I was so excited when I tripped across this timeline of American Agriculture. I think timelines are a great way to share LOTS of info in a way that helps put things in an order that makes it easier to understand and remember.

A portion of the USDA’s timeline that spans from 1776, source: USDA
Be sure to check out the entire timeline here: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/history-american-agriculture.pdf 

I was looking for a copy of the earliest agricultural periodical, The American  Museum and this pdf came up in my search. (More on this first journal to focus on agriculture, from way back in 1810, in a later post.) Look at the mention in 1840 that connects a”growing use of factory-made agricultural machinery [increasing] farmers’ need for cash and encouraging commercial farming.” That is just 6 years after the McCormick Reaper was first patented!

What else were farmers clamoring for? How were they adapting their farming practices from subsistence/homesteading to more commercialized ventures? It is written that farm journals were a critical part of getting the word out about new technologies, as well as new practices and opportunities…journals like The Agricultural Museum.