Dr. Hardin: Since my mom was a history major and teacher as well as an avid fan of including geography heavily within her lesson plans, I must not only agree with you but the author of the statement at the end of your messages as well. Jane Steele.
-----Original Message-----
>From: "Hardin, David" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sep 28, 2007 12:52 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] land definitions
>
> In my research in Essex County, I found that the
> term "farm" was pretty rare, but that had nothing to
> do with farm size or labor pool. If you pay
> attention to the writings of Landon Carter and
> George Washington, you'll see what the real
> distinction was: "planters" planted tobacco and
> corn; "farmers" cultivated wheat. The distinction
> obviously awaited the advent of extensive wheat
> growing after 1750, especially in the piedmont.
> Jefferson, Washington and others sang the praises of
> wheat as a way to get out from under the tobacco
> system. In Virginia, the problem was that wheat was
> difficult to raise and wasn't as profitable as corn
> or tobacco. In Tidewater Virginia, some planters -
> usually the wealthiest - dabbled in wheat, but corn
> and tobacco remained the export-crops-of-choice.
> The regime of wheat did have one benefit: it didn't
> absorb the grower's time the way that both tobacco
> and corn did. I've always wondered if anyone has
> looked into a possible correlation between crop
> choice and revolutionary leanings. Corn vs. wheat
> absolutely made a major difference in attitudes and
> voting patterns in Illinois in 1860.
>
>________________________________
>
>Dr. David S. Hardin
>Assistant Professor of Geography
>Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
>Longwood University
>Farmville, Virginia 23909
>Phone: (434) 395-2581
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>********************
>"For as Geography without History
>seemeth a carkasse without motion,
>so History without Geography
>wandreth as a Vagrant without a
>certaine habitation."
>John Smith, 1627
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
>
> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:18:10 -0400
> From: Harold Gill <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: land definitions
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> >I think the reason the term farm is seen so
> rarely in Virginia is because
> >most people grew tobacco as a staple crop so most
> agricultural operations
> >were plantations.
> >HBG
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Joan Horsley" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:58 PM
> >Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] land definitions
> >
> >
> >> I'm interested in your distinction between
> "plantation" and "farm,"
> >> because I don't think I've ever seen the word
> "farm" in pre-Revolution
> >> northern Virginia deeds, road orders, or wills,
> only "plantation." I had
> >> assumed that "plantation" in such records was a
> generic term for
> >> cultivated land regardless of crop, size,
> etc--at least that's how it
> >> seemed to be used.
> >>
> >> There's this example from a 1710 document
> regarding the distribution of
> >> land to the Huguenot refugees of Manakin. Here
> again "plantation" seems
> >> just to mean "farm" or even simply a piece of
> land that could be farmed:
> >>
> >> "And it is further Ordered, that such of the
> French Refugees as have
> >> bought the Plantations, or dividents of any
> other of the said Nation in
> >> the first 5,000 Acres, shall have and enjoy the
> same without prejudice to
> >> such Purchaser, to hold the Land due to him for
> his own share, and to take
> >> up as much more as will make his said Share the
> Compleat quantity of 133
> >> Acres. [R. A. Brock's Huguenot Documents]
> >>
> >> Could it be that, at least early on, the use of
> "plantation" differed
> >> depending on the context--a kind of
> value-neutral "place of planting" for
> >> a land or court record versus a social
> situation with cultural and class
> >> implications of heirarchy? Or have I
> misunderstood the records?
> >>
> >> Joan Horsley
> >>
> >> Harold Gill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >> Plantations in Virginia produced a staple crop
> such as tobacco while
> >> farms
> >> produced provisions such as corn, wheat, and
> other grains.William Nelson
> >> wrote that his son Hugh converted one of his
> plantations to a farm for
> >> growing provisions instead of tobacco. John
> Adams wrote in Feb. 1777: "The
> >> Planters are those who raise Tobacco and the
> Farmers such as raise Wheat
> >> &c." This distinction seems to have been normal
> in 18th century Virginia.
> >> HBG
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
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> >> 9/27/2007 11:06 AM
> >>
> >>
Lillian Jane Steele
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