Letters from an American Farmer Essay

For my journal, I am examining the second and third paragraphs on page two of J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur’s essay, “What is an American.” Using persuasive strategies, de Crevecoeur examines “that race now called Americans” (2), juxtaposing their former experiences in Europe with those upon arrival “on a new continent” (1). In this passage, de Crevecoeur anticipates the notion of America as a “melting pot,” while establishing the foundation of the concept of the American Dream.

Since this great country was first established many intuitive minds have tried to answer the question; "What is an American". This country is full of individuals of many backgrounds, and diversities and each person has a different opinion on this question. In my opinion, an American is someone who values freedom and equality and pursues the "American dream." Every American exercises these rights and these are great adjectives to describe our country. Each of the seven readings, and the one image I compiled help mold this broader definition into a more precise description of an American.

Within the written piece “What is an American?” by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, the reader is introduced to an unique perspective of an American. Written in 1781, it offers a surprising amount of insight into the times and the realities of a poor immigrant, while still being comprehensible for those who have never had to experience the struggle of immigrants. The ever complex definition of an American is given by those who do not abide by the typical American standards.

As the population of the young United States increased more and more people hungry mouths were asking for food. Farmers had to keep up with new technology but there were also many setbacks in government policy and economic conditions. In the period of 1865-1900, there were many ways in which technology, government policy, and economic conditions changed early American agriculture.

The California Future Farmers of America (FFA) is an organization “committed to the individual student, [by] providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education (“National FFA Organization, 2016). These goals are the driving force behind the California FFA as they reveal their most important assets: people and relationships. The structure of the California FFA is extremely organized, operating like an efficient machine, the key components of this student-run organization are their complex combination of vertical and lateral structuring, as well as their philosophy to create a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their leadership skills.

The turn of the century was perhaps one of the most interesting times in the agricultural scene of America. The turn from the 1800s to the 1900s sparked a technological revolution that extended not just to urban environments, but to rural areas and farmers. Farmers found the majority of this revolution in the 1920s and 1930s, a time when machinery was revitalized in order to make the farming industry easier. Before this time, farmers will still using horses to do their farm work, so the introduction of machines was absolutely life-changing for the farming industry.

J. Hector St. John de Crévecoeur, a French aristocrat who traveled across the American colonies and purchased a farm in New York, defines Americans in a passage from his 1782 collection of essays entitled Letters from an American Farmer. To the readers of this passage from Letters, Crévecoeur argues for colonial American society and handles this topic with a subjective and passionate tone.

willing to have low marginal cost or make absolutely nothing. Another reason was storage, the owners of these companies dominated the industry allowing them to charge whatever prices they want. For many it was too high and they were not able to afford it given they were already struggling to keep their property, “Changes in the Midwest farming between the earl 1800s and the present day are numerous, for example 90% of Americans lived and worked on the farms in the 1800s, then by the early 1900s that number had dropped to forty percent. Today, only two percent of Americans live and work on farms” (Arago, Web). The effect was that all farmers that could not keep up with the cost had to move away into urbanization. Due to the harsh conditions

The issue of immigration in America has caused a major controversial uproar, such as whether or not immigrants have the right to become legal citizens of America and participate in what most citizens take advantage of, like voting and have a driver’s license. Some Americans believe that no one should be allowed to come to America to live because of the fear of minorities trying to take over. While others believe there is nothing wrong with the idea, and that should be given the right to become a citizen of America. Issitt (2016) said, “Immigration refers to the movement of persons from one nation or region to another with the purpose of seeking permanent residence.” According to this view immigrants deserve rights as a citizen if the desire

The definition of what America is, and furthermore what an American is, has been eternally elusive. However, it can be reasonably said that the vision of America rests upon freedom of expression, the right to property, and self-determination. These ideas are explored in one European’s examination of American agricultural society in the late 18th century. Letters from an American Farmer by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur illustrates the gilded nature of the early vision of America; one that appears to be simplistic and based in freedom, but lies on a foundation of oppression and greed.

During the past 239 years there have been major events that have converted the commonly named American to what they are known as today. Throughout time it can be easily observed that the term “An American” has been altered quite extensively. With major events happening, it is obvious the term has transformed. Nevertheless, do the people of the United States truly know what their identity has developed into? Major events such as the Civil War and the modified respect for some genders and immigrants have all converted the way an American is viewed by different countries and by how Americans view themselves.

Many would agree that America has come a long way from where it was in 1791. America is still known as the land of the free, but in recent society we have been bombarded with hate and violence. Some may argue that the country is becoming increasingly more dangerous. The U.S. is home to many immigrants and is characterized by its diversity. Unfortunately, not everyone is receiving the same treatment that they thought was ensured by chasing the ‘American Dream.’ While Thomas Paine’s glorified view of America, portrayed in his Rights of Man, is still partially true, America has strayed from its state during early sovereignty.

There is much of a competing moral theme in the novel. John mostly become revealed in conversations and dialogue with opposing moral coded characters. And example would be where he sees his love for Alejandra in “right and wrong” therms. Alfonsa sees it as an affair that can be aborted by outside parties. Another example would be the interview by John Grady with the Captain. Anything that John proposed the Captain had a rebuttal against as to why or why not. John becomes a hero not because he stands for his idealistic beliefs, but because he learned to relinquish them when it is necessary to pursue a justice, and when it is necessary to survive.

Before I entered this class, I took local farmers for granted. I thought all the produce in our supermarkets was from local farmers, and I thought that green markets were just another place to buy produce. This semester has opened my eyes to the issues surrounding the food we eat.

“Hey mom, what is for supper tonight?” “Oh I don’t know son, what do you feel like eating?” “Well, I think I would really like to eat some steak and mashed potatoes and maybe some green beans; but first off we could start with a nice fresh salad and finish up with a rhubarb pie.”