VERY RARE and important, 1793, First American Edition of "Letters from an American Farmer" - the seminal work describing the American people and the state of the American Colonies as they approached the "slippery slope" leading to Revolution and emerge as a Nation unlike any other before. This fantastic and highly praised work is fully titled "Letters from an American Farmer; Describing Certain Provincial Situations, Manners, and Customs, and Conveying Some Idea of the Sate of the People of North America.”. By J. Hector St. John (Michel-Guillaume Saint Jean de Crevecoeur) “a Farmer in Pennsylvania”. Philadelphia, March 1, 1793. “From the Press of Mathew Carey.” 1st American Edition. This very rare and wonderful Volume measures approx. 4 1/4” x 6 3/4” and contain 240 pages. Organized as a series of 12 Letters written to a friend in England by a Pennsylvania Farmer, this classic American work poses the oft repeated question, "What, then, is the American, this new man?," and in so doing summarized the European public’s interest in and questioning of the new country of America at a time when centuries of tradition had just been overturned and post-colonial Americans were attempting to describe themselves in a new way.
Michel-Guillaume Saint Jean de Crevecoeur came to America during the French and Indian War and served with the French forces. Afterwards, he settled in the British colonies, becoming a farmer. This work, which describes his experiences in America, is justly famous for its vivid picture of a colonial world slipping into the chaos of war, revolution, and nationhood. First published in England in 1782, “Letters” was among the first works to describe the character of the average American at the close of the Revolutionary War. Through the character of James (the Farmer), the letters celebrate the land of America, its space and fertility, and the character of Americans themselves, their work ethic and spirit of personal determination. Two of the essays, "What is an American?" and "Distresses of a Frontier Man," particularly address the confusion of the times. The Letters also look at the darker side of American life, particularly the issue of slavery. There is also much on the natural history of British North America, as well as ethnographic information on the American Indians. Also notable are Crevecoeur’s account of Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard. "As literature (it is) unexcelled by any American work of the eighteenth century" - Howes.
Crevecour is indeed the source of much of our knowledge of these British Colonies in the eighteenth century. Simply and expressively, he transmits his pictures of the early America and its breath-taking story of an energetic people bent on rapid growth. His account of the “pioneer age” of the late 18th century is invaluable to historical scholars and amateur students alike. The author’s discussions of an American identity, of the various opinions regarding the participation in war (or non-participation), and of the perception of immigrants and their ethnicity by the average American make this book as relevant to our understanding of ourselves today as it was in 1793.
Offered here is the VERY rare, 1st American Edition of this important piece of American Historical Literature. It is bound in its original full leather covers which are intact, tight and attractive though a bit edge worn and chipped at the spine ends. The interior pages are complete, tight and in very good condition with all endpapers and blank leaves present and intact. There is uniform age toning and scattered foxing to the interior pages but overall this is a VERY well preserved example of this exceptionally rare Volume. The only manuscript markings anywhere in the volume are the original owner’s name (“Fleming”) neatly written at the top of the title page. A very well preserved and very rare, 1793, 1st Edition of the important American Historical Volume known simply as “Letters from a Farmer” and destined to be among the centerpieces of any Colonial Americana Collection or Library. Sold, as always, with no reserve and the confidence that it will attract the serious attention that it justly deserves!!!!
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