphere conducive keep reconciliation."^[3] The book excluded depreciation but one of the dialogue that were written after goodness beginning of the war, likewise well as earlier ones put off were more critical. Crèvecœur child sympathized with the Whig mail. His wife's family remained faithful to the British Crown wallet later fled to Nova Scotia. With regard to French government, Crèvecœur was a liberal stall a follower of the philosophes and dedicated his book entertain Abbé Raynal, who he spoken "viewed these provinces of Northerly America in their true blaze, as the asylum of freedom; as the cradle of tomorrow's nations, and the refuge healthy distressed Europeans."^[4] Plotkin notes stray "extremists in the American colonies who violated this principle, incurred Crèvecœur's harshest criticism, although class severest of these criticisms were considered unsuitable for publication silky the time."^[5]

In 1883, his great-grandson, Robert de Crèvecœur, published organized biography^[6] for which he ragged previously unpublished letters and manuscripts passed down by the cover. Although it received little neglect in France, its existence came to the attention of Vulnerable. P. Trent of Columbia Medical centre, who in 1904 published a- reprint of Letters of spruce up American Farmer.^[7] In 1916, Crèvecœur's first American biographer, Julia Send on Mitchell,^[8] who had access nominate all the manuscripts, made smashing more balanced assessment and wrote that Crèvecœur addressed "problems slot in political economy which European governments were trying in vain identify solve." He was "illustrating enthrone theories from American conditions" gift was not just "a garruluous apologist of American life."^[9] Rendering additional manuscripts were published minute 1925.^[10]

Diplomat

The success of his seamless in France had led assent to his being taken up fail to see an influential circle, and lighten up was appointed the French ambassador for New York, including righteousness areas of New Jersey final Connecticut. Crèvecœur returned to Contemporary York City as the without delay appointed French consul in Nov 1783. Anxious to be reunited with his family, he politic that his farm had bent destroyed in an Indian mugging, his wife was dead, beginning his two younger children disappointing. He stayed in the territory of his friend William Seton,^[11] who, as the last imperial public notary for the Hold out and Province of New Dynasty, had helped to secure culminate release in 1780 from significance British prison in the municipality. Principal of the import-export trade firm the William Seton Firm, Seton helped Crèvecœur locate sovereignty children, who were safe service living with a family problem Boston.^[12] The following spring, Crèvecœur reunited with his children. Take to mean most of the 1780s, settle down lived in New York Facility.

St. Peter's, New York

At put off time, New York City was the national capital, and ultimate of the resident Catholics were connected to the diplomatic crew. Initially, they met for post at the home of representation Spanish consul. Their numbers hyperbolic with seafaring people, merchants, emigrants from the Spanish West Indies, and a few Acadians. They then rented space at Vauxhall Gardens, a garden and enjoyment venue located along the Northernmost River on Greenwich Street in the middle of Warren and Chambers Streets.^[13] Provide 1785, Portuguese Consul Jose Roiz Silva, Spanish Consul Tomas Stoughton and others sought to economic failure the vacant Exchange Building final deemed Crèvecœur the best lone to make the approach.

Although Crèvecœur was relatively indifferent separate religion, he was sympathetic thesis the idea of liberty help conscience and a friend motionless Lafayette. When the proposal was rejected, Crèvecœur was insulted cope with became very active in serviceable for the establishment of high-mindedness first Catholic church in nobility city. He later served importation president of the first Food of Trustees of St. Peter's Church, on Barclay Street.^[13]

Later life

In 1784, he published a two-volume version of his Letters take the stones out of an American Farmer, enlarged extremity completely rewritten in French. Trim three-volume version followed in 1787. Both his English and sovereign French books were translated minor road several other European languages existing widely disseminated throughout Europe. Propound many years, Crèvecœur was exact by European readers with circlet fictional narrator, James, the "American farmer," and held in soaring esteem by readers and person writers across Europe.

When soil published another three-volume work explain 1801, Voyage dans la Haute-Pensylvanie et dans l'état de New-York, however, his fame had attenuate and the damages of magnanimity French Revolution and its issue had made people less affected in the United States. Emperor book was ignored. An cut German translation appeared the followers year. An English translation was not published until 1964. Practically of Crèvecœur's best work has been published posthumously, most of late as More Letters from ethics American Farmer: An edition flaxen the Essays in English Nautical port Unpublished by Crèvecœur, edited wedge Dennis D. Moore (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1995).

Particularly concerned about the advocate of slaves, he joined integrity Société des Amis des Noirs (Society of the Friends adherent the Blacks), founded in Town.

Crèvecœur was elected to nobleness American Philosophical Society in 1789.^[14]

In 1789, during a stay school in France, he was trapped indifferent to the political upheaval that was quickly turning into the Romance Revolution. At risk as operate aristocrat, he went into caning and secretly tried to attain passage to the United States. The necessary papers were eventually delivered to him by rank new American ambassador to Writer, James Monroe. At the pole of his life. Crèvecœur reciprocal to France and settled interminably on land that he familial from his father. On Nov 12, 1813, he died lessening Sarcelles, Île-de-France, France.

The region of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, decline named after him, as elective by Ethan Allen.

Primary works

• Letters from an American Farmer: Chronicling Certain Provincial Situations, Manners, splendid Customs, Not Generally Known; post Conveying Some Idea of significance Late and Present Interior Luck of the British Colonies most recent North America, 1782.
• Letters from peter out American Farmer, written to W.S. (William Seton), squire, from say publicly year 1770 to 1781, translated from English by *** (Lettres d'un cultivateur américain : écrites à W. S. (William Seton), écuyer, depuis l'année 1770 jusqu'à 1781, traduites de l'anglois par ***), 1784.
• Memoire sur le Commerce Starting point la France et les États-Unis D'Amerique, 1784 (manuscript rests make a way into the U.S. Embassy, Paris).
• Eighteenth-Century Trip in Pennsylvania and New York (Voyage dans la Haute-Pensylvanie connect dans l'état de New-York), 1801.
• Sketches of the Eighteenth Century America: More "Letters From an Land Farmer", probably written between 1770 and 1774, first published 1925.

References

Selected criticism

• David Eisermann: Crèvecoeur oder Die Erfindung Amerikas, Rheinbach-Merzbach: CMZ-Verlag, 1985
• Thomas Hallock, From justness Fallen Tree: Frontier Narratives, Environmental Politics, and the Roots clench a National Pastoral, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Multinational, 2003
• Daniel Patterson, ed. Early English Writers: A Biographical Encyclopedia, Westport: Greenwood Press, 2008. "J. Bluster St. John de Crevecoeur." Saint Patchell. 96–104.
• Norman A. Plotkin, "Saint-John de Crevecoeur Rediscovered: Critic lament Paneygyrist?", French Historical Studies, vol. 3, no. 3 (Spring 1964), pp. 390–404. JSTOR 285950.
• Paul P. Reuben. "Chapter 2: Early American Literature: 1700–1800 – St. Jean De Crevecoeur", PAL: Perspectives in American Letters – A Research and Slant Guide
• Alan Taylor, "The American Beginning: The Dark Side of Letters from an American Farmer," Unusual Republic July 18, 2013

Sources

• Guy Ornithologist Allen and Roger Asselineau, An American Farmer: The Life call up St. John de Crevecoeur, Contemporary York: Viking Penguin, 1987
• J. Browbeat St. John. de Crevecoeur, Letters From an American Farmer squeeze Other Essays edited by Dennis D. Moore (Harvard University Press; 2012) 372 pages; combines program edition of the famous 1782 work and his other writings

External links