Tomorrow is Independence Day, a day to celebrate. For most it’s a day at the lake, a barbecue, and definitely fireworks. Hopefully, we all take a moment to reflect on what happened two hundred and forty years ago and perhaps contemplate politics in 2016. Finally add the importance our agricultural heritage to the mix.
Three distinct areas existed in the thirteen colonies and in many ways agriculture helped shape the politics and development of the countries different regions, even contributing to the contents of the Constitution and ultimately the Civil War. And a large driver of these difference was the climate, topography, and soil types.
• New England colonists found forested soils that were acid, shallow and not overly productive. They also found short growing seasons and harsh winters. As these soils were farmed, production rapidly decreased as soils were depleted. The nature of the landscape also favored smaller farms. They were able to produce enough to survive but the climate and soils helped spur industrialization and the drive for many to move west for better land. It also caused them to develop a fishing, whaling and maritime trade culture. All this led to men such as John and Sam Adams.
• Mid-Atlantic colonists were the most blessed in terms of soils, climate, and topography. This area was essentially the breadbasket for the colonies and produced surplus for trade with Europe. Much of the area was gently rolling with deeper, more fertile soils than New England, allowing for larger more easily cultivated fields. The longer, milder climate also helped. So life was a bit easier than the other regions. This are led to people such as Benjamin Franklin.
• From history classes most of us are familiar with the plantation system that developed in the Southern Colonies and the attendant rise in slavery. While blessed with a long growing season, the soils were older and more easily depleted due to the climate (rainfall and warm temperatures) and rapidly lost nutrients. This was especially true with their favored crops – tobacco and cotton which are extremely “hard” on the soil. Initially tobacco was king and cotton grew substantially after the revolution with the development of the cotton gin. In fact, wool was the most common source of material for clothing. More southern states also produced rice and indigo. These crops were also extremely labor intensive which helped institutionalize the growth of slavery. Large acreage was needed for profitability and the accumulation of wealth. So even though most colonists were small landowners, if they owned any land, the economy evolved around plantations and slavery. Little manufacturing evolved with tobacco and later cotton exported to provide the necessities of life, both to the other colonies and to Europe. This favored the development of a landed gentry from which many founding fathers such as Jefferson and Washington came.
Interestingly though, almost all the Founding fathers, from Washington to Franklin to Adams valued agriculture and praised it values as being the best , most truly American. A pattern which is still evidenced today during political campaigns, especially during the Presidential Primaries. With apologizes for the brevity concerning history, one can still see evidence of the difference here in the politics and culture of different regions in our country today.