How important was agriculture to the economy of the north in the mid nineteenth
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Several individuals greatly shaped Tennessee’s reputation as a destination for aspiring farmers. F. A. Michaux was an early French naturalist and journalist who explored the Tennessee territory in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In Michaux’s account of his travels, Travels to the Westward of the Allegany mountains, in the States of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee in the Year 1802, the writer catalogs the flora he encounters throughout the region. His writings describe the fertility of Tennessee’s varied landscape, providing one of the earliest accounts of the state’s agricultural potential. Show J. Gray Smith, a British immigrant to Blount County, Tennessee, also published a book to celebrate the resources of his new home. Unlike other champions of Tennessee agriculture, Smith was able to contrast his pastoral life in Blount County to the horrors of industrialism he had witnessed in his native country. In 1842, Smith published A Brief Historical, Statistical and Descriptive Review of East Tennessee, United States of America Developing Its Immense Agricultural, Mining, and Manufacturing Advantages, with Remarks to Emigrants Gerard Troost, one of Tennessee’s first state geologists, and James Merrill Safford are also featured in this collection. Both men, geologists (among other pursuits), shaped the state of Tennessee through their exploration and classification of the state’s resources. Troost and Safford were both academically inclined. Before migrating to Tennessee, Troost founded the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Safford taught at Vanderbilt University and worked with Killebrew on the Resources of Tennessee. Both Safford and Troost served Tennessee as State Geologist. Troost greatly influenced another early Tennessee leader, Tolbert Fanning. As an educator, Fanning considered a well-rounded life suitable for all. He spent his career as an editor, preacher, and publisher. In 1840, Fanning helped establish The Agriculturalist, the State Agricultural Society’s publication. Fanning also published The Naturalist, a journal that hoped to cultivate more advanced methods and more diverse products in Tennessee farming. While at Franklin College in Nashville, he promoted the theory of providing a well-balanced life, which included the occupation of farming. He required students to perform manual labor on the school’s farm in tandem with their coursework. This practical education proved especially beneficial after the college was permanently closed by the Civil War. Probably the most famous proponent of agriculture in Tennessee was Joseph Buckner Killebrew, a well-educated and charismatic attorney and farmer originally from Montgomery County. Killebrew was influenced by his educational work at Franklin College with Fanning. Killebrew’s roles as agricultural editor of a Nashville newspaper and later as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture allowed him a broad stage from which to lobby for the development and utilization of the state’s natural resources. His Introduction to the Resources of Tennessee (1874) served as a 1,1,200-page compilation of each county’s natural assets. Building on his knowledge of the state’s resources, Killebrew worked as the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad’s immigration agent from 1894-1904. Killebrew, however, was not without his detractors. Some felt that the recruiter was painting a too-colorful and optimistic picture of Tennessee’s agricultural promise. On December 5, 1879, Murfreesboro’s Weekly News sought to balance Killebrew’s rosy portrayal of the state’s resources: "It is a little curious that Mr. Killebrew, and some others who are actively engaged in the work of inducing immigration to Tennessee from the Northern States, should so sedulously direct attention to the barren lands and mountainous districts of the state, and labor so earnestly to plant colonies in sections that really offer the fewest advantages...We have brought, to our knowledge, numerous settlers returning disappointed to their old homes, after laboring years on land which, though bought at a nominal price, could not in the very nature of things be made productive." Clearly, some Tennesseans felt that Killebrew’s promotion of the state—or at least the less desirable regions of the state—were occasionally inclined toward dishonesty. Despite this backlash against him, Killebrew’s reputation has survived. He is best remembered for his agricultural contributions and innovations that were disseminated across Tennessee via several journals and other publications. Tennessee’s rich heritage of agricultural industry continues today with a strong agricultural base of education in its state programs, cooperative groups, and even the Tennessee Farm Bureau. TSLA collects and maintains numerous categories of farming materials, including today’s Tennessee Home & Farm Illustrated magazine. These documents, books, and images trace the progressive agricultural industry, the richness, and diversity of the land, and the history and culture of the Tennessee farmer. How important was agriculture to the economy of the North in the mid 19th century?How important was agriculture to the economy of the north in the mid-nineteenth century? C. It combined with commerce and manufacturing in a mixed economy.
Did the North have an agricultural economy?The northern economy relied on manufacturing and the agricultural southern economy depended on the production of cotton.
Why was agriculture important to the economy?Growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors. Agriculture is also crucial to economic growth: accounting for 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least developing countries, it can account for more than 25% of GDP.
How did agriculture change from the North to the South?The North's increased crops is most likely due to the recent invention of many farming machines that the South did invent and utilize. The northern farms were originally centered around little communities, but as they pushed farther west, they became more isolated and only worked with their families to make a profit.
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