Agricultural Society of Albemarle

In May of 1817, Madison was elected as the first president of the Agricultural Society of Albermarle. This society was formed by a group of progressive farmers in Virginia in hopes to improve agricultural practices and the Virginian soil. As a result of being president, Madison traveled to University of Virginia the following May of 1818 to deliver as speech on agricultural ways and what we were doing to our land. He focused on balancing what we take from nature and putting it back in some way. He argued that by continually taking we were just hurting our own society and that we needed to give back so that we did not deplete our natural resources.

This ideas of this speech really spoke out to me. Not that I am a "tree hugger" in anyway but, I feel this is a speech that is needed today. Today people seem to be more concerned on what directly effects them at that exact moment and not what will happen down the road. An example of this would be the harvesting of forest. Yes, the wood from trees is very necessary in everyday life for many people, however, if we do not put back what we are taking down we will eventually run out. For many, this is not something that could happen in their lifetime and therefore, it is not something that they concern their time with. However, not only will we run out of tangible items made from trees, but we are also decreasing oxygen.

I personally believe that a speech like this would be a huge eye opener to people on just how badly we are hurting our natural environments. This can also bee seen in the clearing of lands for developments and other businesses. It is said to think that in today's society, a majority of people have no idea as to where their food is coming from. Moving back to a society where people grew there own plants may seem unrealistic and probably is in today's world, however, we need to find a way to balance out the problem. People need to realize the damage they are doing and give back before it is too late. Although many may not listen to a speech such as the one Madison gave at University of Virginia, it would be a starting point.