J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur

Crevecoeuer was truly an international man. I can't imagine traveling as much as he did, especially considering how long the boat rides were. Upon returning to America in 1783, only to discover that his farm had been burned, his wife was dead, and his children were rooming with people he didn't know may have inspired the first stereotypical country song in America.

In his work "Letters from an American Farmer," he truly captures the spirit of America. It's amazing to me to see how truly influenced our society is still today by the attitude of our founders. The "American Dream" is still at play today. Some of his quotes that illustrate this idea include the following:

"...this is the work of my country men who,....afflicted by a variety of of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy and what substance they possess."
America was built upon a foundation of hope for better lives of liberty, formed by people who would not settle for less then they thought they deserved.

"They are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen."
This illustrates that the ideals of the American Dream became an international movement.

"Men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow."
America is a diverse and huge land--Crevecoeur describes human nature's adaptability to the type of climate and land a person lives in. Kind of like how people often look like the pets they own.