Discussion: Crevecoeur
DISCUSSION: Crevecoeur “Letter III from An American Farmer”
QUESTIONS
1. Based on your reading of Letter III and on the introductory information Horwitz offers at the beginning of this selection, why do you think that these “Letters” are important to American Studies scholars?
2. Crevecoeur suggests a number of factors that make/define “An American”. Be sure that you can list at least 4 and then answer ALL of the following questions:
- Which people or types of people “fit” Crevecoeur’s image of an “American”?
- Which people or types of people are left out? Is it possible to have the “America” Crevocoeur describes if these “other” people were part of the discussion?
- Consider/discuss what challenges there might be (both in Crevecoeur’s time and in the centuries since) to the image of America and Americans presented here
- Consider/discuss whether any of Crevecoeur’s assertions/claims still hold true (either in reality or in common thinking about/definitions of “American” and “Americans”)
