Farm Life
What were the main tasks of men on the farm?
Heavy work, plowing, planting, harvesting, repairing buildings, caring for animals.
Who founded the Grange organization?
Oliver H. Kelley.
What is subsistence farming?
Practice of producing enough food for one's family but not enough to sell at market.
Give one positive impact of the railroad on western Minnesota.
Increased transportation, boosted economy, facilitated trade.
How could settlers acquire land?
Through Homestead Act, purchasing from land speculators, government grants.
What were the main tasks of women on the farm?
Housework, cooking, caring for children, laundry, cleaning, preserving food, tending garden, helping in fields.
Who was the empire builder that owned a railroad company?
James J. Hill.
What is diversified farming?
Practice of producing a variety of crops and livestock on one farm.
Give one negative impact of the railroad on western Minnesota.
Increased debt for farmers, loss of independence, monopolistic control.
What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?
To provide land to settlers who would live on it and farm it for five years.
What were the main tasks of children on the farm?
Carrying firewood, gathering water, weeding garden, gathering eggs, helping in fields, caring for siblings.
Who was the speculator who made a large profit buying and selling land?
Louis Fertile.
What was the cash crop of the time?
Wheat.
How did the railroad affect the market for farmers' cash crops?
Provided transportation to larger markets, increased demand.
Besides the Homestead Act, name one other way settlers could get land.
Purchasing from land speculators, government grants, railroad land grants.
What were the main tasks of men in the field?
Plowing, planting, harvesting.
Who helped set up a farm by managing the household?
Farmer Sarah Tainter.
What is a cooperative?
An organization formed to help its members buy or sell products as a large group in order to get better prices.
How did the railroad impact the economy of western Minnesota?
Boosted trade and commerce, increased accessibility to goods and services.
What was the risk involved for land speculators?
Financial risk, uncertain land values, market fluctuations.