Farmers in the eighteenth century had a very different existence compared to today's farmers and ranchers. Some things, however, remain the same.
Farm Economy
Transportation of commodities was limited, so most farmers early in the century
depended mostly on subsistence farming, growing crops to support their families.
Some farmers who were located closer to waterways, grew few cash crops for trade.
Northern farmers produced a variety of crops and livestock including clover, alfalfa, small grains, fruits, vegetables and Merino sheep. They sometimes supplemented their income with craftwork.
In the South, agriculture was based on plantation economy and concentrated on export crops like tobacco and cotton. Interaction with Indians introduced a variety of new crops including maize, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, gourds, squash, watermelon, beans, berries, nuts and potatoes. African slaves introduced grain, sweet sorghum, melons, okra and peanuts.
Farmers and the Land
Farming was a very important part of life during this time period. America's total
population in 1790 was about 4 million. Farmers made up 90 percent of the labor
force.
Farming was very important politically as well. The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, resulted partly from British controls on farm exports, restrictions on land titles and limitations on western settlement.
Then, and now, farmers fought against the government for better existence. Two major uprisings involving farmers occured during this time period. Shay's Rebellion in 1786, named for its leader Daniel Shays, reached its climax when Shays led 1,100 men in an attempt to seize the arsenal in Springfield, Mass., controlled by the state militia. The farmers were revolting against deflation. The Massachusetts farmers had faced harsh economic conditions and were seeking reforms and issuance of paper money.
The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was a farmers' revolt against taxes on grain in whiskey. According to Bedford County, Pennsylvania, archives, the state's farmers were using their grain to make whiskey, making it more marketable and easier to transport.
When the new government imposed a tax on whiskey, the farmers thought they were being treated unfairly. In the summer of 1794, there was actual armed resistance to collection of the tax and some tax collectors were seriously threatened. President George Washington asked Pennsylvania militia to "put down the rebels," but the state's governor refused.
President Washington, however, was urged to show Federal power and authority that there would be no question that the new government must be obeyed. Troops
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