In the early years of America, the founding fathers’ passion for gardening and agriculture shaped America’s national identity. At least, that is what Andrea Wulf communicates in her novel, Founding Gardeners. During the revolutionary generation, agricultural success was vital to the nation’s economic well-being. During the struggles of political life, the founding fathers utilized gardening as a therapeutic outlet and their love of nature reflects in some of their political endeavors. Due to this fascination with nature, the founding fathers sought to expand their horizons westward. Because of westward expansion, America gained a significant amount of fertile land which contributed to the nation 's’ agrarian identity. The wilderness and landscape …show more content…
After the Revolutionary War, Washington was sick of seeing bloodshed and wounded soldiers; he missed the philosophical retreat of his home in Mount Vernon. According to Wulf, “the commander-in-chief saw the future of America as a country peopled not by soldiers but by farmers - an agrarian society that would be industrious and happy” (Wulf, 16). As a soldier, Washington fulfilled his duty to his country but as this quote clearly conveys, Washington idealized an agrarian society for the future of America’s economy. Washington believed that an agricultural society was vital to a nation that sought to define a national identity and was much more than just a profitable endeavor at the time. According to Wulf, “ploughing, planting and vegetable gardening were more than profitable and enjoyable occupations: they were political acts, bringing freedom and independence” (Wulf, 10). As a new nation, the success of an agrarian society was much more than a source of income; it was a political statement towards Britain. After the Revolutionary War, Washington and the rest of America had a great deal of pride for their nation, as demonstrated by his garden in Mount Vernon. According to Wulf, “the plants were American and that was all that counted because this part of the garden celebrated America” (Wulf, 26). When constructing his garden, Washington would only plant native species …show more content…
This transaction would come to be known as the Louisiana Purchase and nearly doubled the size of the new nation. While George Washington and John Adams made efforts at westward expansion, Thomas Jefferson secured the Louisiana Purchase and initiated the Lewis and Clark expedition. According to Wulf, “maybe Lewis would find the huge mastodon roaming across the plains; discover profitable crops, flowers in exotic shapes and sizes, and trees that would soar even higher than those already encountered. Jefferson planned this expedition in the name of science, but it would also be the beginning of a distinctly American glorification of the wilderness” (Wulf, 157). The Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase had such a significant impact on America’s identity. The fertile Great Plains region would provide America with thousands of acres of fruitful farmland that would benefit the new nation’s economic well-being. After the Lewis and Clark expedition, the newly found wildlife species and scenic landscapes resulted in a greater level of appreciation and fascination in nature and instilled a sense of patriotism in many. It would be a few decades till preservation policies came about but without Jefferson’s will to explore westward, our preservation efforts today might not be what they
Through the period of 1865-1900, America’s agriculture underwent a series of changes .Changes that were a product of influential role that technology, government policy and economic conditions played. To extend on this idea, changes included the increase on exported goods, do the availability of products as well as the improved traveling system of rail roads. In the primate stages of these developing changes, farmers were able to benefit from the product, yet as time passed by, dissatisfaction grew within them. They no longer benefited from the changes (economy went bad), and therefore they no longer supported railroads. Moreover they were discontented with the approach that the government had taken towards the situation.
Agriculture was still a very big deal for the Americans. The Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture played a big part in signifying simply how important the agriculture was to the Americans. The society even handed out buttons that said “venerate the plough” (Doc F). The term is meant to give respect to those that work the land, to thank them for the goods that they have brought. Industry was very minimal during the time of the Revolution, and would not necessarily become a big deal until much later in history. However, the United States were in debt. Alexander Hamilton wrote financial systems into existence, established a national bank and brought prosperity to the land that originally was in deep bankruptcy. Rebellions such as Shay’s, dealing with small town farmers, died out quickly in response to the poor conditions that the frontier farmers faced. The rebellions of the frontier actually demonstrated the difficulties that the farmers faced in their daily life during the
"The country can not be wholly made over and adjusted to a people of foreign habits and tastes. There are large tracts of land in America whose bounty is wasted because the plants which can be grown on them are not acceptable to our people."(Gilmore 1977).
George Washington became President in 1789 and since then has been regarded as America’s “Founding Father”(10). This grand and hero-like status is said to have “began gravitating to Washington six months before the Declaration of Independence, when one Levi Allen addressed him in a letter as ‘our political Father.’”(10). The preservation of Washington’s role as a national hero has been allowed by authors and the media omitting his many flaws as if they had either been forgotten or were no longer important. Yet by excluding these human faults, they have projected an almost god-like hero and inflicted him upon the nation as their Father, somebody whose “life still has the power to inspire anyone”(10).
