American nature is intertwined with a little known event of 1787. First a brief history lesson. The American Revolution took root in 1765 following British implementation of the Stamp Act (requiring all printed materials in the colonies, from playing cards to legal documents, to carry an embossed revenue stamp). In 1770, discontent spiraled to the tragedy of the Boston Massacre. Tensions seethed and in 1773 American patriots infused the cold waters of Boston Harbor with several tons of heavily-taxed British tea – the Boston Tea Party. In 1774 in response, England imposed further draconian laws and more occupying troops to enforce them.
On June 17, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill raged. Here it becomes personal. My 6th great-grandfather, John Foster (1760-1837) and his twin brother fought at Bunker Hill (as 15-year olds). A few weeks later, their father, Nathan Foster, Sr., left the family home (since 1636) in Ipswich, Massachusetts to muster with Capt. Caleb Turner’s company in the coastal defense of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. A year later on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. The Revolutionary War continued until the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.
By 1787 the young nation suffered growing pains. Led by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, the Constitutional Convention, with 70 appointed delegates (only 55 present) convened from May 14 to September 17, 1787. Bitter debate and stalemate marked the secret proceedings. Failure to agree upon a Constitution was predicted.
During a day off, on Saturday, July 15, 1787, a group of delegates spent the day in Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia. Founded in 1728 by John Bartram (1699-1777), the garden was a cohesive representation of native trees and shrubs from all 13 colonies. It was a unique display of symbolic American unity.
Two days later, when the Convention convened again on July 16, 1787, after six weeks of stalemate, three delegates who had visited Bartram’s Garden switched their votes, agreeing to what became known as “The Great Compromise,” giving proportional representation in the House of Representatives to each state along with two members each in the Senate. The seeds of the American Constitution had finally germinated.
In her book The Founding Gardeners (2012), Andrea Wulf speculated that the three changed votes that produced the Great Compromise were inspired by the visit to Bartram’s Garden. Never underestimate the power of a walk in the woods or a stroll through a grove to affect the human mind. Nature’s work on us.