From Founding Leaders to Scientific Agriculture America’s early leaders were not only influential figures in the formation of the new nation—they were also accomplished farmers. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson …
George Grant and the Early Rise of Angus Cattle in America
American Agriculture History Minute In 1873, Scottish Angus cattle made an important early appearance in the United States when George Grant brought four Angus bulls from Scotland to Victoria, Kansas. …
British Agricultural Revolution Helped Shape Modern Farming
The Beginning of Modern Farming What we consider modern farming in the United States can trace many of its practices and innovations back to the agricultural changes that took place …
USDA: From Lincoln’s “People’s Department” to a Modern Agriculture Agency
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 …
Native American Agriculture Predates European Colonization
The Agricultural Roots of Early America Long before European colonists arrived in North America, Indigenous peoples were developing sophisticated ways to obtain food from the land. While agricultural practices varied …
USDA and the Birth of America’s Land-Grant Universities
The Agricultural Roots of American Higher Education The history of American agriculture is closely connected to the development of higher education, and two major milestones came in 1862: the establishment …
Land-Grant Universities Transform American Agriculture
The Morrill Act of 1862 Creates a New Educational Model The history of American agriculture is closely connected to the development of the nation’s land-grant universities. In 1862, the First …
Shorthorn Cattle Helped Build Early American Agriculture
Shorthorn Cattle: The Versatile Breed That Supported America’s Westward Expansion As pioneers pushed westward and established farms across the expanding United States, one breed of cattle became an essential part …
Why Chickens Were the Backbone of Early American Farms
Chickens Were the First Livestock of the American Frontier When many people think about American agriculture in the 1800s, they often picture vast cattle ranches or large hog operations. However, …
From Log Cabins to Lasting Homesteads: How Midwest Farmhouses Evolved in the 1840s
The Humble Beginnings of Midwest Farm Life As settlers pushed westward during the 1840s, the American Midwest became a center of agricultural expansion. Most pioneer families established farms of approximately …
Mid-1840s Iowa Farms: How Corn Created the Tall Corn State
What Iowa Farms Looked Like in the Mid-1840s American agriculture has undergone remarkable changes over the past two centuries, but the foundations of modern farming can be traced back to …
The Hawkeye Riding Cultivator Helped Spark America’s First Agricultural Revolution
America’s First Agricultural Revolution Changed Farming Forever Between 1862 and 1875, the United States experienced what historians often describe as the first American Agricultural Revolution. This transformative period marked a …
John Froelich’s Tractor Changed Farming Forever
The Birth of the Gasoline-Powered Tractor Modern agriculture depends on powerful, efficient machinery, but that revolution began with one inventor’s breakthrough in the late 19th century. In 1892, John Froelich, …
How Immigrant Traditions Shaped Early American Agriculture
Early American agriculture was influenced by more than just fertile land and hard work. The farming traditions and cultural practices brought by immigrants from Europe played a major role in …