The Lasting impressions

Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition in May of 1804. They were leaving St. Louis, Missouri and traveling a 4,000-mile trek across unchartered land. They and their team were part of the Corps of Discovery team. Which would be like a modern day military discovery team. As they set out on the trip of the newly chartered Louisiana Purchase, equipped with the most advanced technology. Neither Lewis or Clark or Jefferson knew just what type of impression this expedition would leave on the country. After making the 4,000-mile journey they passed the modern day city Portland, Oregon. In 1867 the Lewis and Clark College was founded.

This school is based on the principles and ideas of what the expedition was about. The Lewis and Clark school uses classical liberal learning methods and pioneering in news way to learn, teach, and grow. This school is a very small liberal arts college. 

With only 3,592 students among the three colleges of the university, this school has gained a lot of recognition in last few years and is ranked high among other liberal arts schools!

Their mission is this “The mission of Lewis & Clark is to know the traditions of the liberal arts, to test their boundaries through ongoing exploration, and to hand on to successive generations the tools and discoveries of this quest.” (http://www.lclark.edu/about/mission_statement/)

Expanding America

When America acquired the Louisiana Territory, it changed a lot of plans Jefferson had in mind, and for the better.  Before Lewis and clark set of on the expedition, they were taught many key pieces of information ranging from mapping, to botanical knowledge.  People such as Andrew Ellicott, Benjamin Rush, and Benjamin Smith Barton, were some of the important people that helped provide Lewis with all the tools he needed to collect the specimens Jefferson asked him to find as he traveled west.

Benjamin Smith Barton 

Benjamin Rush 

Andrew Ellicott 

If it weren't for these three influential and intelligent people the travels might not have been so successful.  Jefferson believed that the west would secure liberty for "millions yet unborn". Before the expedition many were against the idea of traveling west, until their findings made their way back to the White House in 1805.  Animals including a prairie dog and a magpie made the long journey back and were initially kept in the White House for safe keeping.  The botanical specimens that were found were transported to Barton while some stayed with Jefferson to start Monticello.  

Prairie Dog 

Magpie

The word that Lewis and Clark started to identify with the west was "sublime".  Its the only word they felt that most effectively described the things that they saw and encountered on their journey.  Many poets, and writers began sharing the experiences Lewis and Clark had.  Wulf wrote in Founding Gardeners, "The sublime became America's language of national identity, with artists scrambling up mountains to capture the spectacular sights and poets celebrating landscape". 

Jefferson and Clark?

Jefferson and Clark?

            Chapter 7 deals with the journey of Lewis and Clark across the North American continent.  This originally was to be a journey through The United States, Spanish and French territory.  However, on the day that Jefferson’s secretary, Meriwether Lewis, was set to leave, Napoleon offered to sell the Louisiana Territory.  This journey would now mean more than it had before. 

            Before the journey began, Lewis was sent to many different people in order to learn things that would be important for his trip.  Before reading this book I always though that the trip by Lewis and Clark was in just to find a route to the Pacific Ocean and to draw a map of the new land.  This chapter has opened my eyes to see that may have been a secondary motive for Jefferson sending Lewis on this trip. 

            Lewis was taught not only about surveying, but also medicine, fossils, and most importantly Botany.  Lewis was taught how to collect, dry, mount and label specimens, and how best to preserve trees.  Being that Lewis was working as Jefferson’s secretary in the White House, this leads me to believe that Lewis knew how much Jefferson loved faming, and knew that this was of upmost importance to Jefferson. 

            Wulf points out that Jefferson was very excited about sending Lewis out. I personally think that if Jefferson had not been President at the time of the expedition, he would have gone. Instead of reading about Lewis and Clark in history books, maybe we would be reading about Jefferson and Clark.

The Louisiana Purchase

     One of the most important things during Thomas Jefferson's two term presidency was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon.   Not only did this purchase practically double the size of the United States of America, it also lead to the removal of one of the biggest military powers in North America, the French.  Jefferson purchased the land for fifteen million dollars, equating the purchase of over 800,000 acres of land for just three cents an acre.  One person even said it was "the most important and beneficial transaction... since the Declaration of Independence".

