Botanical Solace Shapes Partisan Politics

If there has been one thing that Wulf has emphasized thus far in “Founding Gardeners” it is the initial opposition that the founding fathers have toward political parties (Washington in particular). In chapter four this opposition is overwhelmed by the strong opinions of the founders themselves and is no longer enough to keep these parties from starting to form. This split was essentially inevitable, as the Revolution has come to a close and decisions must be made on how to run the new country they had worked so hard establish.  

The emergence of two distinctive sides was prevalent.

Jefferson and Madison: placed their importance on an agrarian republic that the placed a great deal of emphasis on states rights and individual freedoms.

 

Hamilton and Adams: placed their importance on building up big business and keeping economic ties with Britain strong, they favored building up cities and didn’t place much emphasis on agricultural development.

 

            Upon the passing of Hamilton’s huge bank bill, which would create a federal bank that would be “concentrated in the country’s capital to provide credit and regulate commerce,” Jefferson and Madison were not too pleased. This furthers the big business strategy that the Federalists favored and deemphasized the agrarian republic that they believed would further the country. Jefferson and Madison decided to take a trip up the Hudson River valley to engage in a tour of New England nature. They turned to nature for “comfort and inspiration” in a time where the future of America did not provide these things for them.

One of the things they stumbled upon in their tour was the sugar maple tree, native to America itself. Jefferson believed that this tree could be of value to America as it cut the dependence on sugarcane from Britain. I feel that anything that would help America rely less on Britain and more on itself was something that Jefferson would be in favor of- let alone something of agrarian relevance. If Jefferson could convince local farmers to grow this crop, it could not only be a political objective but also one of economic relevance. This sugar maple has intertwined the very new concept of partisan politics with botany (94). The botanical excursion that was initially intended for solace turned into a full blown expos of the sugar maple and the implications it could have for the growing country, it’s economy, and most importantly for the development of a political party.