«More native than French»: American Physiocratis and their political economy

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Logan formed the core of the American Physiocratic School. Heavily infuenced by direct contact with the French, the Americans argued that agriculture was the sole source of surplus value; this theory was used to push for pro-agrarian policies, free trade, and land acquisition at the end of the 18th century. However, American Physiocracy was distinct from the French version because of their focus on population density as a key economic variable, along with a belief in stages of economic development. This emphasis created a ‘native’ version of Physiocracy.