INTRODUCTION 9 



influence of the more radical western ideals was one 

 of the most potent of the internal forces which 

 brought the separation." 3 



While the war for independence was led by Wash- 

 ington, an aristocratic planter, financed by bankers 

 like Morris, and supported by rich merchants like 

 Hancock, the fighting force of the Revolution came 

 from the middle class of farm producers and indus- 

 trial workers. It may be said, therefore, that the 

 Revolution was the culmination of conflicting forces 

 in which the farm population united their efforts 

 with others who shared their views against their 

 neighbors who found it more profitable or desirable 

 to maintain allegiance to the mother country. 



From the establishment of the national govern- 

 ment in 1789, to the beginning of the Civil War in 

 1861, agriculture experienced a steady growth and 

 development. The nation was peculiarly free from 

 agrarian agitation during this period. The vast un- 

 developed public domain offered unusual opportu- 

 nity for agricultural expansion. While the nation 

 was not uniformly prosperous throughout this long 

 period, on the whole the farmers were reasonably 

 successful. But public policies were being formu- 

 lated and economic and social changes were taking 

 place that were destined to affect agricultural en- 

 deavor very profoundly at a later time. These influ- 

 ences may be summarized as follows: (1) The vast 



* American Economic History (1924), Chap. 8, p. 161. 



