Hector St John De Crevecoeur

Letters from an American Farmer Hector St John De Crevecoeur

J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur's (1735 - 1813) book Letters from an American Farmer was first published in London in 1782. Through a series of letters the author talks about an idealized free society in America. The author's farm Pine Hill is the setting for these letters, which depict a land damaged by civilization. In the third letter "What is an American" Crebecoeur gives his opinion on immigration and emigration with the motto "Ubi panis ibi patria" ("Where there is bread, there is (my) country"). These letters provide an interesting view of 18th century America and the attitudes of one important author of the era.