The Americans never use the word peasant, because they have no idea of the class which that term denotes; the ignorance of more remote ages, the simplicity of rural life, and the rusticity of the villager have not been preserved among them; and they are alike unacquainted with the virtues, the vices, the coarse habits, and the simple graces of an early stage of civilization.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The term peasant implies a class of rustic laborers that does not exist in American society.
- In plain terms
- America does not have a class of poor rural workers called peasants.
- What can you take from it?
- American society lacks a peasant class.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines a peasant?
- Does class matter in America?
Another view
The term peasant still describes economic conditions elsewhere.
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