Statistics: Trends in American Farming
by Steven Mintz
|
Percentage of Labor Force in Agriculture |
|
|
1860 |
53% |
|
1870 |
52% |
|
1880 |
51% |
|
1890 |
43% |
|
1900 |
40% |
|
1910 |
31% |
|
1920 |
26% |
|
1930 |
21% |
|
Farming Profession |
||
|
|
Number of Farms (in thousands) |
Proportion of Total Population |
|
1940 |
6,350 |
23.1% |
|
1950 |
5,648 |
15.2% |
|
1960 |
3,963 |
8.7% |
|
1970 |
2,949 |
4.7% |
|
1980 |
2,428 |
2.7% |
|
US Population |
|||
|
Year |
Total Population (in millions) |
Rural |
Urban |
|
1870 |
40 |
74% |
26% |
|
1880 |
50 |
72% |
28% |
|
1890 |
63 |
65% |
35% |
|
1900 |
76 |
60% |
40% |
Questions for discussion
- When did the steepest decline take place in the proportion of American workers earning their livelihood in agriculture?
- How did rural growth compare with urban growth?