James Anderson of Hermiston facts for kids
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James Anderson (born 1739, died 1808) was a clever Scottish man. He was a farmer, a writer, and an expert on money matters. He was an important person during the Scottish Enlightenment. This was a time when many new ideas came from Scotland. Anderson also invented a special farm tool called the Scotch plough. He sometimes wrote under the pen name Agricola.
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Early Life and Farming
James Anderson was born in Hermiston, Midlothian, Scotland. His father was a farmer. When James was young, he went to lectures on chemistry. These lectures were at the University of Edinburgh. At just 15 years old, his father passed away. James then took over the family farm.
In 1768, he moved to Aberdeenshire. There, he managed a large farm called Monkshill. This farm was about 1,300 acres. He had a long lease on the land. His goal was to show how new farming methods could make farms better.
Ideas About Money and Land
In 1777, Anderson wrote a book. It was called An Enquiry into the Nature of the Corn Laws. In this book, he shared his ideas about "rent." Rent is the money paid to use land. He explained that rent was a payment for using the best farmland.
He believed that the least fertile land (the land that doesn't grow much) only made enough money to cover farming costs. But more fertile land made extra money. This extra money was like a bonus. Anderson called this bonus "rent." He thought that farmers could make land better. But he also warned that people could make land worse. He said that if farmers rented land, they might not improve it. This is because they might not get all the benefits before their rental agreement ended.
His ideas were later used by other thinkers. One famous thinker was Karl Marx. Marx used Anderson's ideas to talk about farming under capitalism. He agreed that land could get better or worse. Marx also talked about the problems between cities and the countryside.
A Busy Writer and Publisher
Anderson was a very active writer. In 1771, he published "Essays on Planting." He also wrote an article about "Monsoons" in 1773. This article was for the first ever Encyclopedia Britannica.
In 1783, he moved to Edinburgh. From 1790 to 1797, he lived in a place called Springfield. In 1791, he started a weekly magazine. It was called The Bee. He wrote most of the articles himself. They published 18 volumes of The Bee.
Later, he moved to Isleworth. From 1799 to 1802, he published another magazine. It was called Recreations in Agriculture, Natural History, Arts and Miscellaneous Literature. He also wrote many small books. These books were about farming and money. He used different pen names, like Agricola. Anderson was friends with Jeremy Bentham. He also wrote letters to George Washington, who was the first President of the United States.
Clever Inventions
James Anderson is known for inventing the Scotch plough. This was a special farm tool. It was made of wood and iron. Animals like horses would pull it. It was used to prepare heavy ground for planting. It helped farmers work their land more easily.
Some people also believe he invented early canalboat lifts. These lifts helped boats move between different water levels in canals. An engineer named James Green gave Anderson credit for this idea.
Awards and Recognition
In 1780, James Anderson received a special award. He got an honorary law degree from the University of Aberdeen. In 1791, he became a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a group of important thinkers in America. He passed away on October 15, 1808.
Family Life
In 1768, James Anderson married Margaret Seton. She passed away in 1788. They had 13 children together. Six of their children lived longer than their father. Their son, John, became an apprentice to Thomas Bewick. Their daughter, Margaret, married Benjamin Outram.