     With the acquisition of this new land, there was a need to explore what was once a foreign place to Americans.  Jefferson tapped his secretary Meriwether Lewis, to embark on this journey with help of his former comrade William Clark.  Jefferson took all of the precautions for the journey by organizing the trip and furthering Lewis's education by getting him tutors in map drawing, botany, anatomy, etc.  Jefferson even went to the extent to grant his secretary the ability to obtain money and supplies in the name of the United States.  As much as the trip was needed to explore the new land, it was also needed to study species of plants and animals that were once unknown.  Jefferson believed "gaining all this knowledge was even more important than actually reaching the Pacific."  It was important to learn more about unknown native plant species to see if they could be cultivated and used as future crops.  Benjamin Franklin also believed that western expansion would help prevent the United States from becoming an industrial society.

     Lewis and Clark were met with some of the most beautiful, untouched landscapes, such as the Rocky Mountains.  Lewis couldn't even describe some of the sights and could say nothing except how sublime they were.  (Referring to the vastness, ruggedness and darkness of some of the landscapes)  The term "sublime" was originally an English concept, but it would grow to become a term best fit for the American landscapes.

     Throughout their expedition, Lewis and Clark sent back seeds from formerly unknown plant species.  Thomas Jefferson was quick to dispatch the seeds to farmers and gardeners and rarely kept any.  The seeds he did keep, such as Osage oranges were later planted in Monticello.  He believed the new seeds and plants would bring a new life to American land.  Not only were plants a big concern for Jefferson, he also wanted Lewis and Clark to bring back information on any animals that were unknown to them.  One of those animals was the Black Prairie Dog but Lewis and Clark did not bring back anything about the mysterious mastodon that Jefferson believed lived in the West.

     Lewis and Clark not only returned with mounds of information about plants and animals in the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, but their expedition led to a influx of art and poetry about the American landscapes.  Thomas Jefferson even began to collect pictures of American scenery such as Niagara Falls.  The idea of sublime quickly became synonymous with American landscapes and inspired many novelists and artists to produce works based off of those landscapes.

 (The Osage orange tree's wood was used by Native Americans to craft bows, and Jefferson later planted this tree in Monticello.) 

(The Black Tailed Prairie Dog was one of the species of animals Lewis and Clark discovered while on their expedition.)

"Our seventeen states compose a great and growing nation, 

their children are as the leaves of the trees, which the winds are

spreading over the forest" 

- Thomas Jefferson

   

Discovering America's Identity

In this particular chapter, Wulf focuses heavily on defining America's identity, its wilderness would become the epitome of national character. In the early 1800's, Thomas Jefferson had doubled the size of the United States over night after striking a deal with a desperate France, known as the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson stated, "It was the most important and beneficial transaction since the declaration of Independence." Jefferson being the science enthusiast he was, immediately set forth to get funding by Congress for a "scientific exploration" of the new land. While many federalist argued against the exploration, arguing that America's finances and interest should be focussed elsewhere besides an unknown wilderness. But the republicans majority rule in Congress set forth one of the most famous explorations in American history, the Lewis and Clark expedition. For Jefferson, the expedition would be a crowning achievement, America's westward expansion could finally begin.

Upon returning, the expedition had found a passage to the Pacific, amassed valuable information about Native American tribes, collected animal skins, bones and what Lewis described as a "pretty extensive collection of plants." But what had unintentionally been accomplished was the identity of national character. Before the expedition, America's most worthy subjects for American art were George Washington and dramatic war moments from the revolution. America now had Niagara Falls, the Hudson River valley and the Great Plains to name a few new national wonders. The New World's virgin landscape, fertile, imposing and wild, was untainted by history unlike that of Europe. Europe's antiquity became synonymous in the American mind with despotism. The sublime became America's language of national identity. Artists from around the world began traveling to its shores to capture these new sublime wonders. As America's wilderness became embedded within its consciousness, the boundless land became the embodiment of its future, its new identity.

Western Expansion: Lewis and Clark

As chapter 7 begins we get a feel for what the atmosphere around the White House was like on Independence Day, 1803.  Troops assembled to perform patriotic songs as the unfinished White House transformed into a “bustling, colorful and noisy fairground in which the teeming, well-dressed crowds jostled for space with cows and livestock.” This same day the Louisiana Purchase was made and the interest in an expedition led by Lewis increased. This expedition was to be funded and led by Jefferson, as he wanted to distinguish his presidency from others with a discovery.

