Crevecoeur in America Essay Example for Free

Crevecoeur in America Essay Hector St. John Crà ¨vecoeur is certainly not one of the greatest figures of American history, but he can at the very least be credited with having been witness to a great deal of some of the key events that lead to the inception of the United States of America in the 18th century.1 Crà ¨vecoeur saw the burgeoning nation under many different angles during different periods of American history2. This coupled with the fact that as a foreigner who lived in the colonies he was able to step back and appraise American life and culture and be also able to see it from the inside. This essay will focus on the American life of Hector St. John de Crà ¨vecoeur and attempt a sketch of how his life took place and how the colonies and the new American nation affected him. Firstly we will examine Crà ¨vecoeur’s life in the colonies, including his living conditions, regions he inhabited and his overall situation during his time there. Secondly, we will review his experiences in the colonies and North America. Thirdly we will attempt to see how, when and by whom was Crà ¨vecoeur influenced during his time in America and what effects this had on both the United States of American and Crà ¨vecoeur himself. Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crà ¨vecoeur – or St. John de Crà ¨vecoeur as we would later know him – would first set foot in North America in Canada in 1754. Fighting under the Montcalm during the French-Indian War, Crà ¨vecoeur left Canada for the English colonies where he worked as an itinerant merchant allowed him to envision many aspects and parts of North America. In 1759 he eventually settled down in Orange County in New York and became a citizen of the colony, changing his name to John Hector St. John.. Crà ¨vecoeur took up a life of farming and raised a family, while still keeping in touch with the outside world albeit staying out of its affairs almost entirely. After the upheaval of the Revolutionary War and a five-year long return to France, Crà ¨vecoeur eventually returned to New York in 1783 in the capacity of First Consul of his Christian Majesty to the State of New York. In this lofty position Crà ¨vecoeur toiled to establish trading between the American  colonies and the French crown. In addition he also informed France and through France, Europe of what the lives, people and the continent of North America was truly like. Although Crà ¨vecoeur’s sojourns in the colonies were no doubt a source of great pride and accomplishment, they were also a time of hardship, suspicion and uncertainty. St. John de Crà ¨vecoeur’s experiences in North America and the colonies within were varied. In turn his life there was filled with successes. After being a competent soldier for France he became a farmer and raised a family that he loved and was proud of. He eventually reached a position of at least symbolic power where he found himself in a position to both help his motherland as well as foster greater understanding, appreciation and maybe even prosperity for a land and a nation that had been his home for most of his life. However, if one were to equate Crà ¨vecoeur’s experiences on the continent to be purely idyllic one would be sorely mistaken. In addition to the hardships of rural life he also had to experience suspicion and imprisonment during his time there. Crà ¨vecoeur, although naturalized as an American, was still very much a Frenchman. Although very much liberal for his times Crà ¨vecoeur still retained a healthy respect for religion and monarchy, twin pillars of the French elite. He was also enamored with English society and government, considered far more liberal and egalitarian by the French philosophers still under the reign of an absolute monarchy. His first book was in fact dedicated to Abbot Raynal whose work â€Å"Histoire philosophique et politique des à ©tablissements des Europà ©ens dans les deux Indes† (1770) inspired him to think about America and his situation. Furthermore, Crà ¨vecoeur’s own experiences and his reading of instilled him with the idea that the American colonies, with their religious tolerance. Although ultimately addressed to the higher strata of society, designed as a sort of quaint picture of pastoral utopia, his works are ultimately a celebration and an accolade to the workingman a nd the lower classes of the time. Crà ¨vecoeur is even sometimes credited with being the inventor of what would become the American Dream. Colonial American shaped Crà ¨vecoeur. The hardships of the rural life began to change his view of the rural idyll that we first see in his writings. The dangers of that life and the unrelenting and often unjust vagaries of the elements, neighbors and country life bore down on him. Although still somewhat in awe of some of the leaders that permitted the Revolution some of his writings tell a tale of disillusion with great leaders and the hero worship that resulted with some of the heroes of the American Revolution, namely Washington. The Revolution further marred Crà ¨vecoeur’s utopian take on the colonies and also the English themselves. To say that Crà ¨vecoeur is an interesting character of American history is an understatement. Having been witness to three distinct phases of colonial America. These are the pre-revolutionary period, the actual American Revolution itself and its aftermath. These various periods and stages in his life affect him deeply and modified his writings and his views. In conclusion, Hector St. John de Crà ¨vecoeur embodies many things that characterized colonial America as both a land brimming with opportunity and a place and time steeped in brutality and harshness. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Patchell, Thomas â€Å"J. Hector St. John de Crà ¨vecoeur† in Early American Nature Writers ed. by Daniel Patterson (London: Greenwood Press 2008), 103 Plotkin, A. Saint-John de Crevecoeur Rediscovered: Critic or Paneygyrist? French Historical Studies, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Spring, 1964) 403-404 Plumstead, A. W. â€Å"Crevecoeur: A â€Å"Man of Sorrows† and the American Revolution† The Massachusetts Review, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Summer, 1976) 287-288 St. John de Crevecoeur, John Letters from an American Farmer, 1783, ed. Albert Stone (New York, NY: Penguin American Library, 1981), 226-227 St. John de Crevecoeur, John Qu’est-ce qu’un Amà ©ricain? (ed. Howard Rice) (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1943

