History Resources

Statistics: The Changing Lives of American Farmers

Agricultural Productivity

1800

1900

Wheat

Worker-hours to produce an acre

56

15

Yield per acre

15

14

Corn

Worker-hours per acre

86

38

Yield per acre

25

26

Cotton

Worker-hours per acre

185

112

Yield per acre

147

191

 

Questions for Discussion

<ol>
<li>
<p><span style="line-height: 20px; ">How great was the increase in agricultural productivity between 1800 and 1900?</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="line-height: 20px; ">Why did agricultural productivity increase between 1800 and 1900?</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="line-height: 20px; ">Describe the social and economic consequences of increasing agricultural productivity?</span></p>
</li>
</ol>