What was interesting to me is that Wulf states how Jefferson essentially had to lie about why he was sending Lewis and Clark on this expedition to gain approval from Congress to finance it. They said it was in the name of commerce but it was really for “Science” yet in a way it was almost an expedition to appreciate and discover the vast beauty that was seen in large landscapes and forests in the West. Not only does Jefferson tell Lewis that his secretary may be allowed to draw money and supplies on “behalf of the United States from anybody across the world," he is essentially placing all his eggs in one basket, with a man who is not fully knowledgeable on the subject of botany. He did this because Lewis was “adapted to the woods,” knowledgeable in the three kingdoms: plants, animals and minerals. Jefferson, showing his adornment for botany, placed Lewis under the study of the professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania to teach him the intricacies of taxonomy and botanical descriptions. It was here that Lewis also learned to “collect, dry, mount and label plant specimens, and how to best preserve seeds.”

The reason Jefferson spent so much time and money preparing Lewis for this expedition was because he wanted him to be an expert on relaying agricultural information to the president.  One of Jefferson’s main objectives was the finding of new crops to feed the American people. “He would discover giant animals and trees that symbolize the country’s dominance and power.” This quote displays how land and vast crops symbolized power. Jefferson wished for Lewis to discover new territory and plant life but he wanted him to send the artifacts and plant life to Jefferson for further study in the hopes that one day he could send him a sample of every type of specimen. Jefferson placed so much trust in Lewis it almost amazed me upon first glance.

Lewis was lucky enough to see Jefferson’s enthusiasm for plants firsthand and in way his love for botany rubbed off on Lewis. Letters regarding botany would arrive to the White House amongst the political mail. Lewis would collect roots against snakebites, he discovered a serviceberry that was superior in “flavor and size” to the yellow currant. On his expedition he learned about the medical uses for plants but stopped to make time for their aesthetic value. In the West, Lewis and Clark were able to report that there was a “wide expance” and “lofty and open forests.” Lewis felt it to be “the most beautifully picturesque countries that I ever beheld.”

A Thomas Jefferson Washington D.C.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had very different views on what our nations capital should look like. While Washington was in favor of the large, grand city idea, Jefferson much more preferred the small country town feel. Both of their views on the capital represented their views on the federal government. While Washington preferred a strong, powerful central government, Jefferson wanted a smaller federal government and more power given to the states. While Washington's idea eventually won out, it is still interesting to imagine what a Jefferson designed capitol would of looked like.

We can draw information from a couple Jefferson designed projects here, mainly the University of Virginia, Monticello and Poplar Forest. All three of these projects give some insight and information into Jeffersons personality and what the capitol would of looked like if designed by him.

All three of these locations have several things in common. They all focus very much on the gardens and plants that Jefferson enjoyed, and all have that countryside agricultural feel. The landscape plays a huge part in all three, and is the main part of the design. 

What would a Jefferson designed capitol have looked like? We will never know for sure, but we can be sure that it would be less of a commercial center, focused more on agriculture and a country feel.

Jefferson's Impact on the Western Expansion of the United States

Chapter 7 “Empire of Liberty” addresses one of the most pivotal and significant part of American history with Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. At the bargain price of 10 million dollars, a mere 3 cents an acre) Thomas Jefferson bought over 800,000 square miles of territory from France. This purchase would create infinite possibilities and a new national pride, very different from Europe. With the new territory the United States essentially had a vast empire in North America that would later be settled and utilized by immigrants and western bound Americans. The untouched natural land would spark a new form of American pride found in the natural beauty and undeveloped land. No ancient buildings, churches, or cities were to be found in the new land. Essentially, Americans were free to create and develop an entirely new continent. Never again will a new nation be able to create its own destiny in a new continent. This new nation would become an empire built on the doctrinal freedoms and liberties the Founding Fathers had envisioned.

            I could not imagine better political leader to be in office at the time of the Louisiana Purchase than Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a true philosopher.  He may, in fact, be the closest political leader in history to what Plato envisioned as the ideal “philosopher king” in his philosophy regarding who would make the ideal political leader in his iconic writings found in the Republic. With Jefferson in office, the author of much of our political philosophy we still embrace, could extend his philosophical ideals and wisdom into the early development of our new nation. His own passions as a botanist and farmer would be instilled in our government and cultural development as a completely independent agricultural republic. This would allow the new nation to achieve nearly complete independence from foreign nations in regards to food and agriculture. More importantly, it would allow the United States to become a global economic power.

