Maria McDonough

I believe author John De Crevecouer most described America as we know it. He gave many examples that made America set apart from other countries. First he asks " ...can a man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured no harvest, who met nothing but the frowns of the rich..." (312). By this he is describing Europe being a more poor country, and wants to know how any person living there can call it their country when they can not even provide food for them. Another example of him defining America is when he describes all the different types of backgrounds of people that come to America. "I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was a Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons now have four wives of different nations. He is and American..." (312). By this he means that no matter what walks of life people come from, when they come together to the United States and help one another and love others they are an American. Another way he shows how people are Americans is their choice of religion. "How does it concernthe welfare of the country, or the province at large, what this man's religious sentiments are, or really whether he has any at all? He is a good farmer, he is sober, peaceable, good citizen..." (316). This quote shows that he believes that regardless of what religion you are, if you are a good person you are still an American. To show how much he believes America is a great country he states "It is here then that the idle may be employed, the useless become useful, and the poor become rich; but by riches I do not mean gold and silver, we have but little of those metals; I mean a better sort of wealth, cleared lands, cattle, good houses, good clothes, and an increase of people to enjoy them" (319). All these are examples of how the author shows America being a great free country where people can grow and prosper.