Crevecoeur Letter What is an American Essay Example for Free

Crevecoeur Letter What is an American EssayDiscussion enquiry What, to Crvecoeur, arethe differences between a atomic number 63an subject and an American citizen? I WISH I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which mustinessiness agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he beginning(a) lands on this continent. He must widely rejoice that he lived at a time to unwrap this fair expanse discovered and settled he must necessarily feel a circumstances of national pride, when he views the chain of settle manpowerts which embellishes these extended shores. When he says to himself, this is the work of my field men, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a smorgasbord of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they princip wholey owe what liberty they enjoy, and what substance they possess. present he sees the industry of his i nternal country displayed in a bracing manner, and traces in their works the embryos of any the arts, sciences, and ingenuity which flourish in atomic number 63.Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago altogether told told was wild, woody and uncultivated. He is arrived on a newborn continent a mannerrn social club offers itself to his contemplation, different from what he had thus removed seen. It is not composed, as in Europe, of capacious lords who possess every thing and of a herd of bulk who wipe out nothing. Here are no aristocratic families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a some a very visible peerless no commodious manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the pathetic are not so farthest removed from sever onlyy othe rwise as they are in Europe. Some few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth, from Nova Scotia to West Florida.We are a people of cultivators, disjointed over an immense territory communicating with each other by intend of good roads and navigable rivers, united by the silken bands of loony government, all respecting the laws, without dreading their power, because they are equitable. We are all animated with the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each mortal works for himself. If he travels through our rural districts he views not the hostile castle, and the haughty mansion, contrasted with the clay-built hut and warecast cabin, where cattle and men help to keep each other warm, and dwell in meanness, smoke, and indigence.A win close to uniformity of decent competence appears throughout our habitations. The meanest of our loghouses is a dry and comfortable habitation. Lawyer or merchant are the fairest titles our towns afford that of a farmer is the moreover appellation of the rural inhabitants of our country. It must take some time here (before) he can reconcile himself to our dictionary, which is notwithstanding short in words of dignity, and name calling of honour.. We train no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed we are the most perfect society now living in the world. Here man is free as he ought to be nor is this pleasing equality so transitory as umteen others are. Many ages allow not see the shores of our great lakes replenished with inland nations, nor the vague bounds of North Americaentirely peopled. Who can tell how far it extends? Who can tell the millions of men whom it bequeath feed and contain? for no European foot has as yet traveled fractional the extent of this decently continentThe next entreat of this traveler testament be to know whence came all these people? they are mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, th at race now called Americans have arisen. The eastern provinces must indeed be excepted, as being the unmixed descendants of Englishmen. I have heard many wish that they had been oftentimes intermixed also for my vary, I am no wisher, and think it much better as it has happened.. I know it is fashionable to reflect on them, but I respect them for what they have through with(p) for the accuracy and wisdom with which they have settled their territory for the decency of their manners for theirearly love of letters their antique college, the starting line in this hemisphere for their industry which to me who am but a farmer, is the criterion of everything. in that location never was a people, situated as they are, who with so ungrateful a soil have d unmatched more in so short a time..In this great American asylum, the poor of Europe have by some means met together, and in consequence of various causes to what purpose should they ask hotshot another what countrymen they are? Ala s, two thirds of them had no country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments who owned not a single foot of the extensive erupt of this planet? No urged by a variety of motives, here they came. Every thing has tended to regenerate them new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system here they are mystify men in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegitative mould, and refreshing showers they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourishedFormerly they were not numbered in any civil lists of their country, except in those of the poor here th ey rank as citizens. By what invisible power has this surprising metamorphosis been performed? By that of the laws and that of their industry. The laws, the hard laws, protect them as they arrive, stamping on them the symbol of adoption they receive ample rewards for their labours these accumulated rewards procure them lands those lands confab on them the title of freemen, and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can possibly require. This is the great operation daily performed by our laws. From whence proceed these laws? From our government. Whence the government? It is derived from the original genius and toughened desire of the people ratified and confirmed by the crown. This is the great chain which links us all ..What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing? The knowledge of the language, the love of a few kindred as poor ashimself, were the only cords that tied him his country is now that which gives him land, bread, protec tion, and consequence..What then is the American, this new man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his antiqueprejudices and manners, receives new unitys from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad clout of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them that great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since in the east they wil l finish the great circle. The Americans were once scattered all over Europe here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population which has ever appeared, and which will hereafter become distinct by the power of the different modes they inhabit. The American ought so to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born. Here the rewards of his industry follow with equal move the progress of his labour his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest can it want a tougher ingathering?Wives and children, who before in vain demanded of him a morsel of bread, now, fat and frolicsome, gladly help their father to exculpated those fields whence exuberant crops are to arise to feed and to clothe them all without any part being claimed, either by a despotic prince, a rich abbot, or a mighty lord. I lord piety demands but little of him a small voluntary salary to the minister, and gratitude to god can he refuse these? The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions..This is an American.