Jefferson turned the Lewis and Clark expedition into a revolutionary means of advancing science, agriculture, social and political infrastructure, and western expansion of the United States. The expedition would change the patriotism of the current and future generations of Americans. The “Manifest Destiny” and period of rapid western expansion was a direct result of Jefferson’s support and funding of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions. No longer was the vast land in the west useless and empty. It became the future of the nations growth and success.

Personally, I believe that Jefferson’s successful efforts in the western expansion of our country were much more vital to the United States than his failed attempt to build a modest capitol city. Although Washington D.C. serves as an iconic symbol of a new nation, the Louisiana Purchase and western expansion would serve as the foundational building blocks of the new nation. The new American pride in our rugged untouched frontier would serve as the inspiration and motivation our development and emergence as a world power.

White House Politics

In Chapter 6 of Founding Gardeners Andrea Wulf discusses the origins of the Washington D.C. capitol location and the early construction of the White House. The founding fathers all agreed that a building needed to be constructed for the President of the United States to live and conduct his duties. While they did agree on a house for the President to reside, they all disagreed on how and where it should be built. Northerners wanted the capitol in a large commercial city and Southerners wanted the capitol closer to their state.

            In 1790, Alexander Hamilton drafted the Assumption Plan in efforts to pay off the countries Revolutionary War debts. The Assumption Plan called for a central government to pay off the remainder of the debt using national funds. Southern states had already paid off their own debts and many politicians such as Jefferson and Madison despised the idea of giving a state’s economy over to a large central government. Madison successfully delayed the plan’s ratification until the summer of 1790. To compromise the disagreement, Jefferson took Madison and Hamilton to a dinner in New York City to discuss the issue. In the end, Hamilton agreed to let the South choose the location of the capitol if they passed the Assumption Plan. Hamilton’s plan was passed and the South chose the current site of Washington D.C. for the capitol’s location. This was only the beginning of the controversial construction of the new nation’s capitol.

            The Founding Fathers each differed in their design ideas for the White House. John Adams disagreed with the whole idea of the new city’s location due to its underdeveloped and empty location. Jefferson wanted the house to be modest an unimpressive, arguing that the nation’s capitol should not reflect a large central government. Surprisingly, Washington believed it should be built larger than any of the current cities in order to symbolize a strong central government. Washington hired the French Major Charles Pierre L’Efant to design the new city. L’Efant’s design was incredibly large and expensive to metaphorical symbolize the large central government. L’Efant also implemented the layout of the capitol building and White House to represent the executive and legislative branches. He also named the connecting road Pennsylvania Avenue to symbolize the state where the nation was originally created in 1776.

            In 1800, John Adams moved into an unfurnished White House in the middle of its construction. He was finishing up his four-year term as President and had spent the first three years in the nation’s temporary capitol of Philadelphia. Adams did not support the move from Philadelphia, but gracefully served the remainder of his presidency in the unfinished White House. When Jefferson took office he did little to implement changes on the construction of the new capitol. Jefferson wanted a much more humble and simple capitol and spent the majority of his time in office with politics rather than the development of Washington D.C.. In retrospect, following Jefferson's vision for the new city would have been a mistake. Washington D.C. would be insignificant and too small for our current size and global position. Washington's approach to build a capitol city large enough to grow with the nation was best for the United States. Today, we can admire our capitol city as a symbol of our nation's heritage and philosophical roots.

            

Botany and the Early American Political Parties

Chapter 4 of Andrea Wulf’s Founding Gardeners, “Parties and Politicks”, shows the early separation of the Founding Fathers as the new nation continued to grow and organize into a larger and more powerful union of states. In these pivoting years following the Constitutional Convention and the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison begin a lifelong friendship and political alliance centered on their shared vision of a nation of farming and agriculture. According to Wulf, the essential elements of the emerging political parties what the “revolutionary generation believed ought to be the fabric of American society—the dream of a nation of farmers versus the vision of a merchant and trader elite.” (Wulf 83) Madison and Jefferson took the side of the farmers and Hamilton would become their political enemy as he strived to create a large central government focused on commerce. Wulf explains that Madison was not opposed to a “strong government”, but feared the idea of the new country becoming a “mercantile empire bound to Britain.” (Wulf 84)