Clinton Administration Policy Toward The Caribbean Country Of Haiti :: William Jefferson Clinton Essays

Clinton Administration Policy Toward the Caribbean Country of Haiti The topic for this paper is the United States policy towards the Caribbean country of Haiti during the Clinton administration. The subjects which will be discussed are the issues of: Refugees, Foreign Aide as well as human rights the United States involvement in Haiti issues of national interests. What will also be examined is what the Clinton administration trying to achieve concerning Haiti. What the United Nations and the U.S. roles were, and what the public thought was concerning these issues. Also why the United States was involved with the internal dispute of a third world country where the national interest was not clearly defined. The issue of why was it or was not so important for the United States to send troops to Haiti will also be discussed. The problem in Haiti was the pro democratic elected president Aristide was exile from Haiti during a military coup. Several issues arose out of Haiti after the exile of Aristide. Issues of: human rights there were reports that the new regime brought back "death squads" killing people who opposed the new leaders. One of the main targets of the Clinton policy is a group called the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti of FRAPH. The administration has targeted this group for their continued backing and support of General Cedras, for their human rights violations. Issues of , refugee's illegally trying to enter the United States creating an economic burden on much of south Florida. All of these issues arose during president Bush's term in office. The Bush administration was to turn back the refugee's. The Bush administration saw no vital national interest in concerning it self with the internal problems of Haiti ,because there were so many problems at home in the United States, other than to turn the refugee's away from south Florida. When president Clinton took over the office of the presidency he would become very indecisive and weak on the issue of Haiti. President Clinton began badly on Haiti. With his continual indecision and lack of any real back bone to the policies which were decided upon. "First, he gave charge of his policy to Bush administration holdovers who over the previous year had made clear their intent to construct in Haiti a version of democracy that left the president in exile but with an Aristide - appointed prime minister and cabinet. This tortured scenario was doomed to failure because over two thirds of the Haitian people equated democratic government with the return of Aristide and no arrangement that excluded his presence could

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark Hero’s Journey Analysis Essay

