The Agrarian Myth By Richard Hofstadter

What is the Agrarian Myth? Before this research assignment, I had only heard the term “agrarian myth” maybe once or twice. However, I was aware that Thomas Jefferson had quite the green thumb and played a huge role on how agriculture is practiced today. The Agrarian Myth, as defined by Richard Hofstadter, “was fashioned for the new nation a folk hero, the yeoman farmer, who was admired not for his capacity to exploit opportunities and make money but rather his ability to produce a simple abundance”. My interpretation of that definition is that the farmers threw monetary values to the side and started to simply take pride in their work. Farmers saw themselves as almost superior to those who lived in urban settings. They felt more comfortable handling their own land rather than leaving it up to someone else.
These farmers and their families observed the lifecycle of the environment, which possibly but them more at peace with their work. It helped them connect with it more and understand that what they were doing was really important. How I see it is that those who farmed felt like they experienced life a completely different way, which is true. When they were young they were sent out to the fields to work. They worked sun up to sun down and built their values around the

He completely backed those who farmed their own land and enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Farmers, from my own recollection, were essentially the backbone of society. Without farmers, fresh produce would be pretty difficult to get ahold of. During the mid-1800s, farmers were doing great with how their crops were selling. Sadly, increased competition from Canada, Australia, or Russia sent prices downwards. Railroads also led to the downfall of the farmer seeing as they jacked up the prices for transporting goods. The price of simply moving their produce took a huge bite out of their