The history of American agriculture (1776–1990) covers the period from the first English settlers to the modern day. Below are detailed timelines covering farm machinery and technology, transportation, life on the farm, farmers and the land, and crops and livestock.
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Agricultural Advances in the United States, 1775–1889
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1776–1800
During the latter part of the 18th century, farmers relied on oxen and horses to power crude wooden plows. All sowing was accomplished using a hand-held hoe, reaping of hay and grain with a sickle, and threshing with a flail. But in the 1790s, the horse-drawn cradle and scythe were introduced, the first of several inventions.
16th century—Spanish cattle introduced into the Southwest
17th century—Small land grants commonly made to individual settlers; large tracts often granted to well-connected colonists
1619—First African slaves brought to Virginia; by 1700, slaves were displacing southern indentured servants
17th and 18th centuries—All forms of domestic livestock, except turkeys, were imported at some time
17th and 18th centuries—Crops borrowed from Indians included maize, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, gourds, squashes, watermelons, beans, grapes, berries, pecans, black walnuts, peanuts, maple sugar, tobacco, and cotton; white potatoes indigenous to South America
17th and 18th centuries—New U.S. crops from Europe included clover, alfalfa, timothy, small grains, and fruits and vegetables
17th and 18th centuries—African slaves introduced grain and sweet sorghum, melons, okra, and peanuts
18th century—English farmers settled in New England villages; Dutch, German, Swedish, Scotch-Irish, and English farmers settled on isolated Middle Colony farmsteads; English and some French farmers settled on plantations in Tidewater and on isolated Southern Colony farmsteads in Piedmont; Spanish immigrants, mostly lower-middle-class and indentured servants, settled the Southwest and California.
18th century—Tobacco was the chief cash crop of the South
18th century—Ideas of progress, human perfectibility, rationality, and scientific improvement flourished in the New World
18th century—Small family farms predominated, except for plantations in southern coastal areas; housing ranged from crude log cabins to substantial frame, brick, or stone houses; farm families manufactured many necessities
1776—Continental Congress offered land grants for service in the Continental Army
1785, 1787—Ordinances of 1785 and 1787 provided for survey, sale, and government of northwestern lands
1790—Total population: 3,929,214, Farmers made up about 90% of labor force
1790—The U.S. area settled extended westward an average of 255 miles; parts of the frontier crossed the Appalachians
1790-1830—Sparse immigration into the United States, mostly from the British Isles
1793—First Merino sheep imported
1793—Invention of cotton gin
1794—Thomas Jefferson's moldboard of least resistance tested
1794—Lancaster Turnpike opened, first successful toll road
1795–1815—The sheep industry in New England was greatly emphasized
1796—Public Land Act of 1796 authorized Federal land sales to the public in minimum 640-acre plots at $2 per acre of credit
1797—Charles Newbold patented first cast-iron plow
1800–1830
Inventions during the early decades of the 19th century were aimed at automation and preservation.
1800–1830—The era of turnpike building (toll roads) improved communication and commerce between settlements
1800—Total population: 5,308,483
1803—Louisiana Purchase
1805–1815—Cotton began to replace tobacco as the chief southern cash crop
1807—Robert Fulton demonstrated the practicability of steamboats
1810—Total population: 7,239,881
1810–1815—Demand for Merino sheep sweeps the country
1810–1830—Transfer of manufactures from the farm and home to the shop and factory was greatly accelerated
1815–1820—Steamboats became important in western trade
1815–1825—Competition with western farm areas began to force New England farmers out of wheat and meat production and into dairying, trucking, and, later, tobacco production
1815–1830—Cotton became the most important cash crop in the Old South
1819— Jethro Wood patented an iron plow with interchangeable parts
1819—Florida and other land acquired through the treaty with Spain
1819– 1925—U.S. food canning industry established
1820—Total population: 9,638,453
1820—Land Law of 1820 allowed purchasers to buy as little as 80 acres of public land for a minimum price of $1.25 an acre; credit system abolished
1825—Erie Canal finished
1825–1840—Era of canal building
The 1830s
By the 1830s, about 250-300 labor-hours were required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) of wheat using a walking plow, brush harrow, hand broadcast of seed, sickle, and flail.
