Establishing the American Dream

J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur, author of Letters from an American Farmer, was a French immigrant who was among the first to detail the ways of American life to European readers overseas. Crèvecœur’s writings talked of the land, its inhabitants, and the life of an American farmer living the “American Dream”.

In Letter II, Crèvecœur’s character “James” writes of his life on the farm, describing in great detail the amount of pleasure and happiness he receives from it. It is clear that he believes his life has become much richer since his migration to New England, writing “...and thank God that my lot is to be an American farmer, instead of a Russian boor, or an [sic] Hungarian peasant” (11). He then goes on to discuss his success on the farm, and the simple pleasure he gets from simple interactions with his family, livestock, and environment. Clearly, James is content with the bountiful life New England has to offer, but the impact of such positive statements tells more about America than one might think.

When studying American culture, one key theme is the pursuit of the American Dream, or the “Good Life”. This refers to the assumed promise of wealth, prosperity, and happiness that comes with being an American. In 1931, writer James Truslow Adams was the first to coin the phrase “American Dream” in his book Epic of America, but Crèvecœur’s character James described it centuries prior in Letter II from Letters from an American Farmer. Although he probably didn’t realize it, Crèvecœur’s feelings of prosperity and happiness in his new adopted country would later be recognized as one of the staples of American civilization.

Works Cited:

Adams, Percy G. "Notes on Crevecouer." Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.

Library of Congress. American Memory. "What is the American Dream?". Sept. 9, 2009