Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur (1735-1813), a French-American farmer and writer, was one of the most perceptive observers of American life in the late 18th century. Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur was born in Caen, France, on Jan. 31,...

"[N]othing exists but what has its enemy," writes Farmer James in the second of his Letters from an American Farmer, "On the Situation, Feelings, and Pleasures of an American Farmer" (55). Interjected as a prelude to his famous anecdote about the king-bird's tussle with...

His successor (whose name I have no desire to be informed of provided his intelligence is good, & seasonably transmitted) should endeavor to hit upon some certain mode of conveying his information quickly, for it is of little avail to be told of things...

In the following essay, Hales discusses “Susquehanna,” a portion of which appeared in Sketches of Eighteenth-Century America, and which describes the destruction of Wyoming, a community in central Pennsylvania.

In the following essay, Richards explores the contrast between the idyllic image of American life in Letter III of Letters from an American Farmer and the nightmare of Revolutionary cruelty depicted in “Landscapes.”

In the following essay, Jehlen analyzes the apparent contradiction between Crèvecoeur's admiration for America and his opposition to the American Revolution.

Provides biographical detail on the life of Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur. Explores his early life, education and his writing. Considers his influence on the American culture through his Letters from an American Farmer.