Ordinary World In the first opening scene we see is Indiana Jone’s whip in his pocket. Then we see the hat from behind and that is when the die-hard Indiana Jones fans realize that they are witnessing the entrance of a great hero. The ordinary world for Indiana Jones is really not that boring at all. He is constantly hit on by many undergraduates that he teaches in his Archaeology class. A prime example being an extremely attractive undergraduate girl closes her eye lids to display the message â€Å"LOVE YOU.† The Call The call to action in this movie was when the two federal agents came to enlist the help of Indiana Jones to acquire the Ark of the Covenant. Indiana Jones informs them of the history behind the Ark and is informed that the Nazis have found Tanis the last known location of the Ark. Jones informs the federal agents that he is no expert on the subject of Ark myth, but they should be asking Abner Ravenwood. Ravenwood collected many relics of Tanis including the head piece to the Staff of Ra. The head piece is the key to finding the Well of Souls where the Ark is kept. The Refusal Indiana Jones is gung ho about embarking on his quest to find the Ark of the Covenant. Marcus Brody, the head curator of the National Museum tells Jones that is might not be a good idea to go seeking the Ark. Brody expresses his convern when he says, â€Å"Well, I mean that for nearly three thousand years man has been searching for the lost ark. It’s not something to be taken lightly. No one knows its secrets. It’s like nothing you’ve ever gone after before.† Jones tells Brody not to worry, for he does not believe in the supernatural.† Meeting the Mentor This movie has a slight twist in terms of meeting the mentor. The mentor, Abner Ravenwood is mentioned but we never get to meet him, for Jones and he had a falling out many years prior. Jones later meets up with Sollah who guides him through Egypt. Crossing the Threshold In this movie, however, Jones goes to Nepal to go see Marion, Abner Ravenwoods’ daughter, to obtain the head piece to the Staff of Ra. Accomplishing this task is not easy for Jones because a romantic encounter he had with Marion years earlier. Test Allies & Enemies Indiana Jones is greeted quite rudely when he enters through Marion’s door she says, â€Å"Always knew someday you’d come back through my door!† and then proceeds to punch him, â€Å"In the last ten years, I learned to hate you. I was a child. You knew what you were doing.† Jones finds out that his mentor is dead. He gives her money to buy the head piece, and she tells him to come back tomorrow to retrieve it. After Jones leaves the bar, agents from the German Gustapo looking for the head piece. They subdue her and threaten to burn her with a hot poker in order to torture her for information about the whereabouts the head piece. Right as they are about to start the torment Jones comes in and saves her by whipping out the hot poker out of the tormentor’s hands. The hot poker lights the curtains ablaze resulting in the head piece heating up. The head Gustapo officer grabs the medallion and burns his hands in the process. Marion then pays back the favor to Jones by shooting an assailant saving Jones’ life. She looks and turns to Jones and says, â€Å"I’m your god damned partner!† At this point a partnership has been formed and we have Jones’ first major ally in the quest to find the Ark. The Approach * They arrive in Cairo in Egypt, where they meet up with Sollah, and an old colleague of Jone’s. * Rene Belloch is running the archaeological dig in Tannis * The Germans have found the map room that Jones had mentioned before, but cannot find the location to the Well of Souls without the head piece. * Sollah acts as their guide and warns them of the dangers * â€Å"The Ark. If it is there, at Tanis, then it is something that man was not meant to disturb. * Death has always surrounded it. It is not of this earth.† – Sollah * Jones and Marian start to rekindle their relationship * They are attacked by the Nazis and Jones throws Marion in a basket to keep her safe from harm * While hiding in the basket the monkey hops on the top cover of the basket, giving her position away * Indiana Jones seeks out Marion but is unable to find her * He shoots the explosives truck and the truck explodes which leads Jones to believe that Marian is dead * He meets up with Sollah after and they come to the conclusion that they only have one side of the head piece * The Nazis are digging in the wrong place * Sollah and Jones realize they do not have much time, for they must get to the map room around 9:00am when the sun hits the map room * The sun shines through and points them to the location where they must dig * Jones goes to Balloch’s tent and finds Marion * Jones promises to come back for her after he retrieves the Ark * They find the entrance to the Well of Souls when they are ambushed by Belloch and his Nazi cohorts Supreme Ordeal Jones is locked inside with Marion in the Well of Souls. The floor is covered with snakes which makes this even more excruciating for Jones. Snakes are Jones’ worst fear and he despises them with a passion. At this point it seems as if all hope is lost, but Jones and Marion manage to escape the Well of Souls and try to flee the archeological dig site at Tannis. The Reward After a fistfight with a giant Nazi mechanic, blowing up an airplane on the airstrip, and chasing down a fleet of trucks, Jones takes back the Ark before it can be shipped to Berlin. He obtains what he was looking for all along plus he has Marion by his side, which is what he really wanted all along. The Road Back Indiana and Marion leave Cairo to escort the Ark to England on board a steam boat. The next day, their boat is breached by Belloch, and the Nazis, who once again steal the Ark and kidnap Marion. Indiana stows away on their U-boat and follows them to an isolated island where Belloch plans to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler. Indiana reveals himself and threatens to destroy the Ark with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, but Belloch calls his bluff, knowing Jones cannot bear to eradicate an important historical artifact. The Resurrection Indiana surrenders and is tied to a post with Marion as Belloch performs a ceremonial opening of the Ark, which appears to contain nothing but sand. Belloch’s Nazi cohorts start laughing thinking they had just wasted their time. Suddenly, angels start to emerge from the Ark. Aware of the supernatural danger of looking at the opened Ark, Indiana warns Marion to close her eyes. The apparitions suddenly morph into gruesome creatures of death, and lightning bolts and burst of fire and flame begin flying out of the Ark, killing the Nazi soldiers, while Belloch and the rest of the commanding officers meet their fates as well. Return with Elixir Indiana and Brody ask about the whereabouts of the ark and are informed by the federal agents that the Ark â€Å"is someplace safe† to be studied by â€Å"top men†. The Ark is sealed in a wooden crate and stored in a giant government warehouse in Area 51 filled with countless similar crates.

