The story of people who are moving and settling in order to find a suitable place for living in the Great Plains has always been a central experience in American agricultural history. As Jackson Turner points out in his famous essay:
“Up to our own day American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West. The existence of an area of free land, is continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development… American social development has been continually beginning over again on the frontier. This perennial rebirth, this fluidity of American life, this expansion westward with its new opportunities, its continuous touch with the simplicity of primitive society, furnish the forces dominating Amrican character. The true point of view i n the history of this nation in not the Atlantic coast, it is the Great West.” From the nation’s earliest days, farming has had a very important place in the U.S. economy. Throughout frontier literature the virtues of the farmers, their initiative, hard work and selfsufficiency, were praised as being unequalled in American history. But this heroic picture forgets that there farmers have always been dependent upon some uncontrollable facts as the weather, prices or government policy.
American farmers are known to produce large yields per hectar, what has to be charged to the abundance of natural benefits. “Some of the richest farmland in the world can be found in the American West.” Between the close of the Civil War and 1900, the United States developed as one of the world’s leading economic powers. Revolutionary methods of production, vast new markets, and new forms of corporate organizaiton were created by successful indurstrialists. A rapidy expanding railsroad system as well as innovations in farm machinery led to a ubiquitous growth of agricultural poductivity.
To sum it up, farmers embody the real hero of the New World, as they were bringing civilization in their wagons into that unknown land. Though there were many obstacles hindering their moveme nt, the farmers learned to adapt to the special demands of the nature and established villages, roads, railroads, schools and churches. “Amricans were a pioneering and an agricultural people who had experienced a constant love affair with the land.” This research paper tries to analyse environmental backgrounds as well as the history of the western movement including typical farm life examples.
Table of Contents
1.) Introduction
2.) The Great Plains – environmental background
2.1) Distinguishing characteristics
2.2) Soil variations
2.2.1) The Prarie soils
2.2.2) The Chernozems
2.2.3) The Chesnut soils
2.2.4) The Desert soils
2.3) Climate
2.3.1) Rainfall
2.3.2) Evaporation
2.3.3) Wind
2.3.3.1) The hot winds
2.3.3.2) The chinook
2.3.3.3) The norther
2.3.3.4) The blizzard
2.3.4) Hail
2.4) Further dependances
2.4.1) Building materials
2.4.2) Transportation
2.4.3) Water supply
3.) History of the migration movement
3.1) Pioneering before 1860
3.2) Booming years
3.2.1) Land-taking and land speculation
3.2.2) Occupying the West
3.3) The last frontier
3.4) Hardships
3.4.1) Prarie fires
3.4.2) Droughts and dust storms
3.4.3) Grasshoppers
3.4.4) Dependance upon railroads, banks and market prices
3.4.5) Results
4.) Supporting factors
4.1) Homestead Act – 1862
4.2) Contest for settlers
5.) Farm life
5.1) Living conditions on prarie farms
5.1.1) Dwellings
5.1.2) Daily works
5.1.3) Sozial life
5.2) Changes
6.) Conclusion - from majority to minority
Objectives and Topics
This research paper examines the history of the American West with a focus on the environmental and social challenges faced by early prairie farmers. It analyzes the development of the frontier, how settlers adapted to harsh climatic conditions, and the structural changes that eventually transformed the agricultural landscape.
- Environmental characteristics of the Great Plains
- Economic and physical hardships of pioneering life
- Impact of legislative support like the Homestead Act
- Transformation of farm life and agricultural practices
- Socio-economic decline of the family farm model
Excerpt from the Book
3.4.1) Prarie fires
Prarie fires were a threat especially after a dry and hot summer. “[…] (T)he only thing a person out in the open could do was to make all possible speed diagonally with the wind and away from the fire.”72 Repeated backfires were used to protect the house and barns. Therefore a small controllable fire was started to burn all inflammable things aroung the buildings so that everything was save.
Chapter Summary
1.) Introduction: Provides an overview of the role of the frontier in American history and introduces the central theme of the prairie farmer's relationship with the land.
2.) The Great Plains – environmental background: Details the geographical and climatic factors, including soil types and wind patterns, that defined the living conditions of the Great Plains.
3.) History of the migration movement: Chronicles the timeline of western migration, including the stages of expansion, the challenges of pioneering, and the eventual closure of the frontier.
4.) Supporting factors: Explores the political and economic catalysts, such as the Homestead Act, that facilitated the settlement of the western territories.
5.) Farm life: Discusses the everyday reality for settler families, covering domestic life, the physical demands of labor, and the social structures created to combat isolation.
6.) Conclusion - from majority to minority: Reflects on the industrialization of agriculture and the resulting demographic shift of farmers moving from a majority to a minority in the national economy.
Keywords
Great Plains, Prairie Farmers, Homestead Act, Frontier, American History, Migration, Agriculture, Soddies, Dust Bowl, Grasshoppers, Irrigation, Land Speculation, Rural Life, Industrialization, Sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the environmental, social, and economic history of the Great Plains region and the experiences of the farmers who settled it between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.
What are the key thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the impact of natural environmental challenges, the influence of federal land policy, the evolution of farm technology, and the social adaptations required for frontier survival.
What is the central research question?
The paper aims to analyze how settlers adapted to the specific demands of the Great Plains environment and how the history of the western movement shaped the lives of typical farm families.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses historical analysis, integrating primary source documents, contemporary letters, archival reports, and academic research to reconstruct the experience of the prairie frontier.
What does the main body address?
The main body examines geographical background, the history of migration, systemic hardships like weather and pests, the role of federal laws in expansion, and the daily living conditions of farm families.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Great Plains, Frontier, Homestead Act, Migration, Prairie Farmers, Irrigation, and Agricultural Industrialization.
How did prairie farmers solve the lack of building materials?
Due to the scarcity of trees, settlers utilized sod to build homes, commonly known as "soddies," which were an abundant, low-cost, and efficient solution for the region.
What was the long-term result of the "booming years" for the average farmer?
While the booming years encouraged massive migration, environmental limitations and shifts in market prices eventually led many farmers into debt, forcing a transition toward larger, more mechanized farms.
How did social structures help settlers?
Strong social bonds and community gatherings, such as church dinners and school events, were vital for farmers to escape the isolation of frontier life and provide mutual support during crises.
- Quote paper
- Susanne Weid (Author), 2004, Prarie Farmers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/47055
