One modernization in agriculture was the utilization of the railroads for distribution. Railroads provided farmers with the ability to ship their products vast distances. No longer were their markets limited to their local towns, but they could now reach a market on the opposite side of the country. Competition between railroad companies also contributed to lower fares, which helped the farmers cheaply move their wares to their chosen markets (Text Pgs. 524-525). One modernization in industry was in the steel market. The “Bessemer Converter” allowed for low cost production of steel. With the advent of the railroads, and the new marketplace access, the cost to produce steel fell dramatically. From the mid-1870s to the 1890s, steel dropped in price from $100 a ton to $12 a ton. This allowed for larger, and cheaper developments to take place …show more content…
This mirror’s Turner’s idealism in the exceptionalism of Americans to tame the wild. The railroads, in a sense, tamed the wilderness and allowed Americans to thrive from coast to coast (Text Pg. 494). While modernization was key to the growth in America, it had its price as well. Modernization of the agricultural industry allowed large scale production to take place. Smaller, family farms, then suffered from reductions in price for their goods, as they had to compete with commercial farmers. A negative aspect to the modernization of industry was the over reliance on exports. The American economy began to rely on manufacturing and exports to Europe, but left itself vulnerable to natural cycles in any economy. A depression hit Europe in 1893, which had disastrous effects in America. Europe cut down on its imports from the United States. This caused a reduction in production, and therefore the wages paid to workers. The prices of food and housing did not fall as fast, so the people were left overexposed to these conditions (Text Pgs.
From the expanding of railroads country wide, to limiting laws on the goods farmers sold and transportation of the goods,to starvation of the economy, agriculture began to take its own shape from 1865 through to 1900 in the United States.
Slaves wanted freedom. They wanted to get away from their malicious and abusive owners, reunite with their families, and have a chance at a new life. The Underground Railroad gave them that chance. Before the Underground Railroad, slaveholders became accustomed to the use of this cruel system in which they called slavery, where slaves were often treated worse than farm animals. Slaves were forced to live in terrible conditions, where they were crowded into poorly built huts, exposed to both the freezing cold and extreme heat, worked from sun up until sun down, and were malnourished. Slaves could also be subjected to torturous punishments at the will of his or her master or overseer. As a southern judge once decreed, “The power of the master must be absolute.” Slaveholders would even aim to break up slave families just so that their absolute control would never waver. (Landau)
The changes in American agriculture was molded by three key factors, economic change, government policy and technology, in the period of 1865-1900.Technology helped facilitated production of good as well as their transportation. Farmers were able to produce more goods, yet they overproduced and it resulted in economic hardship for them. They could not afford to export goods through the rail roads high rates, and led to clashing with the government, for the lack of support. Such factors resulted in change of American agriculture.
Many businesses developed from Chicago's growing domination over the rail industry. One of those businesses was the grain business. The invention of the grain harvester and grain elevators allowed farmers west of Chicago who grew grain, to bring there grain to Chicago, store it, and keep it fresh before it was shipped on the rails. Chicago was doing so much business in grain that they established the Chicago Board of Trade. At the Board of Trade grain would be graded and large amounts would be sold for varying prices depending on their grade, but would be delivered at a later time.
In 1893, the United States experienced its first major depression in the Panic of 1893. The stock market crashed, which led to a fall in the banking system. The depression caused many businesses to look overseas, and because of this foreign trade was an astounding $1.4 billion by 1900. The depression ...
As in any time period, significant technological advances were made from 1877 to 1933. Since the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in America, new technologies and advancements are being made every day. This Revolution has transformed the economy and in turn transformed every aspect of American life. An important effect of the Industrial Revolution was the Agricultural Revolution, when new advances in farming were made. In the area of farming, the government passed laws and regulations that were significant in the ...