Thomas Hobbes And John Locke - 888 Words

The comparison of these two men is a very interesting pair. They both share ideas that are very similar but diverge in the moments that solidify their stance on their opinion. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke is both political scientist who have made strides in the area of social contracts and share being natural law theorist also. Locke and all other natural law theorists assumed that man was by nature a social animal and there fore struck contracts with each other to secure safety among them. Hobbes assumed differently, thus his verdicts are very different from other natural law theorists. Both of these philosophers have diverging ideas on why humans band together and the appropriate reasons. John Locke believed that humans are social animals and the purpose of society is for protection through group force and cooperation. The society assists all members by the division of labor and task to become the most efficient. The society bands together to help raise the children and nurture t hem to work in the society the most cooperative. Ultimately society brings the need to keep family close by and to know that one is not alone in spirit. There are other humans like themselves going through the same situation and the bonds become stronger. Humans preform social contracts with one another to achieve and grow off of one another to become more whole as a society and as a person. Locke tries to convey that in the nature men mostly kept their promises and honored their obligationsShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes886 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscuss the differences in political theories expressed by both John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. In, Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, and in, The Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke different theories of political legitimacy and definitions of the state of nature are described. The following paragraphs analyze multiple different points that are imperative to understanding these political theories. In the reading, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes discusses what human existence is in the state of nature andRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke911 Words   |  4 Pagessocial contract theory, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke established many of the founding ideals that contemporary Liberalism is based on. While the shared many similar positions, there are some key distinctions to be made between the arguments Hobbes and Locke make in Leviathan and Second Treatise of Civil Government, respectively. In this paper I will argue the differences between how each of them viewed the right of the subjects to revolt from the sovereign. Thomas Hobbes published his most famousRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke Essay1441 Words   |  6 PagesEifling-Question 4 Hobbes and Locke During and after the English Revolution, a few philosophers expressed different views on their philosophical outlook and life experiences. Some of the most outstanding thinkers include Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. They had opposing views on governance matters, but the two, also, had striking similarities. In addition, the two represented an increasingly modernized European population that despised absolute kingship. Both Hobbes and Locke proposed a conceptionRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes1287 Words   |  6 Pagesknow how to balance and consider the nature of humankind and their rights. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were both political philosophers who developed theories about how the government should work. They set up their theories around The Natural Law and the Social Contract Theory. Although John Locke and Thomas Hobbes had a similar goal, their beliefs and opinions were definitely not the same. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both believed in the Natural Law and the Social Contract Theory. They both developedRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1346 Words   |  6 PagesContracts Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two English political philosophers, who have had a lasting impact on modern political science. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both spent much of their lives attempting to identify the best form of government. Locke and Hobbes were among the most prominent of theorists when it came to social contract and human rights. A Social Contract is an agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, are the twoRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke928 Words   |  4 Pagesthere is no formed society, government, laws, safety, etc. both Thomas Hobbes and John Locke take this into perspective while introducing a political view. As illustrated by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels, they proposed political views on how human nature can prosper. Initially, Thomas Hobbes introduces a concept on the state of nature and its effects as well as how peace can be achieved. In Leviathan, Hobbes defines what living in a state of nature would be like and theRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1494 Words   |  6 Pages1) Thomas Hobbes and John Locke share the basic assumption that a theory based off of abstract individualism, consent, sovereignty and reason will produce a peaceful and productive society. This theory is the liberal political theory, which is the philosophy of individual rights and a limited government. Both Hobbes and Locke both center the majority of their ideas off of how people’s lives should be based off of nature rights instead of natural law. This being said, people are also subject to theRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1426 Words   |  6 PagesBy the second half of the 17th Century, England would experience one of the bloodiest conflicts in its history, ultimately serving to influence some of the most phenomenal political philosophers in Europe --Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. England was in constant unrest, choosing new forms of government almost on a whim in desperate attempts to restore order in the Country. The English Civil War in 1642 etched a legacy of drea d in the people of England, and the war only appeared more disastrous andRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1659 Words   |  7 Pagesmajority. The following pages show how modern social contract theory especially that of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, grew into the divisive issue it is in contemporary political philosophy. Modern social contract theory can trace its roots to prominent thinkers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. It is their thoughts on social contracts that lie at the center of the many spheres we are a part of. For Hobbes and Locke, social contract theory sought to analyze the relationship between rulers and the ruledRead MoreThomas Hobbes And John Locke1361 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbes and John Locke were two English thinkers in the seventeenth-century who s ideas became a key to the Enlightenment. Baron de Montesquieu and Voltaire were philosophers who applied the methods of science to understand and improve society. Thomas Hobbes believed in a powerful gover nment. He believed people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish, and if they were not strictly controlled they would commit crimes and abuse one another. He believed that life with no government would be