Agricultural Revolution 18651896

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Agricultural Revolution 1865-1896
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• The term Agricultural Revolution refers to the
  change from primitive to modern farming methods
  the use of farm machinery scientific
  agriculture. The revolution began in the U.S. in
  the late 19th Century and continues today.

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Inventions

• Eli Whitneys1793 cotton gin
• Charles Newbold1797 cast-iron plow
• Cyrus McCormick-1834 the reaper (cut grain faster
  than the scythe)
• John Deere1837self-cleaning steel plow
• James Oliver1877 perfected a plow made from
  chilled iron
• Other inventionsthresher, harvester, combine,
  the tractor

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Scientific Agriculture/Discoveries

• Research leads to crop rotation use of
  artificial fertilizer
• Contour plowing to prevent soil erosion
• Drainage of swamps, irrigation of dry land
• Insecticides germicides to combat insects/pests

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Scientific Heroes

• Luther BurbankIn 1870 began experimenting
  w/growing improved varieties of vegetables for
  the market Developed the Burbank potato Raised
  1,000s plants representing thousands of
  different species varieties, hybridizing some
  grafting new stocks to others in order to produce
  new varieties or to combine the superior
  characteristics of several varieties in one
  plant.
• George Washington Carverfamous for his
  agricultural experiments with peanuts, soybeans,
  sweet potatoes, and cotton. He developed
  hundreds of uses for these crops and developed a
  new strain of cotton. His contributions enabled
  farmers in the South to grow different kinds of
  crops profitably besides cotton.

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Spread of Agricultural Knowledge

• Private EffortsAgrarian Societies (by 1860 over
  900 existed), journals passed agricultural
  knowledge to the farmer.
• Government Actions
• Morrill Act1862, federal land grants given to
  states for colleges to teach agriculture
  mechanic arts
• Hatch Act1887, agricultural experiment stations
• Smith Hughes Act1917, high school course in
  agricultural education.
• Dept. of Agriculture created by Congress in 1862.
  In 1883Alabama State Dept. of Agriculture.

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Agricultural Revolution 1865-1896Part II
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Effects of the Agricultural Revolution

• Decrease in the farm population
• Increased production
• Increased mechanizationmachines take over,
  farmers had to learn mechanical skills
• Shift from self-sufficient (subsistence) to
  Commercial farming, after the Civil
  WarPreviously raised food for their own tables
  produced own clothes, and furniture. Sold crops
  to the industrial areas and depended on those
  areas for needed farm supplies

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• Problems facing farmers as businessmen
• Creditneeded long-term loans to buy land,
  livestock, machinery and short-term loans to
  sustain them.
• Laboremployed full-time hands, migrant workers
• Productiongreater efficiency achieved by
  operating large farms (cost of labor/machines)
  fewer small farms
• Pricesfarmers experienced good or bad times
  depending upon the price their products brought
  in the marketplace.
• Suppliesfarmers relied upon industry for
  manufactured goods and other farmers for
  foodstuffs.

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Complaints of Farmers following the Civil War

• Low Agricultural pricesAfter the Civil War, the
  demand for produce declined and prices fell.
  Also the farmer faced increased competition in
  world markets (e.g. 1866 1.50 per bushel,
  1894--lt70 cents for wheat)
• Insufficient Expensive Creditbanks reluctant
  to loan to farmers Usury prohibited but farmers
  often pay as much as 25 in interest per year.
  Farmers lost homes when they couldnt pay
  mortgages.

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• Middlemen (grain storage elevators,
  packinghouses, insurance companies, wholesale
  distributors and the railroad)charged high
  rates. RR monopoly over crop transportation from
  small towns along its tracks, farmers got poor
  service and exorbitant rates. RR rule on rates
  what the traffic will bear
• High Industrial pricesFarmers paid high costs
  for manufactured goods. Farmers blamed this on a
  high tariff rate which kept out foreign goods and
  protected American manufacturers and the growth
  of business monopolies which curtailed domestic
  production.

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Late 1800s farmers ripe for political rebellion

• Change in Public Perception of Farmer
• Move from idealismindependent, hardworking to
  late 1800sStubborn, old-fashioned
• Loss of political power to railroad, banking and
  industry