Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners
In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers' love of gardening shaped their vision of America
- By Erin Wayman
- Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2011, Subscribe
George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison aren’t American heroes because they were farmers. But in her new book, Founding Gardeners (Alfred A. Knopf), the London-based historian Andrea Wulf, 43, argues that the founders’ love of gardening and farming shaped their vision of America. She spoke with assistant editor Erin Wayman.
Why was gardening so important to the founding fathers?
The most obvious answer is that good crops were incredibly important to the economy and to America’s self-sufficiency. On an ideological level, the founders believed America should be an agrarian republic of virtuous citizens who were connected to the country because they worked the soil. America’s landscape also became invested with patriotism and provided a distinct national identity. Whereas Europe had antiquity and ancient ruins, America had to find something that was better in the New World than in the Old. Rugged mountains and untamed forest came to represent a country that wanted to see itself as strong and fertile.
How did agriculture influence the nation’s structure?
Jefferson believed independent farmers should be the foot soldiers of the nation. When he purchased the Louisiana Territory, several Federalists opposed this, questioning why they should spend money “for land of which we already have too much.” But Jefferson believed vast lands were necessary for his agrarian republic.
The English imported a lot of plants from the colonies during the 1700s.
When Jefferson and Adams went on a garden tour in England in 1786, they realized the English garden wasn’t English at all. It was populated with American shrubs and trees. Jefferson hated the English, but he had to admit they created the best gardens. It was only after he saw that the English garden was full of American species that he realized how easy it would be to create such a garden in America, and without feeling unpatriotic. It’s ironic that at the very moment the colonies declared their independence, the English garden was filled with plants from the former colonies.
You write that Madison was at the forefront of conservation. How so?
This was the greatest surprise in writing the book. Madison is not just the father of the Constitution; he’s also the forgotten father of American environmentalism. He tried to rally Americans to stop destroying the forest and the soil. He said for America to survive, Americans had to protect their environment. He did not romanticize nature as later generations did. He looked at this in a practical way, saying nature was a fragile ecological system, and if man wanted to live off nature, in the long term something had to change.
What would the founding fathers think of how Americans care for natural resources today?
I suspect they would find the recent turn toward vegetable gardening and local produce good. Jefferson believed in the independent farmer, with small-scale, self-sufficient farms. I don’t know if he would have said in the 20th century, Let’s go for full industrial agriculture. Jefferson and Madison hated cities, so they probably would have liked the idea of rooftop farming and urban gardening as ways for people to connect with the soil.
How is the early emphasis on gardening felt today?
I think Americans still have a strong connection to the land. It resonates with the idea of freedom. Compare this to England: English gardens are cute, with roses and little herbaceous borders. Here it’s more about size and ownership: This is my plot of land. It means I belong to this country.
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Comments (7)
The word evironmentalism and the titles applied to past American leaders looks like an attempt to relate to the present day academic terminologies . As for the titile "Farmers "of the constitution I can relate to that . I enjoyed reading about the way America began and the people activeley collaberating in this ground work. Agrarian values should be right up there at the top of rebuilding America. Oil and Industry appears to be the ongoing priorities in the new American thought processes. When Americans get hungry enough perhaps they will be enlightened. Sweat equity is real where I come from.
Posted by Gary brumley on February 7,2012 | 07:23 AM
"Condemnation before invesstigation is the height of ignorance" Albert Einstein. Perhaps reading her book would enlighten all the commentors above?
Posted by fREEME on August 26,2011 | 11:55 AM
Andrea Wulf has written three books about the history of horticulture. This online excerpt from her interview to be published in the August "Smithsonian" cannot begin to present all the knowledge she has gleaned over many years of scholarly reaearch!
Posted by Ann McReynolds on July 1,2011 | 01:20 PM
What supports Wulf’s ascertain that the "founders believed American should be an agrarian republic of virtuous citizens ...”? The statement appears to be an interpretation. Also, I'm not so sure that "America" had to find anything that was better in the New World than in the Old, whoever "America" is. Such opinions are a "good read," but I would appreciate understanding what supports these conclusions.
Posted by Ellen on June 28,2011 | 09:48 PM
In the Inrerview article in the August 2011 edition, Andrea Wulf made a statement about James Madison being the forgotten father of American environmetalism. Unless I'm missing something, my humble research has turned up nothing about President Madison being the father of environmentalism, or referred to in that manner. The Father of American environmentalism has been laid at the door of such men as: John Muir,(The Great American Pantheist, by Jared Farmer),and George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882), often considered the father of American environmentalism. (Jenny Siegenthaler, Los Angeles county Museu of Art). Nowhere do I find any reference to James Madison being the father of, or even referred to as the father of American evironmentalism...??? Enlighten me!
Posted by Dennis A. Kefalas on June 26,2011 | 07:29 PM