Agriculture in the United States: The Political, Economic, and Social Role of Agriculture in the Development of America’s National Identity

Agriculture in the United States

The Political, Economic, and Social Role of Agriculture
in the Development of America’s National Identity

By: Vanessa Hildebrandt

“Now is the seed-time of Continental union, faith and honour” - Thomas Paine (Paine, 31)

            The Founding Fathers of America planted the roots of liberty in 1776, when they determined that they did not need to be dependent on England. The colonists came in 1620 and survived the wilderness that was this new land. The colonists developed the land and developed great markets of wheat and tobacco. Although England was the mother country it was time for the colonies to leave the nest and prove their ability to be self-sufficient and independent. Through agriculture the colonies could, as George Washington believed, become the pantry to the world with its ability to create plentiful harvests in the fertile soil. As Thomas Paine said this was the seed-time, the birth of a new nation and with that a new identity that could unite the states into one nation for the benefit of its citizens. Agriculture would be the key to the union and our heritage would be founded in this agrarian society. Our agrarian roots have influenced American culture through politics, economics, and social movements that have become an ever present American symbol of independence.

The United States of America relied on agriculture to create a method of self-sufficiency that would support the nation economically during the Revolution.  Benjamin Franklin believed that agriculture was “the only honest way” for a nation to raise wealth. He thought that there were two other ways in which a nation could gain wealth; first, through war and second, through commerce. However, he believed that these later two methods required stealing and cheating and that this was not the way to build a strong solid nation that could stand independent of Europe (Wulf, 5). Franklin believed that the endless amounts of land that they had at their disposal combined with their agricultural abilities were enough to become self-sufficient. In a speech before Parliament in defense of their right of representation, he said that “I don’t know a single article that the colonies couldn't either do without or make themselves” (Wulf,7). So strong was this opinion that he wrote to his son, the Royal Governor of New Jersey, saying “I wish you were well settled in your Farm. ‘Tis an honester and more honourable because a more independent Employment” (Wulf, 9)   Benjamin Franklin’s opinions were shared among many of the founding fathers of the country. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison all found sanctuary in their gardens and used agriculture to create public policy in the newly found United States. By doing so they created a national identity that was based on the ideals and virtues of an agrarian society.

            During the Revolutionary War, George Washington demonstrated his passion for agriculture by continuing to plan his gardens and correspond with gardeners at Mt. Vernon. He encouraged his troops to garden during the down times of war. This boosted morale and established the belief that this was the land that we are fighting for and that this was our plan for survival (Wulf, 15). Not only did gardening through the war help to supplement rations but it was therapeutic for the war weary soldiers. To support his statements through actions, Washington created an American garden at Mt. Vernon. Through letters, he directed the gardeners to collect native species in the forests surrounding Mt. Vernon to create his American garden (Wulf, 14). His actions spoke louder than words. We were now Americans and our land was to be celebrated.

            During the second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton all had strong opinions about how to strengthen the union of states to create a uniform nation.  The main argument was that to be one country, the United States needed a central government with legislative powers to manage interests of the states to the world. Without legislative power, diplomats had a difficult time securing trade with Europe and states were charging tariffs between neighboring states. John Adams supported the idea of checks and balances within the government. In defense of his beliefs he relied on his experience as a farmer, suggesting that “A farmer who had to drive a heavy wagon down a steep hill would place one pair of oxen in front of the cart and one pair behind to counterbalance the pull from the load. Just as a farmer divided the forces of the oxen – checking one power by another – so the forces of the legislature had to be divided into two assemblies” (Wulf,66-67).

            While allied at first in the creation of the Federalist Papers, Madison and Hamilton soon had differences in opinion on what was going to secure the wealth of country. Hamilton saw commerce and trade through the Northern Ports as the method that was going to create prosperity; while Madison, a Southern Planter, believed that agriculture was the only way to secure the nation’s independence. Hamilton’s beliefs led him to support a large central government while Madison supported states’ rights and individual liberty.  This division soon led to party politics with Madison and Jefferson becoming Republicans, and Hamilton and Adams becoming Federalists (Wulf, 81-85).

