A Presidential Ideal

Subhead
Essays from West of 98
The Yeoman’s IdealWhat did Thomas Jefferson think about farmers? To anyone who looks up quotes by Jefferson about farmers and rural life, this seems like a dumb question. Jefferson endorsed the farmer—specifically the small farmer—more powerfully than any other president on record. Among other lines, Jefferson described farmers as the chosen people of God and the most precious part of a state.But…

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