1830—Peter Cooper's railroad steam engine, the Tom Thumb, ran 13 miles
1830—Total population: 12,866,020
1830—The Mississippi River formed the approximate frontier boundary
The 1830s—Beginning of railroad era
1830–1837—Land speculation boom
1830s–1850s—Improved transportation to the West forced eastern staple growers into more varied production for nearby urban centers
1834—McCormick reaper patented
1834—John Lane began to manufacture plows faced with steel saw blades
1836–1862—Patent Office collected agricultural information and distributed seeds
1837—John Deere and Leonard Andrus began manufacturing steel plows
1837—Practical threshing machine patented
1839—Anti-rent war in New York, a protest against the continued collection of quitrents
The 1840s
The growing use of factory-made agricultural machinery increased the farmers' need for cash and encouraged commercial farming.
1840—Justos Liebig's Organic Chemistry appeared
1840–1850—New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio were the chief wheat States
1840–1860—Hereford, Ayrshire, Galloway, Jersey, and Holstein cattle were imported and bred
1840–1860—Growth in manufacturing brought many laborsaving devices to the farm home
1840–1860—Rural housing improved with use of balloon-frame construction
1840—Total population: 17,069,453; Farm population: 9,012,000 (estimated), Farmers made up 69% of labor force
1840—3,000 miles of railroad track had been constructed
1841—Practical grain drill patented
1841—Preemption Act gave squatters first rights to buy land
1842—First grain elevator, Buffalo, NY
1844—Practical mowing machine patented
1844—Success of the telegraph revolutionized communications
1845—Mail volume increased as postage rated lowered
1845–1853—Texas, Oregon, the Mexican cession, and the Gadsden Purchase were added to the Union
1845–1855—The potato famine in Ireland and the German Revolution of 1848 greatly increased immigration
1845–1857—Plank road movement
1846—First herdbook for Shorthorn cattle
1849—First poultry exhibition in the United States
1847—Irrigation began in Utah
1849—Mixed chemical fertilizers sold commercially
1849—Gold Rush
The 1850s
By 1850, about 75–90 labor-hours were required to produce 100 bushels of corn (2-1/2 acres) with walking plow, harrow, and hand planting.
1850—Total population: 23,191,786; Farm population: 11,680,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 64% of labor force; Number of farms: 1,449,000; Average acres: 203
The 1850s—Commercial corn and wheat belts began to develop; wheat occupied the newer and cheaper land west of the corn areas and was constantly being forced westward by rising land values and the encroachment of the corn areas
The 1850s—Alfalfa is grown on the west coast
The 1850s—Successful farming on the prairies began
1850—With the California gold rush, the frontier bypassed the Great Plains and the Rockies and moved to the Pacific coast
1850–1862—Free land was a vital rural issue
The 1850s—Major railroad trunk lines from eastern cities crossed the Appalachian Mountains
The 1850s—Steam and clipper ships improved overseas transportation
1850–1870—Expanded market demand for agricultural products brought adoption of improved technology and resulting increases in farm production
1854—Self-governing windmill perfected
1854—Graduation Act reduced price of unsold public lands
1856—2-horse straddle-row cultivator patented
1858—Grimm alfalfa introduced
1859–1875—The miners' frontier moved eastward from California toward the westward-moving farmers' and ranchers frontier
The 1860s
The early 1860s witnessed a dramatic change from hand power to horses, which historians characterize as the first American agricultural revolution
1860—Total population: 31,443,321; Farm population: 15,141,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 58% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,044,000; Average acres: 199
The 1860s—Kerosene lamps became popular
The 1860s—The Cotton Belt began to move westward
The 1860s—The Corn Belt began stabilizing in its present area
1860—30,000 miles of railroad track had been laid
1860—Wisconsin and Illinois were the chief wheat states
1862—Homestead Act granted 160 acres to settlers who had worked the land 5 years
1865–1870—The sharecropping system in the South replaced the old slave plantation system
1865–1890—Influx of Scandinavian immigrants
1865–1890—Sod houses common on the prairies
1865-75—Gang plows and sulky plows came into use
1866–1877—Cattle boom accelerated settlement of Great Plains; range wars developed between farmers and ranchers
1866–1986—The days of the cattlemen on the Great Plains
1868—Steam tractors were tried out
1869—Illinois passed first designated "Granger" law regulating railroads
1869—Union Pacific, first transcontinental railroad, completed
1869—Spring-tooth harrow or seedbed preparation appeared
The 1870s
The most important advance of the 1870s was the use of both silos, and the wide use of deep-well drilling, two advances that enabled larger farms and higher production of marketable surpluses.
