J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur
Letters from an American Farmer
"Letters from an American Farmer" by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur is a series of letters first published in 1782. Through the voice of a fictional farmer named James, this work explores life in the British colonies of America before the Revolutionary War. The twelve letters examine diverse topics, from defining American identity to describing Quaker society on Nantucket, confronting the brutal realities of slavery in Charleston, and witnessing a farmer's anguish as war approaches. Recognized as one of the first works in American literary canon, it blends documentary observation with social commentary.