Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “early American farmers”
America Pushes West: Farming Beyond the Appalachians Following the end of the American Revolutionary War, a major shift began to reshape the young United States. One of the earliest barriers to westward expansion had been the Proclamation Line of 1763, established by the British government after the French and Indian War. The proclamation attempted to prevent colonial settlers from moving …
A Myth of Responsible Farming Many Americans like to believe that early farmers and ranchers were responsible caretakers of the soil—working the land with the same respect and sustainability that define modern agriculture. Today’s producers take pride in soil conservation practices, using science-based management to maintain soil fertility for generations to come. But historical evidence tells a different story. The …
America’s Agricultural Roots In the early 1800s, American agriculture was the backbone of the national economy. As Mark Oppold explains in An American Agriculture History Minute, most citizens relied on farming not only for income but also for food security. Families grew crops and raised animals primarily to sustain themselves, with only a small portion sold at nearby local markets. …