1870—Total population: 38,558,371; Farm population: 18,373,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 53% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,660,000; Average acres: 153
The 1870s —Refrigerator railroad cars introduced, increasing national markets for fruits and vegetables
The 1870s—Increased specialization in farm production
1870—Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio were the chief wheat states
1870—Foot-and-mouth disease first reported in the United States
1874—Glidden barbed wire patented
1874—Availability of barbed wire allowed fencing of rangeland, ending the era of unrestricted, open-range grazing
1874–1876—Grasshopper plagues serious in the West
1877—U.S. Entomological Commission established for work on grasshopper control
The 1880s
1880—Total population: 50,155,783; Farm population: 22,981,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 49% of labor force; Number of farms: 4,009,000; Average acres: 134
The 1880s—Heavy agricultural settlement on the Great Plains began
The 1880s—The cattle industry moved into the western and southwestern Great Plains
1880—Most humid land already settled
1880—William Deering put 3,000 twine binders on the market
1880—160,506 miles of railroad in operation
1882—Bordeau mixture (fungicide) discovered in France and soon used in the United States
1882—Robert Koch discovered tubercle bacillus
1880–1914—Most immigrants were from southeastern Europe
Mid–1880s—Texas was becoming the chief cotton state
1884-90—Horse-drawn combine used in Pacific coast wheat areas
1886–1887—Blizzards, following drought and overgrazing, disastrous to northern Great Plains cattle industry
1887—Interstate Commerce Act
1887–1897—Drought reduced settlement on the Great Plains
1889—Bureau of Animal Industry discovered carrier of tick fever
The 1890s
By 1890, labor costs continued to decrease, with only 35-40 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (2-1/2 acres) of corn, because of technological advances of the 2-bottom gang plow, disk and peg-tooth harrow, and 2-row planters; and 40-50 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) of wheat with gang plow, seeder, harrow, binder, thresher, wagons, and horses.
1890—Total population: 62,941,714; Farm population: 29,414,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 43% of labor force; Number of farms: 4,565,000; Average acres: 136
The 1890s—Increases in land under cultivation and number of immigrants becoming farmers caused great rise in agricultural output
The 1890s—Agriculture became increasingly mechanized and commercialized
1890—Census showed that the frontier settlement era was over
1890—Minnesota, California, and Illinois were the chief wheat states
1890—Babcock butterfat test devised
1890-95—Cream separators came into wide use
1890-99—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 1,845,900 tons
1890—Most basic potentialities of agricultural machinery that was dependent on horsepower had been discovered
1892—Boll weevil crossed the Rio Grande and began to spread north and east
1892—Eradication of pleuropneumonia
1893–1905—Period of railroad consolidation
1895—George B. Seldon was granted U.S. Patent for automobile
1896—Rural Free Delivery (RFD) started
1899—Improved method of anthrax inoculation
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Agricultural Advances in the United States, 1900-1949
Migrant laborers work in a field in Southern California in 1920.
