Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America

220 Pages·2012·3.755 MB·English

by  Myra B. Young Armstead

Freedom’s Gardener
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Freedom’s Gardener
James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the
Hudson Valley in Antebellum America
Myra B. Young Armstead
a

NEW Y ORK UNIVERS ITY P RESS
New York and London
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
www.nyupress.org
© 2012 by New York University
All rights reserved
References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing.
Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs
that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Armstead, Myra Beth Young
Freedom’s gardener : James F. Brown, horticulture, and
the Hudson Valley in antebellum America / Myra B. Young Armstead.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–8147–0510–0 (cl : alk. paper)
ISBN 978–0–8147–0791–3 (ebook)
ISBN 978–0–8147–0792–0 (ebook)
1. Brown, James Francis, 1793–1868. 2. African Americans—Social conditions—
Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)—19th century. 3. Free blacks—Hudson River Valley
(N.Y. and N.J)—Biography. 4. Gardeners—Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)—
Biography. 5. Fugitive slaves—Maryland—Biography. 6. Hudson River Valley
(N.Y. and N.J.)—History—19th century. 7. Hudson River Valley (N.Y.) and N.J.)—
Biography. I. Title.
F127.H8A76 2011
635.092—dc23 [B] 2011028251
New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.
We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials
to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books.

Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Matthew and Nathan
Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Part I. LIFE A S A S LAVE
1 What Can a Man Do? 11
2 Into the Promised Land 28
Part II. FR EE MAN AND FR EE L ABORER
3 A Horticultural Community 41
4 A Gardening Career 54
5 Cultural Meanings of Gardening 70
6 Escaping Wage Slavery 88
Part III. FR EE MAN AND CITIZEN
7 A Whiggish Sensibility 99
8 James F. Brown, Voting Rights Politics, and Antislavery 112
A ctivism
9 The Informal Politics of Association 129
Conclusion 152
N otes 163
Index 205
About the Author 209
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Acknowledgments
Many eyes, minds, hands, and hearts have contributed to the com-
pletion of this book. I am very grateful for the assistance of the staffs of the
Frederick County (Maryland) Historical Society, the Maryland Historical
Society, the Maryland State Archives, the Edward H. Nabb Research Center
for Delmarva History and Culture, the Poplar Hills Mansion Museum, the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Monmouth County (New Jersey)
Historical Association, the New York Botanical Garden (New York Horti-
cultural Society Records), the New-York Historical Society, the New York
Public Library, the New York State Law Library (Albany and Poughkeepsie),
Pace University Law Library, the Newburgh (New York) Free Public Library,
Mount Gulian Historic Site, the Dutchess County Historical Society, the
Dutchess County Clerk’s Office, and the Adriance Memorial Library. Indi-
viduals associated with these research centers, officially or as volunteers, who
deserve special recognition include Linda Duyer, L. Paul Morris Jr., Nancy
Marasco, and Stephanie Mauri. Elaine Hayes, Executive Director at Mount
Gulian, was an invaluable support all along, and I also benefited greatly from
the help of Susan Konvit while she was Director of Education and Public Pro-
gramming there.
Bard College colleagues who served as cheerleaders, advisers, and
readers include Mark Lytle, Alice Stroup, Rob Culp, Ellen Lagemann, Joel
Perlmann, Christian Crouch, Greg Moynahan, Omar Encarnacion, Julia
Rosenbaum, Wendy Urban-Mead, Stephen Mucher, Mercedes Ebbert,
Derek Furr, Jaime Alves, and Yuval Elmelech. Janet Schulze was a price-
less student research assistant, and the students in three Bard MAT Pro-
gram courses I taught—Mystic Chords of Memory (Summer 2008, Fall
2009–upstate, Fall 2009–NYC)—graciously heard and provided feedback
on the book introduction that follows. Bard Web Services Coordinator
Juliet Meyers lent her expertise to the production of the maps. Evelyn

Krueger’s secretarial skills were crucial for the consistency in word pro-
cessing the text.
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