Main entry:

Wulf, Andrea.

Title & Author:

Founding gardeners : the revolutionary generation, nature, and the shaping of the American nation / Andrea Wulf.

Edition:

1st American ed.

Publication:

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.

Description:

x, 349 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 25 cm

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-325) and index.
"The Cincinnatus of the West" : George Washington's American garden at Mount Vernon -- "Gardens, peculiarly worth the attention of an American" : Thomas Jefferson's and John Adams's English garden tour -- "A nursery of American statesmen" : the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and a garden visit -- "Parties and politicks" : James Madison's and Thomas Jefferson's tour of New England -- "Political plants grow in the shade" : the summer of 1796 -- "City of magnificent intentions" : the creation of Washington, D.C., and the White House -- "Empire of liberty" : Jefferson's Western expansion -- "Tho' an old man, I am but a young gardener" : Thomas Jefferson at Monticello -- "Balance of nature" : James Madison at Montpelier -- Appendix: Maps of Mount Vernon, Peacefield, Monticello, and Montpelier.

Summary:

"From the author of the acclaimed The Brother Gardeners, a fascinating look at the founding fathers from the unique and intimate perspective of their lives as gardeners, plantsmen, and farmers. For the founding fathers, gardening, agriculture, and botany were elemental passions, as deeply ingrained in their characters as their belief in liberty for the nation they were creating. Andrea Wulf reveals for the first time this aspect of the revolutionary generation. She describes how, even as British ships gathered off Staten Island, George Washington wrote his estate manager about the garden at Mount Vernon; how a tour of English gardens renewed Thomas Jefferson's and John Adams's faith in their fledgling nation; how a trip to the great botanist John Bartram's garden helped the delegates of the Constitutional Congress break their deadlock; and why James Madison is the forgotten father of American environmentalism. These and other stories reveal a guiding but previously overlooked ideology of the American Revolution. Founding Gardeners adds depth and nuance to our understanding of the American experiment, and provides us with a portrait of the founding fathers as they've never before been seen"--Provided by publisher

Resources:
Cover image

ISBN:

9780307269904 (hardback)
0307269906 (hardback)
9780307390684
0307390683

Subject:

Umschulungswerkstätten für Siedler und Auswanderer Bitterfeld
Gardening United States History 18th century.
Gardens, American History 18th century.
Gardening Political aspects.
Founding Fathers of the United States.
Political activists United States Biography.
Conduct of life.
National characteristics, American History.
Jardins américains Histoire 18e siècle.
Jardinage Aspect politique.
Pères fondateurs des États-Unis.
Activistes États-Unis Biographies.
Morale pratique.
ethics (philosophical concept)
HISTORY United States Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
GARDENING General.
Gardening.
Gardens, American.
National characteristics, American.
Political activists.
Garten
Gartenbau
Founding fathers.
United States.
USA.

Form/genre:

Biography
Nonfiction.
collective biographies.
Biographies.
History.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 272682
Call No.: BIB 206040
Status: Available