In class today, we discussed how St. John Crevecoeur defined an American, and whether or not he considered himself to be one. From what I have interpreted, I believe he defines an American based on the individual's desire to work hard in order to become successful, his or her desire for justice, and his or her pursuit for property.
Most importantly, however, I believe Crevecoeur claimed that anyone who decided to journey to America--no matter what nationality he or she was--had already cast aside his or her past ties and created a new one: that of a "new race of men," as he puts it. This "new race of men" was the welcoming of everyone from different races to America. Crevecoeur states that men from "all nations are melted into a new race" when his "labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world." Therefore, it is not the nationality of a man that makes him more or less an American, but rather his aspiration to be a hard-working, free man of the New World, and his achievements from such hard work and perseverance.
-Chloe Martianou
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think Crevecoeur's definition of an American includes tolerance as a critical factor. His discussion of religious diversity evidences this.
ReplyDelete-Colin
I agree with Colin that tolerance is definitely a point that Crevecoeur stresses, but I wonder whether Crevecoeur would have been willing to extend his definition of tolerance beyond just the acceptance of Catholics and Protestants from western Europe.
ReplyDelete-Bryce C.