Kirn Vintage Stock /Getty Images
The 1900s
The first decades of the 20th century saw the efforts of George Washington Carver, director of agricultural research at Tuskegee Institute, whose pioneering work finding new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans helped to diversify southern agriculture.
1900—Total population: 75,994,266; Farm population: 29,414,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 38% of labor force; Number of farms: 5,740,000; Average acres: 147
1900–1909—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 3,738,300
1900–1910—Turkey red wheat was becoming important as commercial crop
1900–1920—Urban influences on rural life intensified
1900–1920—Continued agricultural settlement on the Great Plains
1900–1920—Extensive experimental work was carried out to breed disease-resistant varieties of plants, to improve plant yield and quality, and to increase the productivity of farm animal strains
1908—Model T Ford paved way for mass production of automobiles
1908—President Roosevelt's Country Life Commission was established and focused attention on the problems of farm wives and the difficulty of keeping children on the farm
1908–1917—Period of the country-life movement
1909—The Wright Brothers demonstrated the airplane
The 1910s
1910–1915—Big open-geared gas tractors came into use in areas of extensive farming
1910–1919—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 6,116,700 tons
1910–1920—Grain production reached into the most arid sections of the Great Plains
1910–1925—Period of road building accompanied increased use of automobiles
1910–1925—Period of road building accompanied increased use of automobiles
1910–1935—States and territories required tuberculin testing of all entering cattle
1910—North Dakota, Kansas, and Minnesota were the chief wheat states
1910—Durum wheats were becoming important commercial crops
1911–1917—Immigration of agricultural workers from Mexico
1912—Marquis wheat introduced
1912—Panama and Colombia sheep developed
1915–1920—Enclosed gears developed for tractor
1916—Railroad network peaks at 254,000 miles
1916—Stock-Raising Homestead Act
1916—Rural Post Roads Act began regular Federal subsidies to road building
1917—Kansas red wheat distributed
1917–1920—Federal Government operates railroads during the war emergency
1918–1919 Small prairie-type combine with auxiliary engine introduced
The 1920s
The "Roaring Twenties" affected the agricultural industry, along with the "Good Roads" Movement."
1920—Total population: 105,710,620; Farm population: 31,614,269 (estimated); Farmers made up 27% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,454,000; Average acres: 148
The 1920s—Truckers began to capture trade in perishables and dairy products
The 1920s—Movie houses were becoming common in rural areas
1921—Radio broadcasts began
1921—Federal Government gave more aid for farm-to-market roads
1925—Hoch-Smith Resolution required the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to consider agricultural conditions in making railroad rates
1920–1929—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 6,845,800 tons
1920–1940—Gradual increase in farm production resulted from the expanded use of mechanized power
1924—Immigration Act greatly reduced the number of new immigrants
1926—Cotton-stripper developed for High Plains
1926—Successful light tractor developed
1926—Ceres wheat distributed
1926—First hybrid-seed corn company organized
1926—Targhee sheep developed
The 1930s
While the damage of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl lasted for a generation, the farm economy rebounded with advances in better irrigation methods and conservation tillage.