George Washington is known by most as “the first president of the United States” and is often referred to as “the Father of Our Country” (George Washington). Although Washington turned out to be a great, respected leader in his later years, he did not start out with a successful military career. In Washington’s first battle, “he and his men were ambushed and forced to surrender Fort Necessity on the Pennsylvania frontier” (What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader). In another battle, “Washington had two horses shot from under him”, but these failures did not stop Washington or cause him to give up (What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader). By the time the American Revolution came around in 1775, Washington was “a distinguished general”, which prepared him for his next job as “commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution” (George
There are many individuals in American History, whom we as Americans regard for their courage and audacity in shaping our nation. We learn in our history classes the great accomplishments of our founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Ben Franklin. One other great founding father and our First President, George Washington was one whom we learned much about. We learn in school that he is as a prime example of leadership, citizenship, and overall individual achievement for his many contributions to our nation’s earliest struggles. But although we are taught that George Washington was this man of great disposition, no man is without his flaws. Many scholars have sought to enlighten individuals to these cracks in the Nation’s perspective of our first president. The following composition will give an analysis of literature that shows George Washington was in consistent regarding his views on slavery. Although Washington is well-known for his many political accomplishments little is spoken about his views regarding slavery.
The United States of America was formed by many president's of our time. One of these very influential presidents was George Washington. Courageous, smart and firm. The "founding father" has influenced many people today. He was a commander in chief of the forces during the Revolutionary War, chairman of the convention that wrote the Constitution, and the very first president. He has made very important decisions that still influence our country today.
With a new nation facing overwhelming difficulties, George Washington faced the challenges of being the first president to run, shape, and build the foundations of the newly formed United States. Washington came into office with the country in heavy debt, and an empty treasury. With the issues President George Washington was facing, he proved to be a paragon leader.
The United States has had many great leaders and heroes over its two hundred and thirty-nine years of existence. However, few people are able to stand out with such a wealth of amazing people concentrated in one country. Those who are able to are remembered with a special kind of honor only bestowed upon those who have truly changed the world. Two men who left their mark on the world and America are known as two of the best presidents the United States has ever seen. George Washington and Ronald Reagan, though from completely different times, demonstrated great strength, integrity, and wisdom throughout their lives and careers. President Washington helped form this great country and stood for freedom and was willing to die for it. President Reagan helped rebuild America and stood up against the Soviet Union and Communism. Both Presidents left their mark on the United States and ended their presidency with similar, yet very different farewell speeches. These speeches were the last addresses the presidents gave in office, and they spoke with incredible wisdom intending to leave America in good hands.
Despite his image as a leader was immediately tarnished in the eyes of the Continental Congress as he blatantly broke Article 9 of the 69 Articles of War, his perseverance and later successes during the Revolutionary War washed away the blemish on his persona. Washington made the right decision by preserving his public façade, and the image of the military, which ultimately led to the success of the Continental Army and his election as the first President of the United States of America.8 However, to become a great leader you have to have the intestinal fortitude to stand up for your core beliefs, if George Washington didn’t do just that, we may not live in the great nation as we know it, the United States of
Thesis Statement: George Washington is a hero because he stood up for his ideal that America should be free from England, and create a new form of government which would be fair and equitable. Even in the darkest of times, he never gave up and managed to maintain social and political order within the colonies.
George Washington inherited much more than a good mind and a strong body. He belonged to an old colonial family that believed in hard work, public service and in worshiping God.
He firmly believed that farmers were the true depiction of the American as they would keep the government from becoming too powerful. As farmers have a tendency to stay away from large urban center, they would not be influenced by greedy politicians. Thus, their vote would preserve national liberty. These agrarian republican beliefs in the moral and political power of farmers to provide a stable, free, rural nation largely lost out to the tendency toward urbanization spurred by the Industrial Revolution in the northern United States and the persistence of massive plantation growers in the southern part of the
Furthermore this area became an innovative and hard-working portion of America, in that many chose farming as a new beginning. Many people flocked to the frontier to have their own piece of America, and many failed due to the hardships on the way. “The fact is, that here is a new product that is America”(Turner 1135). This vast new land brought people of different race and ethnic backgrounds together to form new products and ideas in addition to regeneration of an innovative way of life for part of what America is now. In short, this time on the frontier stood as an accurate building block of the American people as we know it today. “The true point of view in the History of this nation is not the Atlantic coast, it is the Great West” (Turner 1134). Turner appears to show a fondness of the western frontier, and the contributions that it made to the history of America with the adaptations of many people becoming “one
That is what Penn explains in this excerpt. He describes the land as “The country itself in its soil, air, water, seasons, and produce, both natural and artificial, is not to be despised. (Penn Line 2) The land is full of the rich and poor. The air is clean and delightful. Refreshing in a sense. It reminds him of his land; his home. He describes the beauty of the vegetation. He also talks about the natural produce of the land. “The natural produce of the country, of vegetables, is trees, fruits, plants, flowers.” (Penn V) He goes into describing the surroundings of beauty. “The trees of most note are the black walnut, cedar, cypress, chestnut, poplar, gumwood, hickory, sassafras, ash, beech; and oak of divers sorts, as red, white, and black, Spanish, chestnut, and swamp, the most durable of all; of all which there is plenty for the use of man.” (Penn V) He also discusses the plentiful of fruits. “Here are also peaches, and very good, and in great quantities, not an Indian plantation without them.” (Penn paragraph 6) He believes that this land should pose no judgment and work together for the good of the people. He knows the native played an important role in the maintaining of the land. Without them, the land wouldn’t be so