            As party politics started to heat up, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison decided to tour New England. While outwardly this trip was to view the agriculture of the North in an effort to seek new plants that would help support the nation, privately it was a tour to see how the people fell politically within the parties and to rally support for the Republicans (Wulf, 99). While in Vermont, Jefferson was fascinated by the Sugar Maple trees. He saw the tree as a possible method of creating sugar in the United States without relying on the British West Indies. This would support the independence of the United States from Europe.  Jefferson ordered as many trees as he could get to give out to friends all around the country and for his experiments at Monticello. Unfortunately the climate of Virginia did not support the trees ability to create sap and so the sugar maple tree never did solve the problem of dependency on British sugar (Wulf, 94-96). Madison supported his friend when he said “Experiments for introducing these valuable productions are strongly recommended” (Wulf, 85) Jefferson saw plants and agriculture as the means in which the United States could support itself without the dependence of trade with Europe. He was constantly experimenting with plants and seeds that he had collected from around the world and grew many of these plants at Monticello. At Monticello, Jefferson recognized that the side of the mountain was a hot bed, holding warmth that would support the growth of many varieties of warm weather plants. He planted eggplants, rice, and sesame and tested similar types of vegetables to find the very best ones.  He also discarded the unsatisfactory plants in order to protect the soil and to prevent cross breeding with inferior seeds. Sometimes his vegetable garden experiments over took his kitchen garden and he would need to purchase vegetables from his slaves in order to have what he needed for his home. Jefferson believed that the “greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture. [Botany], I rank with the most valuable sciences because it bettered life – culinary, medical, economic and aesthetic” (Wulf, 85)

            Agricultural innovations were considered a necessity. Discussions of crop rotations, the use of manure or compost, and various tools and ploughs were shared among Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. At Mt. Vernon, Washington used crop rotations in order to maintain soil conditions. Meanwhile Adams, at Peace field, was experimenting with different types of manure and compost in order to revitalize soil. Thomas Jefferson at Monticello experimented with the use of his improved plough, the mold board (Wulf, 118). Madison encouraged the exploration of new and innovative methods of gardening but was frustrated by the exhausted soil of the tobacco plantations and the wasting away of the nation’s greatest resource.  Madison supported the ideas behind conservation and preservation and rallied with Adams on the use of manure and compost to improve soil conditions. In addition to his frustration with soil conditions Madison was also frustrated with the destruction of trees and forests throughout the country.  Madison believed that

“Nature was not “subservient” to the use of man. Not everything could be appropriated…for the “increase of the human part of the creation” --- if it was, natures balance would collapse.” (Wulf, 206)

He felt that there was a “symmetry of nature” which, when disrupted, could cause catastrophic consequences (Wulf,204-206).  Being one of the last of the founding fathers by the time he became President, he continued to support the message of his predecessors in the fight for their country and the land that was going to support it.

            In terms of agricultural growth both in the nation’s physical ability to expand and in the discovery of new plants to support the nation economically, Thomas Jefferson led the way. On July 3, 1803, President Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from Napoleon (Lewis Jr, 13).  This purchase had multiple benefits. The first was the expansion of the country and its ability to settle more land agriculturally. The second was the expulsion of the French from their western boarders. The presence of European nations had always threaten the security of the new nation and left them vulnerable to attacks. In addition to these benefits was the expedition of Lewis and Clark, which was to depart the summer of 1803(Ambrose, 80-83). This expedition would now be completed in mostly American territory and would not be done in French territory. This allowed Jefferson to give specific instructions to map the wilderness, collect useful plants, note soil and environmental conditions as well as to learn about Native cultures and languages. One of the main goals of the expedition was to find a trade route from the east coast to the west coast. Lewis and Clark sent seeds, cuttings, animals, and Native artifacts to the President. During some point along the expedition, Lewis and Clark sent the President two grizzly bears that were kept on the lawn of the White House for a short time (Wulf, 165). Once retired at Monticello, many of the artifacts sent to him by Lewis and Clark found their way into his home. Guests at Monticello would see a hall of Native artifacts as well as mastodon bones next to a much smaller elephant jaw.  In the early days, just after the revolution, a French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon commented that all things in America “shrink and diminish under a niggardly sky and unprolific land” (Wulf, 62). Thomas Jefferson countered the attack with his book Notes on the State of Virginia. Through this book, Jefferson planned to refute the idea that America was small and diminutive by exemplifying America’s grand qualities, such as by noting the name and weights as such animals as the bear, buffalo and panthers. He would compare the flora and fauna of that in Europe to highlight the grand nature of America.   The artifacts and evidence that Lewis and Clark brought back helped to continue making the argument that the United States was superior to Europe.