            Jefferson, Madison, and Adams would soon find themselves battling Hamilton’s elite trading and commerce visions for the new nation. In 1791, Congress would eventually pass Hamilton’s model of a federal bank, which was inspired by the Bank of England. This created a polarized political split between Hamilton’s Federalist Party and Madison’s Republican party. For the majority of men present at the Constitutional Convention, a large centralized national bank was exactly what they wanted to avoid. Jefferson later remarked that the new national bank was based on the “rotten” British national bank and was “invented for the purposes of corruption.” (Wulf 87)

            As the political separation of the Founding Fathers continued, Jefferson and Madison toured New England promoting their ideas for farming and agriculture. They believed that botany would create a self-sufficient nation and solidify independence from foreign nations. One of the early visions of Jefferson and Madison for the nation’s independence from Great Britain was the farming of American sugar maple orchards. Cultivating American sugar would free the nation’s dependence on the sugar from the British West Indies. As they toured New England, Jefferson and Madison continued to campaign for the planting of sugar maple orchards. Throughout the journey Madison kept extensive notes on the soil and agricultural details of New England. Wulf concludes that while their botanical campaign failed to create a agrarian political party, their efforts did lay the foundations for the emerging Republican party which held close to the political ideologies of Madison and Jefferson.

            Chapter 4 of Founding Gardener’s outlines the fundamental polarization of the early American party system. Wulf does an excellent job highlighting the efforts taken by Madison and Jefferson to advocate agriculture and American independence through the form of a self-sufficient agrarian society. Their campaign to promote American sugar maple orchards proved to be a very successful method of freeing the nations dependence on imported sugar. I find the agricultural passion of the Founding Fathers to be highly inspiring. Not only did they devote their lifetime tirelessly researching and implementing new crops to form a more independent society, they left their idyllic farming lives behind in order to carry the burden of the political responsibilities of the new nation. The true passion for nature and farming is clearly evident through the lifelong friendship and unwavering political alliance of Jefferson and Madison, whose friendship was founded on a shared love of agriculture.

America's New Garden

America's New Garden

"Our seventeen states compose a great and growing nation," Jefferson wrote with pride, "their children are as the leaves of the trees, which the winds are spreading over the forest."

     The two term President Thomas Jefferson was an avid gardner and Enlightenment enthusiast who pounced on his chance to discover the west and the magnificent items that would come along with the on going discovery. Following his purchase of Louisiana territory that covered a whole of of today's midwest. Jefferson would be forever enticed with the opportunity to explore the new territory that extended to the pacific. Andrea Wulf does takes the readers through the initial struggles of conjuring up a plan to explore the west and the sources to supply and make it happen. She explains the two opposing sides of the political spectrum with the republicans in support of Jeffersons efforts at an expedition in the name of science but according to Wulf would also be the beginning of a distinctly American glorification of the wilderness. The Federalists were on the other end of the spectrum as they made statements that bashed the expedition and in a way down play the Jefferson and Republicans to a level of overly excited kids.

     Jefferson would end up getting his expedition and hired Meriwether Lewis to carry out a very detailed mission that Jefferson had in mind. Wulf makes the connection of the exebition goals between Jefferson and his background obvious to the reader when she states, "These instructions had been shaped by Jefferson's own experiences: a lifelong study of natural history books and botanical inquiry, surveying, compiling records of Native American vocabulary, and his meticulous meteorological diary" (Wulf, 156). Wulf believes that  Lewis was able to pick up on one particular goal of Jeffersons dealing with his  passion for botanical inquiry and gardening in general and would therefore seem to make sopecial attempts to go above and beyond in his discoveries in these areas.

     Wulf goes on to explain Lewis and Clark's exhibition detailing there reactions to America's landscape and the animals, plants, etc. collected and sent back to Jefferson. According to Wulf, "The horticultural world was electrified. The plants that lewis and Clark discovered would line fields as hedges, add fruits to the American orchards and bring new shapes and color to flowerbeds" (Wulf, 169). This chapter seems to highlight the importance of Jeffersons passion for gardens and how that correlated into his efforts to expand west. Jefferson used these newly discovered plants in his own garden as America seemed to have just started unraveling it's own garden in the great wilderness to the west, that would define America's patriotism.

