The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
The picture which you have drawn, my son, of the increase
of our numbers and the decrease of yours is just, the causes are
very plain, and the remedy depends on yourselves alone. You
have lived by hunting the deer and buffalo--all these have been
driven westward; you have sold out on the sea-board and moved
westwardly in pursuit of them. As they became scarce there,
your food has failed you; you have been a part of every year
without food, except the roots and other unwholesome things you
could find in the forest. Scanty and unwholesome food produce
diseases and death among your children, and hence you have
raised few and your numbers have decreased. Frequent wars,
too, and the abuse of spirituous liquors, have assisted in lessening
your numbers. The whites, on the other hand, are in the habit
of cultivating the earth, of raising stocks of cattle, hogs, and
other domestic animals, in much greater numbers than they could
kill of deer and buffalo. Having always a plenty of food and
clothing they raise abundance of children, they double their
numbers every twenty years, the new swarms are continually
advancing upon the country like flocks of pigeons, and so they
will continue to do. Now, my children, if we wanted to diminish
our numbers, we would give up the culture of the earth, pursue
the deer and buffalo, and be always at war; this would soon
reduce us to be as few as you are, and if you wish to increase
your numbers you must give up the deer and buffalo, live in
peace, and cultivate the earth. You see then, my children, that
it depends on yourselves alone to become a numerous and great
people. Let me entreat you, therefore, on the lands now given
you to begin to give every man a farm; let him enclose it, cultivate
it, build a warm house on it, and when he dies, let it belong
to his wife and children after him. Nothing is so easy as
to learn to cultivate the earth; all your women understand it,
and to make it easier, we are always ready to teach you how to
make ploughs, hoes, and necessary utensils. If the men will
take the labor of the earth from the women they will learn to
spin and weave and to clothe their families. In this way
you will also raise many children, you will double your numbers
every twenty years, and soon fill the land your friends have
given you, and your children will never be tempted to sell the
spot on which they have been born, raised, have labored and
called their own. When once you have property, you will want
laws and magistrates to protect your property and persons, and
to punish those among you who commit crimes. You will find
that our laws are good for this purpose; you will wish to live
under them, you will unite yourselves with us, join in our great
councils and form one people with us, and we shall all be Americans;
you will mix with us by marriage, your blood will run in
our veins, and will spread with us over this great island. Instead,
then, my children, of the gloomy prospect you have drawn
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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