J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur
Born	(1735-12-31)December 31, 1735 Normandy, France
Died	November 12, 1813(1813-11-12) (aged 77) Sarcelles, France
Other names	Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur
Occupation	Writer
Known for	Pro-American writings during the time of the American Revolution
Spouse(s)	Mehitable Tippet

Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur (born December 31, 1735 – died November 12, 1813) was a French-American writer. In New York, he became a citizen and was known as John Hector St. John. He is famous for his books that described life in the American colonies, especially during the time of the American Revolution. His writings helped people in Europe understand what it was like to be an American.

His Life Story

Crèvecœur was born on December 31, 1735, in Caen, Normandy, France. His parents were a Count and Countess. In 1755, he moved to North America, which was then called New France.

He worked as a cartographer, someone who makes maps, in the French army during the French and Indian War. He became a lieutenant, a military officer. After the French army lost to the British in 1759, he moved to the Province of New York.

In New York, he became a citizen and changed his name to John Hector St. John. In 1770, he married an American woman named Mehitable Tippet. He bought a large farm in Chester, New York, and called it "Pine Hill." He was a successful farmer and also worked as a surveyor, measuring land. He started writing about life in the American colonies and how American society was forming.

During the American Revolution

In 1779, during the American Revolution, Crèvecœur tried to go back to France because his father was sick. He traveled with his son to New York City, which was controlled by the British. However, he was put in prison for three months because the British thought he was an American spy.

Eventually, he was able to sail to Britain, but his ship was wrecked off the coast of Ireland. From Britain, he finally sailed to France and saw his father again. After some time, he visited Paris.

His Writings

In 1782, Crèvecœur published a book in London called Letters from an American Farmer. This book quickly became very popular in Europe. It was one of the first successful books by an American author in Europe.

Crèvecœur was the first writer to explain life on the American frontier to Europeans. He used many American English words. He also explored the idea of the American Dream, showing America as a place where everyone had a chance to succeed. His book helped Europeans understand what made Americans unique. He wrote about how Americans were clever and lived simple lives. He also showed how different religions were accepted in America, a country made up of many different cultures. He wrote that the middle colonies had "fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields...decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild, woody, and uncultivated."

The first edition of the book, published during the American Revolutionary War, left out some letters that were negative or critical. His wife's family stayed loyal to the British King and later moved to Nova Scotia.

Later, in 1883, his great-grandson published some of his previously unseen letters. In 1916, Crèvecœur's first American biographer, Julia Post Mitchell, wrote that he discussed "problems in political economy which European governments were trying in vain to solve." She said he used American life to explain his ideas. More of his writings were published in 1925.

His Work as a Diplomat

Because his book was so successful in France, Crèvecœur was chosen to be the French consul for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A consul is like an official representative of a country in another country.

Crèvecœur returned to New York City in November 1783. He was eager to see his family. Sadly, he learned that his farm had been destroyed, his wife had died, and his two younger children were missing. He stayed with his friend William Seton, who helped him find his children. They were safe and living with a family in Boston. The next spring, he was reunited with them. Crèvecœur lived in New York City for most of the 1780s.

Helping to Build a Church

At that time, New York City was the capital of the United States. Many Catholics living there were connected to foreign governments. They first met for church services at the Spanish consul's home. More Catholics arrived, including sailors, merchants, and people from the Spanish West Indies.

In 1785, the Portuguese and Spanish consuls, along with others, wanted to rent a building for a church. They thought Crèvecœur was the best person to ask for help. Even though Crèvecœur was not very religious, he believed in freedom of religion. He was also a friend of Lafayette, a famous French general who helped America. When their plan was turned down, Crèvecœur was upset. He became very active in helping to create the first Catholic church in the city. He later became the president of the first Board of Trustees for St. Peter's Church on Barclay Street.

Later Years

In 1784, he published a two-volume version of his Letters from an American Farmer in French. A three-volume version followed in 1787. Both his English and French books were translated into many other European languages. For many years, European readers thought of Crèvecœur as James, the "American farmer" from his book. They respected him greatly.

By 1801, when he published another three-volume book called Voyage dans la Haute-Pensylvanie et dans l'état de New-York, his fame had lessened. The French Revolution had changed people's interests, and they were less interested in the United States. His new book was mostly ignored. An English translation was not published until 1964. Much of Crèvecœur's best work has been published after his death.

Crèvecœur was very concerned about the condition of slaves. He joined the Société des Amis des Noirs (Society of the Friends of the Blacks), a group in Paris that worked to end slavery.

In 1789, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society, a famous group that promotes knowledge.

Also in 1789, while in France, he was caught up in the French Revolution. As an aristocrat, he was in danger and went into hiding. He secretly tried to get passage back to the United States. The new American ambassador to France, James Monroe, finally helped him get the necessary papers.

At the end of his life, Crèvecœur returned to France. He settled permanently on land he had inherited from his father. He died on November 12, 1813, in Sarcelles, Val d'Oise, France.

The town of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, is named after him. This name was suggested by Ethan Allen, a hero of the American Revolution.

Primary Works

• Letters from an American Farmer, 1782.
• Letters from an American Farmer, written to W.S. (William Seton), squire, from the year 1770 to 1781, translated from English by * (Lettres d'un cultivateur américain : écrites à W. S. (William Seton), écuyer, depuis l'année 1770 jusqu'à 1781, traduites de l'anglois par *), 1784.
• Memoire sur le Commerce Entre la France et les États-Unis D'Amerique, 1784 (a manuscript kept at the U.S. Embassy, Paris).
• Eighteenth-Century Travels in Pennsylvania and New York (Voyage dans la Haute-Pensylvanie et dans l'état de New-York), 1801.
• Sketches of the Eighteenth Century America: More "Letters From an American Farmer", 1925.

See also

In Spanish: Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur para niños