One of the most dramatic events which has taken place in
American life is the rapid decline of agriculture. This Nation began its
existence as an agrarian society in which farm or rural people dominated its
life and determined its national policies. It is true that small tradesmen,
large merchants, and professional groups exerted considerable influence on
national affairs, but, by and large, the country was farm minded.
This condition lasted for more than 100 years after the
United States became a “free and independent Nation.” During these 100 years
the Nation was engaged in the creation, through purchase, exploration and
conquest, of a vast and magnificent public domain, the like of which has never
before existed. This public domain had mostly disappeared by 1890. It had been
transferred to private individuals and there was established a nation of small
land-owning farmers. From about the turn of the Twentieth Century the relative
importance of agriculture began to decline rapidly and urban forces began to
gain the ascendancy.
The Battle for
Population
The ascendance of urban forces is nowhere more clearly shown
than in the shifts of population. “Up to 1820,” says one authority, “more than
90 percent of the working population was engaged in agriculture.” This
percentage has declined steadily. In 1900, about 42 percent of the gainfully
employed were engaged in farm production. Forty years later, only 21 percent of
our gainfully employed persons were working in agriculture. Thus in a period of
120 years (1820 to 1940) that part of our gainfully employed people used in
agriculture declined 77 percent. Since 1940 a further decline has occurred.
Today (1944) probably no more than 18 percent of our gainfully employed are
engaged in agricultural pursuits.
From the beginning of the Colonial period to about the
beginning of the Twentieth Century the output of our farms exceeded that of
urban industries. From this period on agricultural output, although increasing,
declined relative to the output of urban industries. For example, from 1899 to
1919, the production of urban industries increased 95.3 percent, whereas the
output of our farms increased only 37 percent. From 1919 to 1943 the disparity
between industrial and agricultural output has become even more pronounced.
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