The Agricultural Revolution in the 20th Century
Development of Agricultural Tools and Machines
The development of machines began in the 1890's when the first steam tractor and combine were made in California (Meij 3). There was a need to make more efficient use of the labor; therefore, machines were developed ("Agripedia" 2). By 1914, the combine started to spread outside of California to the rest of the United States (Meij 4). Then in 1928 it spread to Great Britain and then to the Netherlands after World War II (Meij 4). The development of these machines was affected by long run price variation (Meij 4). When prices of grains were high, there were demands for ploughs, seed drills, cultivators, reapers, winnowing machines and others (Meij 5). After 1912, there was a shift from steam to gasoline power, resulting in tractors forcing out the steam engines (Meij 6). These tractors were so heavy that they damaged the soil (Meij 6). This shift from horses to tractors was to eliminate human labor, increase productivity, and influence the development of a wider range of machines to be used with the tractor ("Agripedia" 4). In addition, the tractor allowed new machinery to be used on smaller farms, smaller parcels, and cut down the labor hours (Meij 15). Furthermore, the tractor started a new period in mechanization (Meij 30). Overall, mechanization saved labor, increased food production, and eliminated famines (Meij 31).
Circumstances for Mechanization in Europe
The two reasons Europe needed mechanization were to increase production and to decrease the labor condition (Meij 37). The mechanization started the substitution of horses with tractors because horses caused destructive effects on tilth and soil structure (Meij 40). The usage of tractors in Europe did not start until after World War II when there was a shortage of manpower and a need for larger production in agriculture (Meij 40). The main attributes of this mechanization were land and labor saving (Meij 43). The land saving came from the land set free by the tractor for the production of cash crops or other saleable products (Meij 43). Also, the machines helped increase the productivity of each labor and thus less labor workers were needed (Meij 43). The land owners saved money by not having to pay as many labor workers (Meij 43).
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.
After the civil war, America found itself with a high production rate, resulting in overproduction and falling of prices, as well as an increase on economic stress and the beginning of panic and prosperity cycles. The wars demand for products had called for a more efficient production system; therefore new machinery had come into place. New tools, such as the reaper, shown in document D, the wheat harvest of 1880, were introduced and facilitated production for farmers, making overproduction more probable. Variation on prices than begun to occur as shown in document A, Agriculture prices in 1865-1900, where a greater amount of goods became available for a more convenient price. This had farmers in distress, for they were losing more money than they were making.
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 ...
New technology took off right away! Steamboats were invented in the early 1800's, but it took until the 1820's to make them a common site on U.S. rivers. In the 1840's their popularity kept rising as they continued to increase the amount of trade possible. The reaper, for farming, was also developed in 1831. This allowed more farming in the west on the prairies.
The end of the 19th century brought to farmers astringent policies enforced by railroad companies, once stable cash crops like cotton and wheat now selling at such low profit margins due to inflation that farmers continued to end up in the red, spikes in foreign competition due to leaps and bounds in transportation, and all of this in the wake of a devastating drought that brought with it the degradation of businesses throughout the west. This agricultural depression culminated into the Populist movement, founded on the premise of the politicalization of the farmers plight. However, much of the negative stigma put onto the precipitants of the industrial revolution by farmers was under false pretense, when the dry and arid conditions of the west, as well as the social isolation from the increase of farm size was to blame.
The 1920’s were the singularly most influential years of farming in our country. The loss of farms following the war, and new agricultural practices resulted in the dawn of modern agriculture in our country. The shift from small family to big corporation during this time is now the basis for how our society deals with food today. Traditional farming in the 1920’s underwent a series of massive transitions following WWI as the number of farms decreased and the size of farms increased.
Wrought iron was a very popular material during the Industrial Revolution, but by the Second Industrial Revolution, steel had taken its place. Iron was then improved to be malleable and has been steel’s runner up ever since. Rubber and plastic were also created in this time frame, as scientists began to research macromolecular chemicals and synthetic materials. Electricity was still being explored during these years, as minor improvements were made increasing the quality and reliability while reducing the cost. One of the most important inventions to come out of the Second Industrial Revolution was the airplane. In 1903 the Wright brothers used their knowledge of mechanics and aerodynamics to create the first airplane, by 1914 the end of the Revolution the autopilot system was developed, and just thirty years after the Wright brother’s first flight, the first commercial airline business was created. Revolutionizing the system of production in agriculture had a slow start, because most of the work in agriculture was performed by human hands, such as tending to the crops or weeding. Once internal combustion engines were created they were applied to this problem. Right before WWI, tractors and combines began surfacing in the agriculture industry, changing it forever.
