Industrialization and Farmers in the 19th Century

Industrialization and the Role of Farmers in the Early 19th Century

Examination of the role of farmers in the industrialization process in the early 19th century, particularly in the Northern United States.
Transition from a predominantly agricultural society to one increasingly integrated with market economies.
Use of a biography of a farmer, Levi Dickinson from Western Massachusetts, to illustrate the broader trends in farming and industrialization.

From Self-Sufficiency to Market Farming:
- At the beginning of the century, 84% of Americans worked in agriculture.
- Transition of farmers from subsistence agriculture (producing enough for themselves and neighbors) to market farming (producing cash crops).
Types of Cash Crops:
- Major cash crops in the early 19th century include:
- Wheat: Dominant crop in the North.
- Tobacco: Important in the Mid-Atlantic region despite low pricing.
- Cotton: Increasing in significance, especially in southern states.
- Corn: Used primarily for local consumption and animal feed.
- Sugar: Grown particularly in the Gulf region.
- Other Minor Crops: Barley, hops, and various grains.
Impact of Industrialization on Farming:
- Introduction of the steel plow by John Deere as an example of technological advancement.
- Farmers began specializing in cash crops due to increased demand from both Europe and America.

Shift to Market Economy:
- Farmers became dependent on international markets as grain exports doubled between 1820 and 1840.
- Increased exposure to fluctuations in foreign markets and weather patterns affecting crop prices.
Examples of Dependency:
- Impact of European wars and agricultural production on American wheat prices (e.g., Napoleonic Wars, post-1815 production spikes).

Involvement as Consumers of Manufactured Goods:
- Farmers began purchasing manufactured goods instead of producing everything at home, influenced by mass production.
- Examples of goods purchased:
- Clothing: Shift from home-made to commercially produced cloth and apparel.
- Soap: Shift from homemade soap, requiring complex processes, to commercially available options.
- Household items: Plates, utensils, clocks (e.g., Terry clocks) became more accessible to average farmers.
Consumerism and Personal Status:
- The purchase of manufactured goods became a status symbol among farmers, analogous to modern consumer trends.
- Integration into broader consumerism marked a significant cultural shift, driven by decreasing prices from mass production.

Mechanized Farming:
- Farming in the North transitioned towards mechanization, unlike Southern agriculture which remained more traditional.
- Introduction of machines (e.g., reapers like the McCormick Reaper) greatly reduced labor needs:
- Shift from five laborers to two to harvest crops.
- Impacts on labor markets: Former farmhands migrated to factories producing farming machinery.

Transportation Revolution:
- Improvements in infrastructure (canals, railroads) connected rural farmers to larger markets.
- Shift from isolation to integration into national economies, allowing farmers to sell their produce more widely.
- Cultivation was influenced by where transportation routes existed; farmers expanded cultivation according to market access.

Farming as Entrepreneurship:
- Farming families adopted entrepreneurial attitudes, with an emphasis on diversifying income sources.
- Example: Levi Dickinson’s foray into broom making as a profitable side business.
Levi Dickinson's Biography:
- Farmed approximately half an acre dedicated to broom corn, criticized for adopting a 'low-status' worker activity (historically associated with Native American women).
- Initially dismissed, his broom production became successful and established Hadley, Massachusetts, as a major broom production area.
Economics of Broom Production:
- Simple materials (broom corn, wood for handles, string) needed to produce brooms, requiring little capital.
- Seasonal work allowed him to engage in broom production during less busy months (winter).
- Profitability increased, potentially allowing him to shift most of his farming focus to broom corn.
- By the 1810s, broom production soared to 70,000 brooms annually, and by 1831, over a million brooms were produced by surrounding farmers.

Economic Shifts:
- Hadley transitioned from a farming village to a burgeoning town with a significant industrial presence.
- Mass production enabled farmers to not just serve local communities but extend sales across larger regions, including international markets.
Concerns and Critiques:
- Not all rural residents viewed the shift positively; some expressed concerns that too many young people were engrossed in producing non-essential goods, shifting focus from essential crops.
- Questions raised regarding whether participation in a more extensive market would ultimately lead to economic vulnerability for farming families.

The early 19th century marked a pivotal transformation for farmers in the Northern United States, who adapted to and played active roles within an industrializing economy. This involved embracing market farming, mechanization, consumerism, and entrepreneurial opportunities while wrestling with the complexities and drawbacks of a newfound economic dependence on wider markets.