            Westward expansion supported new technologies that were being developed much quicker than would have been if not for the growth of the territory. Originally, Federalists such as Hamilton were concerned that the government wasn’t strong enough to manage such a large territory but that did not stop them from considering New Orleans a gift to the merchant industry. Transport and travel were being revolutionized and by the end of Madison’s last term in office steamboats were being used to travel the Mississippi (Wulf, 193). These new modes of transportation brought adventure and tourism to a new wilderness. As the nineteenth century progressed, settlement of the west was a new adventure that many Americans were eager to take part in. Fredrick Jackson Turner once suggested that “American social development has been continually beginning over again on the frontier” due to the “advancing frontier line” westward (Turner, 2). For America it seemed that a pattern had formed and Turner pointed it out. Americans would move west seeking “absolute wilderness,” then develop the area and, through this process, recreate America. Much of the movement through “absolute wilderness” required the settlers to develop their ability to be self-sufficient and to harness nature through agriculture. For Americans, this was freedom.

            By this time, the virtues of the Founding Father’s agrarian society had truly been embedded into the fabric of our national identity. Their respect for nature and their understanding of the complexities of politics and economics would soon create an American culture. Patriotism was a result of the hard work that early Americans did to create a new nation. Landscape artists would paint masterpieces illustrating the splendor of the Mighty Mississippi, the Great Plains, and the Rocky Mountains. While music included lyrics such as:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

described the splendor that was the American landscape and American agriculture. Songs such as America the Beautiful, America (My Country Tis of Thee), and God Bless America all celebrated our country and were written to be sung on Independence Day across the country in honor of our freedom.

            The architecture and landscapes of Washington D.C. also exemplified these founding ideals. The founding of Washington D.C. was filled with political ideas of how our government should be represented to the world. Later administrations would also add to the landscape of Washington D.C. While their addition may not have been as contentious as the Founding Fathers creation, it would still represent the social climate, the economic status, and the political beliefs of the administration that was living in the White House.

While George Washington sat in New York and Congress met in Philadelphia the need for a united capitol city was seen as necessary to run the business of government. How that city would come to be what it ended up was quite the political debate steeped deeply in the party divisions that came to be. Hamilton and other Federalists thought that the Capitol should be in a merchant center while the Republicans like Jefferson thought that it should be out of the way and reflect what government should be to its people (as little involved as possible). While it was ultimately George Washington’s decision, he took the advice of these men when making the final decision. Ultimately it ended up being a compromise between Federalists and Republicans. Federalists wanted to consolidate the war debt and have the Federal Government deal with the cost, while Southern Republicans had smaller debts that were mostly paid off and did not want to take on what they thought was the responsibility of other states.  The Republicans allowed the Assumption bill to pass for the Capitol to fall along the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia.  While George Washington worked to build the Capitol city he would never live there. John Adams would live in Philadelphia for much of his term in office. He was unsure if he would even bother moving in to the White House for the few months before Thomas Jefferson would take office. When Adam’s did arrive to the Capitol city he realized that the city was far from completion. The roads were dangerous and the land around the White House was Marshy. Only six of the thirty rooms were ready for occupation and the outside was littered with evidence of ongoing construction. The Capitol building was still being built even though Congress was set to start meeting three weeks after his arrival. (Wulf, 124-126)

            When Thomas Jefferson moved in, much of the landscape remained untouched for six years due to his belief that the house should represent the role of government to the people of the United States. After six years he met with Benjamin Henry Latrobe to discuss the lawn of the White House. Jefferson believed that the gardens should be similar to Mt. Vernon’s American garden by keeping the landscape decorated with native flowers, shrubs, and trees. While he never actually planted a single shrub or tree, he did enclose five acres of the White House lawns and opened the rest up to the public. He also suggested a vegetable garden that never actually came about. While at the White House, Jefferson would get his produce from a local market. He would pay the highest price for the freshest fruits and vegetables.

            During Madison’s tenure at the White House, Jefferson’s work had been destroyed by fire during the War of 1812, which had also destroyed all of the Capital buildings. In the repair of the Capitol, Benjamin Henry Latrobe consulted Jefferson of the use of native corn and tobacco leaves and flowers in the design of the building. Today these pillars still exist and can be seen during the tour of the Capitol building.

