Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation

The author of Magnificent Rebels and the New York Times bestseller The Invention of Nature provides a groundbreaking examination of the Founding Fathers' obsession with gardening, agriculture, and botany. "Illuminating and engrossing," according to 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.

The Founding Fathers' fascination with the natural world was multifaceted. It encompassed a commitment to agricultural innovation, a desire to catalogue the flora and fauna of the new republic, and a deep appreciation for the aesthetic and restorative qualities of gardens and landscapes. This passion was not merely a hobby but a vital part of their vision for the United States, shaping their policies, their sense of national identity, and their very conception of democracy.

Wulf's account is a revelatory contribution to our understanding of these iconic figures, illuminating how their love of the natural world was inextricably linked to their roles as the architects of the American experiment. Founding Gardeners offers a unique and compelling window into the private lives and intellectual preoccupations of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison, while also shedding new light on the democratic principles that underpin the nation they helped to create.

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