Along with the hopes of creating successful lives they additionally brought a revolution to agricultural systems. Many inventions and innovations were created in the United States during the 1800’s because of the influx of immigrant farmers. Immigrants contributed new ideas for businesses, farming, and transportation. Because agriculture was the main industry in Minnesota at this time, immigrant farmers needed a way to transfer their products easily and fast. With the high demand from immigrant farmers for innovations, solutions were finally produced by the mid-1800’s. Roads in between towns were officially marked, railroads were laid from small towns and farms to major cities, and rivers were dug up to make room for steamboats. These innovations were all devised for the benefits of farmers to move their goods and for people, such as immigrants, to be able to easily access any place in the United States. With these inventions it made it easier for new businesses and towns to emerge. New farming inventions such as the mechanical reaper and walk behind steel plows were also invented during this time. Finally, in 1862 to 1875, the first agricultural revolution occurred as farmers switched from hand power to horses. From then on everything was horse-drawn. Innovations in the agricultural industry were due to the high demand from the large numbers of immigrant farmers, without these innovations, the agricultural business in Minnesota would not have progressed as rapidly as it
New technologies not only allowed farming to become more efficient, but made the process of shipping crops west much easier. The most important innovation in farming itself was the horse-drawn combine, which required many horses to operate, but allowed wheat, a popular crop to grow in the west, to be harvested en masse. (Document D) However, railroads were also incredibly important for farmers, as they allowed Wheat, cotton, and corn to be transported across the country
Another major breakthrough in farming history is the invention of the tractor. Steam-powered tractors were being tried out as early as 1868 (Historical Timeline). However, they didn’t really take off until several years later. These tractors were monsters, usually weighing in at around 20,000 pounds or more. Some of these tractors had very high power outputs for their time. One example of this is the Case 150 horsepower steam traction engine that w...
Farmers everywhere in the United States during the late nineteenth century had valid reasons to complaint against the economy because the farmers were constantly being taken advantage of by the railroad companies and banks. All farmers faced similar problems and for one thing, farmers were starting to become a minority within the American society. In the late nineteenth century, industrialization was in the spotlight creating big businesses and capitals. The success of industrialization put agriculture and farmers on the down low, allowing the corporations to overtake the farmers. Since the government itself; such as the Republican Party was also pro-business during this time, they could have cared less about the farmers.
Agriculture was the prevailing economic activity in England and Europe through the early modern era. The agricultural revolution laid a fundamental base for the industrial revolution. If agricultural productivity in England grew between the middle ages and the nineteenth century, then most of it occurred before the mid-eighteenth century. It all started with the “Bing-Bang”, the Black Death of 1348. Followed by new crops and techniques, increases in output and land improvement but also urban growth, agriculture became much more productive. Institutions such as enclosures and large farms are said to have increased productivity by encouraging farmers to adopt those new crops and techniques. However, there is little direct evidence for the actual impact of changes in land tenure on agricultural productivity. Indeed, the consequences of the enclosure movement on agricultural productivity has been a deeply debated topic in English economic history.
Another major factor in which WWII affected the agricultural production in the U.S was the fact that because of the war produce needed better means of transportation in order to arrive at specific locations faster. One of the first events one notices that changes during the war period is the number of road systems. With less paved roads for vehicles to travel on transporting goods was much more difficult. This was a factor in need of dire change. Because of this the amount of roadways increased nearly 20%. Road ways was not the only means of transportation that was bettered railroads were also becoming more advanced.
The Industrial Revolution involved many different areas of the world including Great Britain in Western Europe, the Yangzi Delta in China, and Japan (Bentley and Ziegler 652). Before the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing was done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines (A&E Television Network). Technological development had a huge contribution to the development of producing goods by machines rather than by hand and sources of energy such as coal and petroleum (Bentley and Ziegler). Without this technological development, the increase of productivity would not have occurred. Much advancement leads to power machinery, factories, and mass production. With the increase of products being produced faster, a better system of transportation was improving (A&E Television Network).
For ages the British economy was ruled by agriculture. The farming systems throughout the eighteenth century produced a revolution to occur agriculturally that allowed the enlarged population to persist off increased crop quantities. Britain’s land in the beginning of the nineteenth-century was economically substantial. Regarding that much of the land owned on the countryside was by the aristocracy and elite, however their occupants worked as the farmers. Output was increased and agricultural wealth as well when the introduction of new fertilizers, techniques, and tools occurred. In addition there was also the establishment of geographical specialization, with Britain’s being grains. On the industrial level, the start of the textile industry was very beneficial to the British economics. The Industrial Revolution was spiked as transportation inventions started to heighten. James Watt is a responsible for a finalizing a key invention in the 1790s known as the steam engine. Watt was who made it a possibility to use steam to power transporters on land and water practically. Railroad engines are considerably the most revolutionary operation of steam power, and after 1820 powered the industry of Britain. In 1830 the long distance railroad was completed from Liverpool to Mancheste...