"The most important & beneficial transaction...since the Declaration of Independence."

Chapter 7 brought to light key points that many would never consider about the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson had absolute faith in Lewis. He was described as brave, strong and prudent but also, adapted to the woods, familiar with the native population and knowledgeable in the "three kingdoms". He would not only explore the Mississippi river, but "observe, collect, document, and classify. Jefferson was ecstatic for the possibility of "discovering new profitable crops, flowers in exotic shapes, and trees that would soar even higher than those already encountered." Jefferson had thought of it all.

Also included in his instructions, Lewis would make maps of the new territory, gain knowledge about Native Americans, and observe climate, animals, and minerals. Jefferson made every imaginable precaution before the expedition. Included are: briefings from professors of anatomy, survey teams, fossil hunters, and even mathematics professors. Jefferson wanted to know it all. This want to go West was not only for knowledge of the "three kingdoms" but economic and political concerns too.   

This expedition was key to the growth of this nation. There were countless herds of buffalo and bison roaming the west, the soil was fertile, and there was more room than we knew what to do with. Western expansion was now possible. Better than possible, doable. Once again, do to Jefferson's extreme passion for not only American horticulture, but animals and minerals too, The country would be given new life with the addition of 800,000 acres, room to grow. 

The Sublime Meets Functionality

Throughout chapter seven, one thing I noticed was the fine line that Wulf drew between the functionality and beauty of nature and how these two aspects fit together seamlessly. Beauty has not only been a common theme throughout “Founding Gardeners” but has been a hallmark that provides solace and therapy for the founding fathers of our beloved country. However, I feel that in this chapter we see the functionality and scientific aspects that nature embodies, as well.

 

I thought it was interesting that to even convince Congress to allocate funds towards the scientifically motivated expansion, Jefferson had to take the economic stance. Readers find out quickly that this trip had no other motive than to broaden scientific and political thinking. One thing that stood out to me was the way that beauty- more specifically sublimity- and science intertwined. Jefferson told Lewis to look at things not only from a standpoint of how they could be used to further America, but to also really look at and appreciate the magnificent surroundings.

“So perfect indeed are these walls, I should have thought that nature had attempted here to rival the human art.”

The last concept that really peaked my interest was the idea that “people were influenced and determined by their surroundings,” and how this concept was applied to the rugged and wild terrain of the West (167).  This turns the unlandscaped West (usually looked upon as a negative) into a symbolic representation of the powerful untamed potential the infant America holds. This summer I went to Colorado, and while I was reading this chapter I could only think about the sublime nature I saw in Rocky Mountain National Park. Some photos from my visit are below. 

Paying for America, the Sublime

"...their children are as the leaves of the trees, which the winds are spreading over the forest."

Thomas Jefferson was right; the American people have spread far and wide since the days of Lewis and Clark, but the vigor of the sublime has not diminished. National parks today still preserve the vast beauty of America, yet our parks program is one of the most underfunded in our government today.

The across-the-board cuts of sequestration already hurt the National Park Services earlier this year. Huffington Post reported that budget for the NPS drastically reduced by $153.4 billion resulting in cutting programs and a hiring freeze, leaving 900 jobs unfilled. With the looming government shutdown this Tuesday, National Park Services is already preparing for the serious furloughs of almost 22,000 park service employees according to the LA Times. On top of that, government shutdown would lead to a closure of about 401 national parks. National parks would be forced to operate on a "day-use" basis, and expect overnight visitors to leave within 48 hours.

Could we imagine what Lewis, Clark, or Jefferson would think if they could be here now? What once was to them the vigorous spirit of a brand new nation, has found itself on the bottom of the government budget totem pole. Budgetary reforms are destroying the last sanctuaries of American wilderness, but Congress will continue to sit by idle unless we as a nation begin to make these places a priority.

