J. Hector St John de Crèvecoeur

Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur , known as J. Hector St John , born with Caen the December 31st 1735 and died in Sarcelles the November 12th 1813, is a Norman writer américano- .

Crevecoor was educated at the Jésuites with the royal College of Bourbon. In 1754, it accomplishes a stay in family with Salisbury, during which it learns the English before embarking for the News-France where it is useful, during the Guerre Seven Year old, of 1755 with 1759 as cartographer in the army of Montcalm where it arrives at the rank of lieutenant. He travels much while taking notes and while working as land-surveyor before becoming farmer, initially in the county of Ulster then in the Orange county with New York where he takes nationality and adopts the name of “J. Hector St John”. In 1766, it is accepted like member of the tribe Des.

In 1770, it marries Mehitabel Tippett, the girl of an American merchant with whom it will have three children. carrying out a life thrives in its farm, it starts to write on the life in the American colonies and the appearance of an american company. In 1780, the American Révolution comes to stop its idyllic life. Little laid out to support one or the other party, it tries to leave for the France where calls it the staggering health of his/her father. Authorized to cross the frontline and to enter to New York with one of its sons, unexpected appearance of a French squadron the fact of suspecting of espionage, which is worth three months of imprisonment to him. Slackened thanks to the intervention of two merchants who go guaranteeing for him, it embarks for Dublin. Arrived at Dublin, it continues with London where it publishes (1782). Also published with Philadelphia, like to Dublin, Belfast, Maestricht and Leipzig, these Lettres brings an immediate celebrity to their author.

Arrived in France in 1782, it introduces the culture of the Potato in Normandy. Turned over to America in November 1783 like consul of France, he learns that his firm was devastated, his burned house and his assassinated wife a few weeks before by the Indians and that two of his/her children are missing. He discovers his two missing children in a merchant of the name of Gustavus Fellowes which took care of them in recognition of its care with four of its marine neighbors Boston iens in 1781. He is in station as consul with New York, the Connecticut then with the New Jersey, his nomination being well seen US government and having been worth to him marks of particular regard on behalf of George Washington. He establishes a service of trunk between the France and the America.

In 1784, it publishes a French edition very increased and more arts person of his Letters from year American Farmer entitled Lettres of an American farmer . (The original english language version of some of these letters will not be published, before 1925, under the title of Sketches off Eighteenth Century America ).

In June 1785, it turns over to France to try to improve of the commercial relations between France and the young people the United States. In 1787, it publishes a new edition into three volume of its Lettres . In 1789, it turns over to the the United States, again as consul and publishes a version in three volumes of the Letters in French. He is elected with the American Philosophical Society and publishes, under the name of “Agricola”, of the letters in various American newspapers on, inter alia, the culture of potato, the power supply of the sheep, the sunflower oil. He introduces the culture of the alfalfa in America.

In 1790, it definitively leaves America to turn over in France. Its bad health obliges it one moment to live quietly in the house of his/her father with in Normandy while made rage the French revolution. It remains nevertheless in contact with the the United States via a son farmer in the New Jersey. In 1801, it publishes the culture of the potatoes and Voyage in high Pennsylvania and the State of New York .

In 1810, it spends the three last years of its life to Munich where his/her son-in-law was Ambassador plenipotentiary. In 1813, it is stopped as American spy. The November 12th 1813, it dies of a cardiac disease discovered during its arrest.

Internal bonds

Letters of an American farmer

Works on line

Letters of an American farmer, written with William Seton, rider, since the year 1770 up to 1781, translated anglois , 2 vol., Paris, Cuchet, 1784
Letters of an American farmer addressed to Wm S… one, Esqr, from the year 1770 in 1786… , 3 vol., Paris, Cuchet, 1787
Voyage in High Pennsylvania and the State of New York, since the year 1785 until 1798, by an adoptive member of the nation Onéida , Paris, Maradan, year IX (1801)

References

Robert de Crèvecoeur, Holy John de Crèvecoeur, his life and its works , Paris, Bookstore of the bibliophiles, 1883

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