In 1783, the year that marked the end of the American Revolution (1775–83), most Americans earned their living by farming. Before the Revolution, the American colonies had been part of the vast British Empire, and American farmers sold their goods in markets worldwide, from the West Indies to Britain itself. Shortly after the Revolution, in 1790, the first U.S. census revealed that almost 97 percent of the population of four million still lived in rural areas. American farmers had played a crucial role in colonial economics and politics, and they would continue to have a strong influence over U.S. policies between 1783 and 1815.

Farmers were respected as honest, hardworking men who provided for their families. Many early American leaders firmly believed farming was the most virtuous (respectable) way of life and should remain the most important sector of the nation's economy. Founding Father and future president Thomas...