1930—Total population: 122,775,046; Farm population: 30,455,350 (estimated); Farmers made up 21% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,295,000; Average acres: 157; Irrigated acres: 14,633,252
1930–1935—Use of hybrid-seed corn became common in the Corn Belt
1930–1939—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 6,599,913 tons
1930—58% of all farms had cars, 34% had telephones, 13% had electricity
The 1930s—All-purpose, rubber-tired tractor with complementary machinery came into wide use
The 1930s—Farm-to-market roads emphasized in Federal roadbuilding
1930—One farmer supplied 9.8 persons in the United States and abroad
1930—15–20 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (2-1/2 acres) of corn with 2-bottom gang plow, 7-foot tandem disk, 4-section harrow, and 2-row planters, cultivators, and pickers
1930—15–20 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) of wheat with 3-bottom gang plow, tractor, 10-foot tandem disk, harrow, 12-foot combine, and trucks
1932–1936—Drought and dust-bowl conditions developed
1934—Executive orders withdrew public lands from settlement, location, sale, or entry
1934—Taylor Grazing Act
1934—Thatcher wheat distributed
1934—Landrace hogs imported from Denmark
1935—Motor Carrier Act brought trucking under ICC regulation
1936—Rural Electrification Act (REA) greatly improved the quality of rural life
1938—Cooperative organized for artificial insemination of dairy cattle
The 1940s
1940—Total population: 131,820,000; Farm population: 30,840,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 18% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,102,000; Average acres: 175; Irrigated acres: 17,942,968
The 1940s—Many former southern sharecroppers migrated to war-related jobs in cities
1940–1949—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 13,590,466 tons
1940s and 1950s—Acreages of crops, such as oats, required for horse and mule feed dropped sharply as farms used more tractors
1940—One farmer supplied 10.7 persons in the United States and abroad
1940—58% of all farms had cars, 25% had telephones, 33% had electricity
1941–1945— Frozen foods popularized
1942—Spindle cotton-picker produced commercially
1942—Office of Defense Transportation established to coordinate wartime transport needs
1945–1955—Increased use of herbicides and pesticides
1945–1970—Change from horses to tractors and the adoption of a group of technological practices characterized the second American agriculture agricultural revolution
1945—10–14 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (2 acres) of corn with a tractor, 3-bottom plow, 10-foot tandem disk, 4-section harrow, 4-row planters and cultivators, and 2-row picker
1945—42 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (2/5 acre) of lint cotton with 2 mules, 1-row plow, 1-row cultivator, hand how, and hand pick
1947—United States began formal cooperation with Mexico to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease
03
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Agricultural Advances in the United States, 1950-1990
A combine harvester, tractor, and a pickup truck in a wheat field during harvest in Oakley, Kansas around 1956.
Michael Ochs Archives /Getty Images
The 1950s
The late 1950s–1960s began the chemical revolution in agricultural science, with the increasing use of anhydrous ammonia as a cheap source of nitrogen spurring higher yields.
1950—Total population: 151,132,000; Farm population: 25,058,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 12.2% of labor force; Number of farms: 5,388,000; Average acres: 216; Irrigated acres: 25,634,869
1950–1959—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 22,340,666 tons
1950—One farmer supplied 15.5 persons in the United States and abroad
The 1950s —Television widely accepted
The 1950s—Many rural areas lost population as many farm family members sought outside work
The 1950s—Trucks and barges competed successfully for agricultural products as railroad rates rose
1954—Number of tractors on farms exceeded the number of horses and mules for first times
1954—70.9% of all farms had cars, 49% had telephones, 93% had electricity
1954—Social Security coverage extended to farm operators
1955—6–12 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (4 acres) of wheat with a tractor, 10-foot plow, 12-foot role weeder, harrow, 14-foot drill, and self-propelled combine, and trucks
1956—Legislation passed providing for Great Plains Conservation Program
1956—Interstate Highway Act
The 1960s
1960—Total population: 180,007,000; Farm population: 15,635,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 8.3% of labor force; Number of farms: 3,711,000; Average acres: 303; Irrigated acres: 33,829,000
The 1960s—State legislation increased to keep land in farming
The 1960s—Soybean acreage expanded as farmers used soybeans as an alternative to other crops
1960–69—Average annual consumption of commercial fertilizer: 32,373,713 tons
1960—One farmer supplied 25.8 persons in the United States and abroad
1960—96% of corn acreage planted with hybrid seed
The 1960s—The financial condition of northeastern railroads deteriorated; rail abandonments accelerated
The 1960s—Agricultural shipments by all-cargo planes increased, especially shipments of strawberries and cut flowers
1961—Gaines wheat distributed
1962—REA authorized to finance educational TV in rural areas
1964—Wilderness Act
1965—Farmers made up 6.4% of the labor force
1965—5 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (1/5 acre) of lint cotton with a tractor, 2-row stalk cutter, 14-foot disk, 4-row bedder, planter, and cultivator, and 2-row harvester
1965—5 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (3 1/3 acres) of wheat with a tractor, 12-foot plow, 14-foot drill, 14-foot self-propelled combine, and trucks
1965—99% of sugar beets harvested mechanically
1965—Federal loans and grants for water/sewer systems began
1966—Fortuna wheat distributed
1968—96% of cotton harvested mechanically
1968—83% of all farms had phones, 98.4% had electricity
1970s
By the 1970s, no-tillage agriculture was popularized, increased in usage throughout the period.