The American culture was built upon farming and agriculture but since the end of the civil war and the abolition of slaves, things have changed dramatically to the American lifestyle. This time brought on the Industrial Revolution which sparked many factories and new ways of transportation across America. There were many acts passed to encourage the agricultural lifestyle still such as the Homestead Act of 1862, the Timber Culture Act of 1873, the Desert Land Act of 1877, and the Timber and Stone Act passed in 1878. As a result of these acts, farm income dropped and new machines and methods or systems to farm such as sharecropping and tenant farming became available and made it much easier to increase crop yields. The people who had the smaller farms, uncultivated land, or limited resources could not compete against the farms who were bigger, better, and more modernized with the new technology. After many people failed on the farms, they were seen heading to t...
Railroads opened new areas as settlement and stimulated the mining and manufacture. At the same time, the telegraph appeared. It brought uniform price of the country. Because of these improvements, many people migrated to west. The market revolution and westward expansion heightened the nation’s sectional divisions. The most dynamic feature of the American economy in the beginning of the nineteenth century was the rise of the Cotton Kingdom. But the increasing demand of cotton lead to larger number of slaves. For white people, westward expansion was a chance to get more freedom, but for black people, it means that they would have less freedom and their families will be broken. In the north, Market Revolution turned it to commercial system. Farmers focus on producing crops and livestocks. In some industries, the factory superseded traditional craft production. Both men and women could earn money by taking jobs from factories. Market Revolution changed the time concept of Americans. In cities, time of work and relax is divided clearly. Early New England textile mills largely relied on female and child labor.
The rapid development of manufacturing and improved farming had great impact on American
Seavoy, Ronald E. "Railroads." An Economic History of the United States: From 1607 to the Present. New York: Routledge, 2006. 188-200. Print.
The development of canal, steam boats and railroads provided a transportation network that linked different regions of the nation together. When farmers began migrating westward and acquiring land for crops, cheaper forms of transportation provided the means to transfer their goods to other regions for s...
With the economic system, the south had a very hard time producing their main source “cotton and tobacco”. “Cotton became commercially significant in the 1790’s after the invention of a new cotton gin by Eli Whitney. (PG 314)” Let alone, if they had a hard time producing goods, the gains would be extremely unprofitable. While in the North, “In 1837, John Deere patented a strong, smooth steel plow that sliced through prairie soil so cleanly that farmers called it the “singing plow.” (PG 281).” Deere’s company became the leading source to saving time and energy for farming as it breaks much more ground to plant more crops. As well as mechanical reapers, which then could harvest twelve acres a day can double the corn and wheat. The North was becoming more advanced by the second. Many moved in the cities where they would work in factories, which contributed to the nation’s economic growth because factory workers actually produced twice as much of labor as agricultural workers. Steam engines would be a source of energy and while coal was cutting prices in half actually created more factories, railroads for transportation, and ships which also gave a rise in agricultural productivity.
With the East and the West being brought together by the railroad, goods were able to go to m...
Farmer’s had difficulties making a living because the rates of being a farmer was high. “Nothing has done more to injure the western region than these freight rates.” (Quoted from Document F) The high rates of being a farmer made it very difficult to make payments on the lands. Some farmers couldn’t even sell their produce for a reasonable profit. They worked long, hard hours and the government wasn’t on their side about paying them a decent income. Along with farm prices failing, railroad prices were increasing. Railroads were important very to farmers because they took farmers out to their lands, carried their produce to markets, and brought them the manufactured goods that they needed. Many farm settlements were made around railroads just because of this reason. Railroad managers were forced to charge very high rates and because of it, farmers would have to pay more money to use railroads.
Railroads made a huge contribution to the growth of the United States, they led to many advances throughout American History. There were numerous matters the railroads effected in American development and the framework of the country. The railroad had positive and negative effects on America as a whole through the growth of the industry, such as; encouraged western expansion, enhanced the economy, recognized railroad monopolies, assisted the Union in Civil War, helped keep the country together, and created a high expense cost for the nation.