Ap Dbq 2007
American agriculture greatly changed during 1865 to 1900 through technological advances and railroads spreading across the nation, both modernizing agriculture. New technological advances made farming easier with new inventions such as barbed wire and reapers. However, new technology advancements became too expensive for average American farmers to afford. Economic conditions became intolerable for farmers as railroad companies charged high shipping rates. In the government, policies were made that favored big corporations, such as railroad companies over the small farmers that made agriculture suffer in the end. Technology, government policies, and economic conditions, effectively declined agriculture due to overproduction and deflation, poor representation of farmers in the government, and high costs forced upon farmers.
During this time, technology was booming in America. New inventions and machinery that made life simpler for many farmers had come about. Availability of new technology, led to farmers investing in heavy machinery that resulted in mass production of crops, like shown in Document D. Other technological advancements included were the introduction of railroads. Railroads were spreading across the continent, giving farmers new opportunities to sell their products to other markets in the East. Soon refrigerated railroad carts came, that made transporting fresh fruits and vegetables to the East possible. Document B shows how the number of railroads increased during the time period 1870-1890. As railroads expanded, so did cattle ranching. In Document F it states, “An establishment in Chicago which combines the operations of ‘shipping’ and of ‘canning’ beef has a slaughtering capacity of 400,000 head annually. When we add to this the requirements of other similar although smaller concerns, and the large number shipped eastward on the hoof, we have a grand total of not far from 2,500,000 head marketed in the city of Chicago alone,” explains how the
During this time, technology was booming in America. New inventions and machinery that made life simpler for many farmers had come about. Availability of new technology, led to farmers investing in heavy machinery that resulted in mass production of crops, like shown in Document D. Other technological advancements included were the introduction of railroads. Railroads were spreading across the continent, giving farmers new opportunities to sell their products to other markets in the East. Soon refrigerated railroad carts came, that made transporting fresh fruits and vegetables to the East possible. Document B shows how the number of railroads increased during the time period 1870-1890. As railroads expanded, so did cattle ranching. In Document F it states, “An establishment in Chicago which combines the operations of ‘shipping’ and of ‘canning’ beef has a slaughtering capacity of 400,000 head annually. When we add to this the requirements of other similar although smaller concerns, and the large number shipped eastward on the hoof, we have a grand total of not far from 2,500,000 head marketed in the city of Chicago alone,” explains how the