Friendships Dissipated and Friendships Anew

Friendships Dissipated and Friendships Anew

            In 1791, after the establishment of the new Constitution, there becomes a shift in political views within the founding fathers. The unified Union with a now strong central government started to be divided by the debated ideas of national interests by the political elites, especially between Jefferson, Madison, Adams, and Hamilton. At this time, George Washington was the first president of the United States. John Adams was his vice president, Alexander Hamilton was secretary of the treasury, Jefferson was secretary of state, and Madison was a leading member of Congress. Surprisingly, three of these five political officials hated their job and would have much rather been on their farms or back home working on their gardens. Only Madison and Hamilton enjoyed their roles in politics. Throughout chapter four in Andrea Wulf's Founding Gardeners, you see that Hamilton and Adams have a far different view for the new country than Jefferson and Madison do while tying these ideas with their joy and passion for gardens and beauty. 

            

     

            The first political parties started to form here with the "differences in what the revolutionary generation believed ought to be the fabric of American society--the dream of a nation of farmers versus the vision of a merchant and trader elite" (Wulf, 83). Hamilton and Adams pushed for a strong central government and strong trading links with Britain while Jefferson and Madison pushed for rights and powers of the states, individual liberty, and keeping away from British ties. Jefferson and Madison believed the country to be a country of independent farmers and self-sufficiency. Jefferson even tried to changed rice cultivation in the South. Hamilton, however was trying to put his Assumption Plan into motion which would consolidate all of the states' separate debts into one that would be controlled by the federal government.

            Adams and Jefferson had become great friends during their time in Europe to form treaties. They had toured all of England's grand gardens and found a connection with their love for gardens and what was symbolized  in them. Since that time, Adams and Jefferson had separated from their political views. They had opposing views of the British constitution and greatly antagonized each other's views on the French Revolution. These discrepancies pushed Hamilton and Adams to unite in the Federalist Party and paved a way for the new friendship of Jefferson and Hamilton and formation of the Republican Party.  

   

(Madison & Jefferson)

            Jefferson and Madison, with the united goal of making America a land of farming and self-sufficiency and headaches from political disputes, decided to go on a botanical excursion while attending to their own political agenda. It is fascinating how Jefferson, in the heat of politics and forming a nation, was able to turn to nature for comfort and inspiration and attach that to his work as a political official. Virginia had just become the fourteenth state, and Jefferson and Madison were mostly traveling up the Hudson River observing and documenting trees and plants that were not yet known and rare in Virginia. Jefferson even wrote letters to his daughters on the bark he tore off trees so that he could continue to work on his garden in Monticello.  Madison and Jefferson had a friendship centered around agriculture. They sent letters and seeds to each other, and Jefferson used Madison's position as a congressman to distribute seeds to other politicians. This excursion became a battle against Hamilton in a secret way as well. Jefferson wanted to switch trade from Britain to France, unlike Hamilton, and stopped at a wine distillery with Madison to persuade the owners that France had better spirits than the molasses from Britain. Jefferson's main weapon against Hamilton was the native sugar maple.   

             "American sugar maple orchards chimed with Jefferson's and Madison's vision of a country of small farmers, because the trees had the potential to rid America of its dependence on British West Indies sugarcane" (94).  Sugar maple trees do not require large plantations or slaves to produce like sugarcane does so it was perfect for Jefferson's and Madison's idea of a small farming nation.

The sugar would not only be produced by the U.S. but be exported as well. The rest of the trip revolved around gaining knowledge on these trees and how to grow it. Also, Jefferson got the owner of Vermont Gazette, Anthony Haswell, to run a piece in his paper to gain national support and show its necessity. By this, Jefferson and Madison were able to gain new friends and form party loyalties. At their final stop at William Prince's nursery Jefferson bought all of the sugar maple seeds. 

            Even with Hamilton's success as well with the push for a national bank and finding a city for manufacturing in the Great Falls of the Passaic River, Jefferson and Madison accomplished what they had set out to do and more. As Wulf puts it on page 99, "the tour cemented Jefferson's and Madison's friendship and political alliance...their friendship was for life, and ... never interrupted in the slightest degree for a single moment." What a vision for our country that now is the leading agricultural exporting country in the world. A country built on agriculture while also being influence by the industry started by Hamilton. How the first parties started from small disagreements on the national visions of the United Sates is not surprising but also in a way saddening. Even Washington said to Jefferson, "I regret-deeply regret- the difference in opinions which have arisen, and divided you and another principal Officer of the Government" (98). I never knew how much gardening and agriculture influenced the beginning of our country and the founders themselves, however have found that the two are rather cohesive.