Crèvecoeur is the author of Letters from an American Farmer. He writes most of the Letters from the perspective of a character named James (with the exception of one letter written by Iwan). The historical Crèvecoeur was born and educated in France, served in the French army in Canada, and emigrated to America in 1759, becoming an American citizen in 1765 and establishing a farm in upstate New York. Though the Letters reflect Crèvecoeur’s extensive travels, Crèvecoeur himself mainly shows up in the book’s opening Advertisements, where he comments on his antislavery views and his regret over the conflict between England and the American colonies.