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Farming in the second half of the 19th century
About farmers in the 19th century
American agricultural economy 19th century
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Before the 19th century, farming was done by hand and by using small tools. The Market and Industrial Revolutions brought about lots of new inventions that benefitted agriculture. Very few people changed American agriculture more than Cyrus McCormick did in the 1800’s. His invention, the McCormick mechanical reaper, revolutionized farming by putting together many parts involved in harvesting crops into one machine. The mechanical reaper was a revolutionary farming tool that saved effort and time for farmers by allowing them to more efficiently harvest and cut
Out of everything that changed agriculture, the increasing economic difficulty was arguably the most powerful. With so many farms, the amount of produce rose while the prices of produce fell, in some cases, like with Cotton, prices fell over ⅛ of the original price (Doc A). Because of the extremely low prices, as low as 10 cents in some places, some farmers did not make enough to survive and promptly went out of business. Even with groups like the the Farmer's Alliance defending smaller farmers by pooling together resources and money in
While laissez-faire enabled corporate powers to burgeon, farmers and social workers did not benefit from the bureaucratic government. American agriculture endured many hardships during the Gilded Age and was profoundly affected by the technological advancements, government policies, and economic conditions between 1865 and 1900. The declining position of American Farmers was the corollary of novel technology and mechanized agriculture. Because subsistence farming was no longer a viable option, farmers transformed their estates into commercial businesses and became heavily dependent on machinery and producing at commercial scales. Much of the new technology farmers invested in for example, steel plows, harrows, grain binders, threshers, windmills,
Farmers of the late 19th century faced several struggles as they attempted to feed themselves and a growing nation. Though they were undeniably crucial to the country, the country often abandoned them to fend against their problems themselves. These desertments lead to the creation of several movements, such as The Grange, and of political parties such as the Populists. The challenges of American farmers were often intertwined and difficult to get to one cause of the problem. Increasing railroad use and inflated prices hurt the farmers tremendously, which then lead to widespread debt and the cry for silver to be used in the money standard, which then resulted in overproduction of goods to try to overcompensate for the burgeoning debt, but only made it worse.
The industrialization of America led to lots of new technology for farming being developed, which further drove farmers into debt. New plows and tools were created and although they made farming significantly easier, they were also very expensive. Farmers were forced to buy these tools by their landlords and they struggled to find cheaper ways to compete with larger farms. Unlike farmers earlier in the century, these farmers did not grow many crops, even for sustenance. Instead, they grew only a couple cash crops, which could bring a lot of money, but also could bring in none if there was a drought or other problem.
Farm technology made a lot of progress from 1890-1920. Before this time, all the farming was done by hand. There were many inventions from wire to tractors to help make farming easier. Three inventions that really changed farming were gas tractors, cream separator and horse drawn combine. Gas tractors were created so that you didn’t have to use your horses so much and so you could pull more.
(Document G) Furthermore, the period brought about significant changes in American agriculture, with technological advancements, government policies, and economic shifts reshaping the farming industry. As outlined in the document, farmers found themselves disillusioned with the political rhetoric that promised prosperity through hard work and increased production. Instead, they were met with the harsh reality of plummeting prices for their crops and livestock, leading to financial hardship and a sense of betrayal by the very politicians who claimed to have their best interests at heart. The stark contrast between the promises of a bountiful harvest and the harsh economic conditions faced by farmers highlighted the disconnect between government policies and the lived experiences of those working the land.
During 1865-1900, agriculture went through many changes through economic, social, and government circles. The expansion of the Wild West from the east coast to the west coast opened up many opportunities, but like in urban settlements, also fell under the whims of monopolies and big business. Arid areas like the Prairies also impacted agriculture. Undoubtedly, American agriculture was irrevocably impacted by all these factors. Before 1890, railroads were limited mainly to the east coast and only a few main lines.
Which the farmers were not making any expense, so they grew more crops than before, and that made things worse. In which it led farmers into a big debt and problems. One of them was the tariff policies during the Gilded Age. Farmers were the victims and were forced to buy manufactured goods to be protected by tariff legislation. But what they produce was not protective and more competitive markets soon to rise of over supplies and foreign competition.
Most farmers struggled to make a living due to key issues. There was often a high tax on railroads which had cut a large profit from the farmers. The farmers had no other option other than the railroad since the farmers were often very far off westward in the Great Plains, while the market with a large population was still in eastern cities like New York. Likewise farmers had to pay a middle man in the East to sell their commodities in the East, because the poor farmers were unable to travel all the way to the East to sell their products then come back to start farming for the next year. Surprisingly, farmers were often detrimental to themselves due to
a) Farming in New England was not as important in the Southern colonies, New England colonies imported agricultural products, but Southern colonies exported agricultural products. New England were more about shipping, fishing, and natural sources were more important to them than agricultural crops; because soil in New England wasn’t good enough for growing crops. however in the South, plantation owners, for production of their crops such as; tobacco, cotton, and sugar, used slaves as for their labors. b) New England colonies was more industrialized than the southern colonies. New England colonists had a strong family work ethic, birth rates were high, and education was valued.
A phrase stated throughout the twentieth century was "American farmers feed the world," but in the 1920's and 1930's the world turned its back on the American farmer. In the 1920's a majority of American's were thriving. World War I made America a major manufacturer of goods for the entire world, as a result American's had more jobs and better pay. American's had money to invest and enough faith in their status to take out loans. The stock market crash of 1929 caused an immeasurable number of people to lose their investments and thousands of banks to close.
Government subsidies favored corporate farms instead of poor farmers. Machinery for seeding, irrigating, and harvesting became more advanced allowing farmers to cultivate more land and become dependent on fossil fuels. Fertilizers also increased yields as well as the use of pesticides. These technologies encourage a monoculture of crops which is unsustainable for the environment.
Over the past few months, business has been stable throughout the colonies. The leading occupation in these colonies is farming. Although farmers produced a lot of crops, their income was dependent on the value and quality of the crop itself. Agriculture plays a vital role in American economy, and there is evidently some strengths and weaknesses in this business.
In the nineteen fifties, the wealth and overall attitude of America seemed to be uplifted. New technology (stemming mostly from the New Deal) for people who worked in agriculture increased their productivity. Though this only applied to large farms, and small farms began to become obsolete; causing the percent of farms in America to plummet by forty percent. Though not all means of production fell. Industrialization made a killing off of the new inventions.
