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Period: 5000 BCE to
Early Agriculture in America
Native Americans were farming the land many years before European settlers arrived in the Americas. A little later the Spanish arrived, and the modern diseases of the time killed a large group of Native Americans. Soon though wool spun clothing began and in 1699 the king of England ruled that the colonists can't export wool from anywhere. -
800
Three Sisters
Beans, corn, and squash are farmed together due to the benefits together when grown. -
Period: 1492 to
Sheep in Early US Farming
In 1492, Christopher Columbus brought Spanish sheep to the United States. In the 1700s the colonies used these sheep to produce lanolin which was used for medical purposes. The colonists also carded the wool to remove debris so the wool could be processed. -
Native Collapse
After 100 years of the Spanish being in America, 95% of the native population died in the Mississippi region. -
Founding of Jamestown Vaginia
In 1607 the first permanent British settlement was founded. -
Jamestown Begins Farming
In 1612 the settlers began farming tobacco after Sir James Rolfe brought tobacco seeds with him to the new world. -
First African Slaves in America
The first African slaves from Angola arrived in the Americas, and by the 1700s the slaves replaced most indentured servants in the south. -
No Exporting Wool
The British king declared that wool cannot be exported outside of the colonies, and sheep cannot be imported to the colonies to protect the British wool industry. -
Period: to
Farming Tools in Early America
The flail was used to beat down grain so farmers could thresh around 7 bushes a day. The sickle was used as a slow, but inexpensive way to cut grain or hay. The Jefferson plow was invented by founding father Thomas Jefferson to improve his farm. The cast iron plow was the first patented metallic plow, but it was not commonly used among farmers due to the fear of poisoning the soil and the brittle material the plow was made out of. -
Period: to
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was started by a group of unhappy farmers due to the tax on the grain that was made into whiskey. It grew to where the current president, George Washington, had to send troops to end the rebellion. -
Cotton Gin
In 1794 Eli Whitney had the Cotton Gin patented. This would double the amount of cotton produced in the south by double than before. The cotton would then be sent to the Northern states to be processed into cloth. -
Public Land Act
The Public Land act allowed the expansion of the western United States. This in the future would allow for more factories to be built out west, a gold rush, and more farming opportunities for the people on the east coast.