Bluegrass Capital: an Environmental History of Central Kentucky to 1860
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--History History 2017 BLUEGRASS CAPITAL: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO 1860 Andrew P. Patrick University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.401 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Patrick, Andrew P., "BLUEGRASS CAPITAL: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO 1860" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--History. 51. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/history_etds/51 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the History at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--History by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Andrew P. Patrick, Student Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor, Major Professor Dr. Scott Taylor, Director of Graduate Studies BLUEGRASS CAPITAL: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO 1860 DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Andrew Parker Patrick Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor, Professor of History Lexington, Kentucky 2017 Copyright Andrew Parker Patrick 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION BLUEGRASS CAPITAL: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO 1860 This dissertation traces the long-term evolution of the Inner Bluegrass region of central Kentucky with a focus on the period between the first Euro-American incursions into the area and the Civil War era. Utilizing an agroecological perspective that analyzes cultivated landscapes for their ecological features, it explores the ever-shifting mix of cultural and natural influences that shaped the local environment. Most prominently, it reveals the extent to which intertwined strands of capitalism and slavery mingled with biology to produce the celebrated Bluegrass agricultural system. It begins with an appraisal of the landscape before white men like Daniel Boone arrived, emphasizing the roles native cultures played in shaping regional ecology and arguing for a more complex periodization of eighteenth century Kentucky. The frontier period from the 1770s through the 1790s witnessed a struggle for control over the region linked to competing ideas about how the local landscape might best be used by humans. That Euro-Americans ultimately emerged victorious in this contest held tremendous ecological consequences as domesticated species, organized according to Euro-American agricultural principles, spread across the region. Introduced plants, such as corn, hemp, and bluegrass, and livestock, including hogs, cattle, sheep and horses, increasingly filled ecological niches previously held by native flora and fauna like cane, elk, and buffalo. As Kentuckians set about refining their influence over the surrounding natural world during the final decades of the eighteenth century and into the nineteenth, their actions demonstrated the varied ecological, economic, and cultural connections and incentives engendered by their slave-reliant, market-oriented agricultural system. These connections exposed the Bluegrass landscape to national and international currents that enriched some Kentuckians, encouraged the exploitation of others, and facilitated a dramatic simplification of the regional ecology in pursuit of economic gain. Yet, the transformations of the local ecology and the demands of those cultivating it also affected national and international events such as the American Revolution, Louisiana Purchase, and the Civil War. The environmental history of the Bluegrass agricultural landscape demonstrates the complexity of influences on the antebellum world and suggests that complexity continues to affect the regional ecology and culture well into the twenty-first century. KEYWORDS: Kentucky, Agriculture, Environment, Landscape, Hemp Andrew P. Patrick May 31, 2017 BLUEGRASS CAPITAL: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO 1860 By Andrew Parker Patrick Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor Director of Dissertation Dr. Scott Taylor Director of Graduate Studies May 31, 2017 Acknowledgments: This dissertation would not exist without the support of numerous institutions and individuals. The History Department at the University of Kentucky provided funding, a stimulating academic environment, and access to wonderful research material, particularly via the Special Collections at the King Library. The Kentucky Historical Society offered fantastic opportunities for professional development and intellectual growth, both at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition and at the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. While in Frankfort I had the tremendous luck to work with scholars including Dr. Amanda Higgins and Dr. Patrick Lewis who provided vital insights and advice at trying moments in my dissertation preparation. KHS also generously granted me a research fellowship that allowed time to explore their stellar collections. The Filson Historical Society in Louisville and the Special Collections library at Transylvania University in Lexington were also very welcoming during research trips. My masters and dissertation committees likewise deserve acknowledgement. From my first research seminar through the completion of my master’s thesis, Dr. Ronald Eller guided my scholarly growth and exemplified the type of scholarship to which I aspire. Dr. Tracey Campbell and Dr. Gerald Smith encouraged me to think broadly about the project and challenged me to press deeper with my analysis, a habit that proved increasingly valuable as I moved on to the dissertation. Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor was an ideal committee director, providing hands-on guidance and space to work in equal measure. Her incisive comments, on multiple drafts, saved the dissertation from analytical blunders and embarrassing typos. Dr. David Stradling, of the University of iii Cincinnati, graciously agreed to join to committee early on, when I was proposing an environmental project without including an environmental historian. His advice helped orient me in the field and sharpen my argument. Dr. Kathryn Newfont joined the History Department when the project was in mid-stream, yet nonetheless agreed to come aboard and helped me grapple with material for the later chapters. Dr. David Hamilton challenged me to ground the project more firmly in agricultural history. Geographer Dr. Matt Wilson provided a valuable disciplinary outsider’s perspective and helped me think about writing accessible prose. Without these committee members, this would have been a very different project. My biggest debts to acknowledge, however, are to my friends and family. My friends from Centre College have been a constant support and have always humored my tendency toward long historical asides. My family has really gone above and beyond to support me. My sister, Dr. Dana Connelly, and I shared much of our graduate school journey as we both worked on degrees at UK and lived together. She was always available with useful suggestions, particularly dealing with agricultural statistics, despite how far the topic is from her specialty in welfare policy. Dan and Leslie Patrick, my parents, likely deserve the largest share of the credit for any accomplishments this dissertation represents. They instilled an intellectual curiosity and love of learning in me early in life that drove my entire academic career. Their financial and emotional support underpinned much of the journey. Not only that, they have continued to read early drafts of most things that I write, which extends a trend that started in elementary school. My wife, Kari Walker Patrick, contributed far more than I can explain here. Her iv unflagging patience, eye for grammatical detail, and allergy to fuzzy analysis all helped the project tremendously. More important, she’s kept me sane