(..)Men are like plants the goodness and flavour of the fruit harvest from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment.Here you will find but few crimes these have acquired as yet no root among us. I wish I were able to trace all my ideas if my ignorance prevents me from describing them properly, I hope I shall be able to delineate a few of the outlines, which are all I propose.Those who live near the sea, feed more on fish than on flesh, and often dally that boisterous element. This renders them more bold and enterprising this leads them to neglect the confined occupations of the land. They see and converse with a variety of people their intercourse with mankind b ecomes extensive. The sea inspires them with a love of traffic, a desire of transporting produce from one place to another and leads them to a variety of resources which supply the place of labour. Those who inhabit the middle settlements, by far the most numerous, must be very different the simple cultivation of the earth purifies them, but the indulgences of the government, the soft remonstrances of religion, the rank of independent freeholders, must necessarily inspire them with sentiments, very little known in Europe among people of the aforesaid(prenominal) class.What do I say? Europe has no such class of men the early knowledge they acquire, the early bargains they make, give them a great degree of sagacity. As freemen they will be litigious pride and obstinacy are often the cause of law suits the nature of our laws and governments may be another. As citizens it is easy to imagine, that they will carefully read the newspapers, enter into every political disquisition, freely plunk or censure governors and others. As farmers they will be careful and anxious to get as much as they can, because what they get is their own.As northern men they will love the cheerful cup. As Christians, religion curbs them not in their opinions the general indulgence leaves every one tothink for themselves in spiritual matters the laws look our actions, ourthoughts are left to God. Industry, good living, selfishness, litigiousness, country politics, the pride of freemen, religious indifference, are their characteristics. If you recede still further from the sea, you will come into more modern settlements they exhibit the same strong lineaments, in a ruder appearance. godliness seems to have still less influence, and their manners are less improved.Now we arrive near the great woods, near the last inhabited districts there men seem to be placed still farther beyond the reach of government, which in some measure leaves them to themselves. How can it pervade every corner as t hey were driven there by misfortunes, necessity of beginnings, desire of acquiring large tracks of land, idleness, frequent want of economy, ancient debts the re-union of such people does not afford a very pleasing spectacle. When discord, want of unity and friendship when either drunkenness or idleness prevail in such remote districts contention, inactivity, and wretchedness must ensue. There are not the same remedies to these evils as in a long established community. The few magistrates they have, are in general little better than the rest they are often in a perfect state of war that of man against man, sometimes decided by blows, sometimes by means of the law that of man against every wild inhabitant of these venerable woods, of which they are come to dispossess them. There men appear to be no better than carnivorous animals of a superior rank, living on the flesh of wild animals when they can catch them, and when they are not able, they subsist on grain.He who wish to see Amer ica in its proper light, and have a true idea of its feeble beginnings venomous rudiments, must visit our extended line of frontiers where the last settlers dwell, and where he may see the first labours of the mode of clearing the earth, in their different appearances where men are wholly left dependent on their native tempers, and on the spur of uncertain industry, which often fails when not sanctified by the efficacy of a few moral rules. There, remote from the power of example, and check of shame, many families exhibit the most hideous separate of our society..(But after ten or twelve years) prosperity will polish some, vice and the law will drive off the rest, who uniting again with others like themselves will recede still farther devising room for more industrious people, who will finish their improvements, convert theloghouse into a convenient habitation, and rejoicing that the first heavy labours are finished, will change in a few years that hitherto inhumane country into a fine fertile, well regulated district. Such is our progress, such is the march of the Europeans toward the interior parts of this continent.In all societies there are off-casts this impure part serves as our precursors or pioneers my father himself was one of that class, but he came upon honest principles, and was therefore one of the few who held fast by good contain and temperance, he transmitted to me his fair inheritance, when not above one in fourteen of his contemporaries had the same good fortune. Exclusive of those general characteristics, each province has its own, founded on the government, climate, mode of husbandry, customs, and peculiarity of circumstances. Europeans put forward insensibly to these great powers, and become, in the course of a few generations, not only Americans in general, but either Pennsylvanians, Virginians, or provincials under some other name. Whoever traverses the continent must easily observe those strong differences, which will grow more evi dent in time. The inhabitants of Canada, Massachusetts, the middle provinces, the southern ones will be as different as their climates their only points of unity will be those of religion and language.