1970—Total population: 204,335,000; Farm population: 9,712,000 (estimated); Farmers made up 4.6% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,780,000; Average acres: 390
1970—One farmer supplied 75.8 persons in the United States and abroad
1970—Plant Variety Protection Act
1970—Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Norman Borlaug for developing high-yielding wheat varieties
The 1970s—Rural areas experienced prosperity and in-migration
1972–74—Russian grain sale caused massive tie-ups in the rail system
1975—90% of all farms had phones, 98.6% had electricity
1975—Lancota wheat introduced
1975—2-3 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (1/5 acre) of lint cotton with a tractor, 2-row stalk cutter, 20-foot disk, 4 -row bedder and planter, 4-row cultivator with herbicide applicator, and 2-row harvester
1975—3-3/4 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (3 acres) of wheat with a tractor, 30-foot sweep disk, 27-foot drill, 22-foot self-propelled combine, and trucks
1975—3-1/3 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (1-1/8 acres) of corn with a tractor, 5-bottom plow, 20-foot tandem disk, planter, 20-foot herbicide applicator, 12-foot self-propelled combine, and trucks
1978—Hog cholera officially declared eradicated
1979—Purcell winter wheat introduced
The 1980s
By the end of the 1880s, farmers were using low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) techniques to decrease chemical applications.
1980—Total population: 227,020,000; Farm population: 6,051,00; Farmers made up 3.4% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,439,510; Average acres: 426; Irrigated acres: 50,350,000 (1978)
The 1980s—More farmers used no-till or low-till methods to curb erosion
The 1980s—Biotechnology became a viable technique for improving crop and livestock products
1980—Railroad and trucking industries were deregulated
The 1980s—For the first time since the 19th century, foreigners (Europeans and Japanese primarily) began to purchase significant acreages of farmland and ranchland
Mid-1980s—Hard times and indebtedness affected many farmers in the Midwest
1883–1884—Avian influenza of poultry eradicated before it spread beyond a few Pennsylvania counties
1986—The Southeast's worst summer drought on record took a severe toll on many farmers
1986—Antismoking campaigns and legislation began to affect the tobacco industry
1987—Farmland values bottomed out after a 6-year decline, signaling both a turnaround in the farm economy and increased competition with other countries' exports
1987—1-1/2 to 2 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (1/5 acre) of lint cotton with a tractor, 4-row stalk cutter, 20-foot disk, 6-row bedder and planter, 6-row cultivator with herbicide applicator, and 4-row harvester
1987—3 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (3 acres) of wheat with a tractor, 35-foot sweep disk, 30-foot drill, 25-foot self-propelled combine, and trucks
1987—2-3/4 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (1-1/8 acres) of corn with a tractor, 5-bottom plow, 25-foot tandem disk, planter, 25-foot herbicide applicator, 15-foot self-propelled combine, and trucks
1988—Scientists warned that the possibility of global warming may affect the future viability of American farming
1988—One of the worst droughts in the Nation's history hit midwestern farmers
1989—After several slow years, the sale of farm equipment rebounded
1989—More farmers began to use low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) techniques to decrease chemical applications
1990—Total population: 246,081,000; Farm population: 4,591,000; Farmers made up 2.6% of labor force; Number of farms: 2,143,150; Average acres: 461; Irrigated acres: 46,386,000 (1987)
