Discussion: Woody Holton's "Forced Founders"

For me, the most fascinating part of Holton's book was his focus on the smallholders in the Nonimportation and Nonexportation chapters. Elite Vriginians really were in a difficult social position when lower social groups were able to purchase the same luxury items as they. Nonimportation gave debtors an honorable excuse to reduce conspicuous consumption (p. 79). However, it's obvious that initially nonimportation had more to do with the wealthy's social fear than economics. Nonexportation gives an enormous group of people a new voice in the struggle for American Independence. I'm usually always for the underdog, and to me, the smallholders of the eighteenth century were the underdogs. Although nonexportation had been talked of and attempted previously, the smallholders in 1774-1776 finally put the plan into action. It seems like elite Virginians wanted something to happen to instigate a separation with Britain. When the smallholders developed nonexportation, combined with the gentry classes' feeble attempts at nonimportation, elite Virginians took action to cut off trade with Britain.

With the actions of Native Americans, smallholders, and enslaved blacks, elite Virginians weilded political power. Without elite Virginians, these three marginal groups stood little chance of anything except indebtedness against Britain. As others have mentioned, without these groups and their actions the gentry class had few reasons to declare Independence from Britain.

My problem with Forced Founders is the exclusion of the majority of the Thirteen Colonies in Holton's analysis of the push for American Independence. The author almost exclusively focuses on Virginia, with a few nods to Maryland and Massachusettes. I don't mean to diminish Virginian influence, think George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but there were thirteen colonies who united against Britain.