            From this time on it seemed that every President or First Lady made a mark on the White House Lawn, although most of the changes have not been as politically charged as in the first few administrations. Andrew Jackson started the tradition of planting bulbs that would bloom in the spring. Ulysses S. Grant installed ornamental fountains; while Edith Roosevelt, the wife of Theodore Roosevelt, planted a colonial-like garden near the residence. Ellen Wilson replaced Edith’s garden with a formal rose garden that is still present today. Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) was the first administration since the early planners that hired a landscape artist to cultivate a design for the White House landscape. He hired Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.  to create the South lawn, maintain the rose garden and mirror that bed with a flower garden on the East side. (Obama, 25-30) 

During FDR’s administration upwards of twenty million Americans would create war or victory gardens (Miller, ). This movement was to support the war through the concept of self-sufficiency. Similar to our forefathers, self-sufficiency was encouraged through pamphlets and articles in popular magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens. Leslie Mac Rae in February of 1943 wrote in Better Homes and Gardens

            “Those who don’t work don’t eat!” That necessity was the American way in Colonial times. It’s not that bad now – but it is a safe bet that those of us who put in gardens this year will eat much better than those who don’t… So all of us – everybody- must pitch in and grow our own (Miller, 397)

The ability to be self-sufficient and live off the land was praised as a significant trait of Liberty and Freedom.  As Benjamin Franklin said before the Revolutionary War, “As long as a man had a piece of land of his own, that was sufficient to support his family” (Wulf, 116). This was true during the two World Wars when the government encouraged people to support themselves while the government supported the soldiers in the war. Eleanor Roosevelt, in an effort to support the war effort, created a Victory Garden at the White House. Her garden was a success and it became a symbolic victory for the movement that echoed the past virtues of our agrarian past.

            Since then we have seen landscape artists brought in to redesign the rose garden under JFK, as well as the addition of a First Ladies garden and a Children’s garden. The Carter administration approved an herb garden for the White House chefs. The two Bush Families and the Clinton’s grew pots of tomatoes for personal consumption. However, it would not be until 2009 when Michelle Obama launched her plans for a large kitchen garden that a true kitchen garden would return to the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt. (Obama, 25-30)

            Concerned about the health of our nation, Michelle Obama wanted to support healthy eating and exercise. On April 9, 2009 the White House celebrate the first planting of the White House kitchen garden by inviting children from Bancroft Elementary school to help. Many urban centers today don’t have access to fresh produce and children and families resort to processed foods that are not healthy for them. Michelle Obama’s mission is to show communities and families how they can easily grow fresh nutritious food in their backyards. All over the country urban community gardens are being worked, local farmers have started community shares in order to promote local farms, and homesteading with small animals and kitchen gardens can be found all over the country.  At the White House, staffers and volunteers come weekly to work the garden and it has developed its own community within the city of Washington D.C.

            “Our Garden has become a gathering place and a place of pride for the National Park Service, which helps care for it.” – Michelle Obama

Since founding the White House garden, Michelle Obama has also started Letsmove.gov, a movement to support a healthy lifestyle among children and families across the country in an effort to cut down childhood obesity. While Michelle Obama is not trying to prove the status of our country through her garden or trying to find a new economic method to support our nation, what she is doing is supporting the same ideals of self-sufficiency in an effort to create a healthier America. (Obama, 265)

            Our Founding Fathers were politicians, enlightenment thinkers, and gardeners. They believed in a nation that was founded by independent farmers. Through their struggles to develop this nation, they created a national identity that thrives on the values of self-sufficiency, individualism, and liberty seen through the lens of agriculture. While times have changed, these virtues have not been forgotten. As we look towards the soil, we find our parcel of land that will allow us to live happy, healthy lives just as these founding gardeners would have wanted.  

Bibliography:

Ambrose, Stephen. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the West. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Franklin, Benjamin. Positions to be Examined. 1769 (Online source to be determine, I think in is on Yale’s website)

Jefferson, Thomas. Notes of the State of Virginia (ed. by William Peden). New York: W.W. Norton, 1982.

Lewis Jr., James E. The Louisiana Purchase: Jefferson’s Noble Bargain?. North Carolina: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, 2003.

Miller, Char. In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice During WWII- Victory Gardens. Ebscohost: Journal of American Culture 26, no. 3: 395-409, 2003

Obama, Michelle. American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America. New York: Crown Publishers, 2012.

Pack, Charles Lathrop. Victory Gardens: Feed the Hungry the Needs of Peace Demand the Increased Production of Food in America’s Victory Garden. Washington D.C.: National War Garden Commission, 1919.

Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. Philadelphia: W. and T. Bradford [1776]; Bartleby.com, 1999. www.bartleby.com/133/.

Turner, Fredrick Jackson. The Frontier in American History. New York: Courier Dove Publications, 1996.

Wulf, Andrea. Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011