The Birth of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The history of American agriculture is closely connected to the history of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which was established in 1862 during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. At the time, agriculture was central to the nation’s economy, and millions of Americans were directly involved in farming.
President Lincoln referred to USDA as the “People’s Department,” reflecting the important role agriculture played in the lives and livelihoods of Americans. The phrase also recognized that the department was intended to serve a broad population whose work and economic well-being were closely tied to the nation’s farms and food system.
That connection between USDA and the American people becomes especially interesting when comparing the size of the nation’s farm workforce with the growth of the department itself.
Agriculture and USDA at the Turn of the 20th Century
By 1900, approximately 11 million Americans either owned or worked on farms. Agriculture remained one of the dominant occupations in the country, with farm families and agricultural workers representing a substantial portion of the American population.
At the same time, USDA had approximately 2,900 employees. The relatively small federal workforce was serving an agricultural community that numbered in the millions.
The contrast illustrates just how different American agriculture looked more than a century ago. Farming was widespread across the country, and agricultural knowledge, production and rural communities were fundamental parts of American life.
A Century of Dramatic Change
The numbers looked dramatically different 100 years later.
By 2000, the number of Americans employed on farms had fallen to approximately 3 million, while USDA employment had grown to about 105,000 employees.
The comparison demonstrates the enormous transformation that occurred in American agriculture during the 20th century. Mechanization, technological advances, improved production practices, consolidation and changes in the American workforce dramatically reduced the number of people directly employed on farms.
At the same time, USDA’s responsibilities expanded considerably. The department became involved in a much broader range of agricultural and rural programs, including research, conservation, food and nutrition programs, agricultural markets, rural development and other services affecting farmers, consumers and rural communities.
Lincoln’s “People’s Department” Legacy
The changes in these numbers provide an interesting perspective on Lincoln’s description of USDA as the “People’s Department.”
In 1900, millions of Americans were directly connected to farming through ownership or employment. A century later, far fewer Americans worked directly on farms, but USDA had grown into a much larger federal organization serving an increasingly complex agricultural and food system.
While the size and structure of American agriculture have changed dramatically, the fundamental connection between agriculture and the American people remains.
From its establishment in 1862 to the modern era, USDA has remained an important institution in the nation’s agricultural history.
That is today’s American Agriculture History Minute, with Mark Oppold.