160 acres were given to any settler who lived on the land for at least 5 years and improved it.
Nearly half of all homesteaders failed to improve the land and lost their claims.
Homesteaders had their greatest success in the central and upper Midwest where the soil was rich and the weather was relatively moderate.
This act sparked the largest migration in U.S. history but only 10 percent of all farmers got their start under its terms (most farmers bought their land outright).
Railroads and speculators were able to cash in by selling land to farmers.
Farmers were willing to pay hefty prices.
Populating the Plains
Railroads held great power in developing and settling the West.
Railroads delivered crops and cattle to eastern markets and brought back goods.
Railroads put communities “on the map.”
Railroads in the West preceded settlement.
Professional promoters were sent to Europe and throughout the United States to recruit settlers.
Towns along the railroad lines flourished.
Immigrants formed tight-knit communities.
Many groups retained their native languages and customs.
Work, Dawn to Dusk
Farm families survived and prospered through hard work.
Men’s work tended to be seasonal.
Women’s activities were usually more routine.
Children worked running errands and completing chores by about age nine.
Community was an important part of life.
People depended on neighbors for help in times of need and for a break from the hard work and harsh climate.
The barter system developed due to lack of cash.
Part Seven:
The World’s Breadbasket
New Production Technologies
Preparing western lands for cultivation was a difficult process because of the tough sod.
New technologies greatly increased the amount of land that could be farmed.
Through federal aid, land-grant colleges, and other sources of scientific research, farmers developed new techniques for cultivation.
Producing for the Market
Farmers always had to cope with natural forces that were not always cooperative.
Most farmers produced primarily for the cash market and adapted their crops.
Pioneers to new areas frequently achieved considerable success; latecomers often found that the choice land was gone.
Startup costs for a farm could keep a family in debt for decades.
The large capitalized farmer had the advantage over the small one.
California Agribusiness
California led the way toward large-scale commercial farming that defined agribusiness.
By the turn of the century California had become the showcase for heavily capitalized farm factories employing large numbers of tenant and migrant workers.
Fruit and vegetable growers manipulated consumer tastes to create new markets for their products.
