Role of Institutions in the Development of U.S. Agriculture
The Homestead Act of 1862 granted 160 acres of government land, later expanded to 320 acres. It required applicants to improve the land and file for a title, resulting in over 270 million acres awarded to 1.6 million homesteaders by 1986, affecting 10% of U.S. land. The establishment of the Department of Agriculture in 1862 catalyzed technological innovations like Cyrus McCormick’s reaper and John Deere’s plow. Key legislation such as the Morrill Act created land-grant universities, Hatch Act advanced agricultural research, and Smith-Lever Act promoted knowledge dissemination.
Role of Institutions in the Development of U.S. Agriculture
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Role of Institutions in the Development of U.S. Agriculture ApEc 3071
Homestead Act of 1862 • 160 acres of government land: enlarged to 320 acres in 1909. • Three requirements: apply, improve the land, file for title. • Eventually 270 million acres were granted to 1.6 million homesteads between 1862 and 1986. • 10% of all land in the US. • Were abuses. • Opened High Plains to farming (Dust Bowl).
Dept. of Agriculture established in 1862. • Achieved cabinet status in 1889. • Crucial technological innovation. • Cyrus McCormick’s reaper of 1834 & John Deere’s steel plow of 1836. • Could break up the deep sod of the tall grass prairie (current Corn Belt).
The Morrill Act • Became law in 1862, after earlier being vetoed by Pres. Buchanan in 1859. • Purpose to establish land land-grant universities in each state. • Would focus on learning related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. • Promote practical education; Very different from classical study at elite private colleges.
continued • Each state received a grant of 30,000 acres of federal land for each member of Congress in 1860. • A total of 17.4 million acres nationally. • Could sell the land to raise money to establish the university. • Became the first public colleges.
continued • Extended to the Southern states at the end of the Civil war.
Hatch Act of 1887 • Gave federal land grants to the states. • To create agricultural experiment stations at the land-grant colleges. • Purpose was to conduct public agricultural research to improve farming. • Traditionally were funded by USDA.
Smith-Lever Act of 1914 • Established the cooperative extension service in each state. • Associated with the land-grant universities. • Purpose to spread the latest knowledge from the universities on agriculture and home economics.
