The Fleece of Their Flock: Homespun & the American Identity

thought of becoming fully self-sufficient with a reliable
textile production was even more alluring to colonists on
the eve of revolution. Homespun seemed to be a successful
exercise in autonomy, which boded well for the future.
The colonies’ political leaders recognized this relationship
between domestic manufacturing and self-sufficiency.
Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush
both acknowledged that the colonists had become quite industrious.
With determination and time, Franklin foresaw
commercial, political, and sartorial independence from
Great Britain. As Rush observed, “a people who are entirely
dependent upon foreigners for food or clothes must always
be subject to them.” 18 Even after the Revolution, political
economist and Continental Congressman Tench Coxe regarded
domestic manufactures as the means to lead the
nation “into the paths of virtue, by restoring frugality and
industry, those potent antidotes to the vices of mankind.”
He asserted that such manufactures would bring “real independence
by rescuing us from the tyranny of foreign
fashions, and the destructive torrent of luxury.” 19 These
comments highlight not only the extent to which homespun
was seen as a change-agent, but also reflect the bottom-up
nature of the American Revolution. By rejecting imports
and creating their own clothes, the people had the ability to
promote independence and help their nation thrive.
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