Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

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

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.Edition: 1st American edDescription: x, 349 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 25 cmISBN:
  • 0307269906 (hardback)
  • 9780307269904 (hardback)
Subject(s):
Contents:
"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.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 712.0973 W961 Available 33111006645234
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A groundbreaking look at the Founding Fathers and their obsession with gardening, agriculture, and botany by the author of Magnificent Rebels and New York Times bestseller The Invention of Nature. * "Illuminating and engrossing." -- The New York Times Book Review

For the Founding Fathers, gardening, agriculture, and botany were elemental passions: a conjoined interest as deeply ingrained in their characters as the battle for liberty and a belief in the greatness of their new nation.

Founding Gardeners is an exploration of that obsession, telling the story of the revolutionary generation from the unique perspective of their lives as gardeners, plant hobbyists, and farmers. Acclaimed historian Andrea Wulf describes how George Washington wrote letters to his estate manager even as British warships gathered off Staten Island; how a tour of English gardens renewed Thomas Jefferson's and John Adams's faith in their fledgling nation; and why James Madison is the forgotten father of environmentalism. Through these and other stories, Wulf reveals a fresh, nuanced portrait of the men who created our nation.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 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.

"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.

Powered by Koha