Unit 2: American Exceptionalism: Crèveoeur and Du Bois
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American Exceptionalism: Crèvecoeur and Du Bois primary texts: • “What is an American?” (Letters from an American Farmer III) by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur (1782) • “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” (The Souls of Black Folk chapter 1) by W.E.B. DuBois (1903) secondary resources: • Declaration of Independence (1776) [Jefferson’s original draft with Congress’s revisions in The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson Ed. Adrienne Koch and William Peden] • introduction to American Gothic by Charles Crow (1999) J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur’s “What is an American?” insists that America is exceptional. In America, he argues, little notice is paid to ancestry, races and religions mingle freely, there is a smaller gap between rich and poor, and the government largely allows men to direct their own lives. This is a far cry from Europe, with its entrenched aristocracy, crowded land, and draconian taxes. He describes the process by which Europeans, especially those who were poor in their home countries, can become comfortably settled Americans through industrious and virtuous labor. Crèvecoeur’s thesis of American exceptionalism meets an important challenge in W.E.B. Du Bois’ “Of Our Spiritual Strivings.” In this first chapter of On the Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois reflects on the status of black people in America after Emancipation—a status that has not changed as much as he would hope. Du Bois coins the term “double consciousness” to name the persistent conflict between the two identities “Negro” and “American.” While they are no longer slaves, black people are still cut off (or veiled) from the opportunities for freedom, prosperity, and advancement afforded to whites. Disappointed in America’s promise, Du Bois asks, “Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?” These texts work well together because Du Bois brings to light what Letters from an American Farmer represses: Crèvecoeur’s theories about becoming American extend to a handful of European races, but not Indians or blacks, and they are predicated on an agricultural economy in a land with almost infinite space. Slavery is the dark underside of the farming Crèvecoeur worships. Key Questions According to Crèvecoeur, how do Europeans become Americans? What does Crèvecoeur mean when he says “Here man is free as he ought to be”? If we think through the implications of Crèvecoeur’s argument, where do we run into problems? At what point—or for whom—do his theories no longer hold up?
Transcript of Unit 2: American Exceptionalism: Crèveoeur and Du Bois
American Exceptionalism: Crèvecoeur and Du Bois primary texts:
• “What is an American?” (Letters from an American Farmer III) by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur (1782)
• “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” (The Souls of Black Folk chapter 1) by W.E.B. DuBois (1903)
secondary resources: • Declaration of Independence (1776) [Jefferson’s original draft with Congress’s
revisions in The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson Ed. Adrienne Koch and William Peden]
• introduction to American Gothic by Charles Crow (1999) J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur’s “What is an American?” insists that America is exceptional. In America, he argues, little notice is paid to ancestry, races and religions mingle freely, there is a smaller gap between rich and poor, and the government largely allows men to direct their own lives. This is a far cry from Europe, with its entrenched aristocracy, crowded land, and draconian taxes. He describes the process by which Europeans, especially those who were poor in their home countries, can become comfortably settled Americans through industrious and virtuous labor. Crèvecoeur’s thesis of American exceptionalism meets an important challenge in W.E.B. Du Bois’ “Of Our Spiritual Strivings.” In this first chapter of On the Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois reflects on the status of black people in America after Emancipation—a status that has not changed as much as he would hope. Du Bois coins the term “double consciousness” to name the persistent conflict between the two identities “Negro” and “American.” While they are no longer slaves, black people are still cut off (or veiled) from the opportunities for freedom, prosperity, and advancement afforded to whites. Disappointed in America’s promise, Du Bois asks, “Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?” These texts work well together because Du Bois brings to light what Letters from an American Farmer represses: Crèvecoeur’s theories about becoming American extend to a handful of European races, but not Indians or blacks, and they are predicated on an agricultural economy in a land with almost infinite space. Slavery is the dark underside of the farming Crèvecoeur worships.
Key Questions According to Crèvecoeur, how do Europeans become Americans? What does Crèvecoeur mean when he says “Here man is free as he ought to be”? If we think through the implications of Crèvecoeur’s argument, where do we run into problems? At what point—or for whom—do his theories no longer hold up?
According to Du Bois, what external and internal forces are preventing Negroes from attaining their goals? According to Du Bois, what can Negroes contribute to America? Where do Crèvecoeur and Du Bois agree? How do Crèvecoeur and Du Bois connect to Franklin and Petry? What leads to a feeling of loyalty to one’s country? Who gets to feel whole in America? What groups or individuals might feel the presence of the “veil” in today’s society? Use of Secondary Resources Reading the Declaration of Independence in an edition that shows the changes made by Congress is eye-opening. Most notably, passages referring to slavery as a crime imposed by the British crown have been struck out. The Declaration in its “final” form resonates with Crèvecoeur’s ideals of America; what has been removed resonates with Du Bois’ critique. These strategies of repression warrant a return to the idea of the gothic established in the first unit, “On the Nature of Dreams.” The introduction to American Gothic by Charles Crow provides a clear, concise summary of the concerns of the gothic particular to America. Reading this introduction will add another layer to our understanding of the gothic and to our understanding of the primary texts.
