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Economies of the North and South 1800s
Northern states began to industrialize and export manufactured goods. As the Northern states industrialized they attracted new immigrants while the South’s population stagnated. -
Agricultural Exports 1800-1850s
From 1800-1809, the average annual value of agricultural exports totaled $23 million or 75% of total exports. From 1810-1819, the average annual value of agricultural exports totaled $40 million/year or 87% of total exports. -
Louisiana purchase
President Thomas Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Territory by purchasing it from France in 1803 for $15 million dollars, an average of four cents per acre. -
Farm Labor Comparisons
In 1830, about 250-300 labor-hours were required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) of wheat with a walking plow, brush harrow, hand broadcast of seed (scattering of seeds by hand), sickle, and flail. -
Civil War
Northern farmers produced a variety of crops and livestock, sometimes supplemented by craftwork. Southern plantation agriculture concentrated on export crops. -
Population and productivity
In 1860s the average total U.S. population: 31,443,321; farm population: 15,141,000 (est.); farmers 58% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,044,000; average acres: 199. -
USDA
On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act of Congress into law establishing at the seat of Government of the United States a Department of Agriculture. -
Post-war Agricultural
The Civil War destroyed much of the South and its plantations. More dramatically, four million slaves were suddenly freed with no land, no money and little opportunity. A tenant farming system called sharecropping evolved in the South to make use of cheap labor. -
Agricultural Science
As the USDA shared its discoveries with the American public the landscape began to change. Farmers returning to their crops and livestock from agricultural science schools and agricultural demonstration and extension programs began experimenting with new techniques to improve production. -
Scientific Discoveries Reducing the Spread of Disease
Scientists also found new ways to fight animal and plant diseases. In 1890, USDA scientists proved for the first time that a disease-producing organism could be spread between animals by a carrier. -
Science Changes the Number people Needed to Farm
By the end of the 1800s, many new discoveries were changing the way Americans farmed. One of the most important scientific advances of this period was the discovery that plants could be selectively bred for disease resistance. -
Industtrial technology in the New Century
By 1900 industrial technology had brought widespread improvements to farmers.
