What was the outcome of the transformation of agriculture to big business in the South and West during the post-Civil War era?
A) An increasing number of laborers worked land they would never own
B) Agricultural yields fell dramatically overall
C) The widespread use of machinery halved the size of the agricultural labor force
D) The total number of farms fell by more than half

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The transformation of agriculture to big business in the South and West during the post-Civil War era led to an increasing number of laborers working land they would never own. This was due to the rise of sharecropping and tenant farming, where farmers rented land from landlords and paid with a percentage of their crops instead of money. This resulted in a system where many farmers were unable to accumulate enough capital to purchase land, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and dependence. Agricultural yields actually increased due to the adoption of new technologies, such as the steel plow and reaper, but this also led to a decrease in the need for labor and displacement of many small farmers. The total number of farms did decrease, but not to the extent of halving.

What Was the Outcome of the Transformation of Agriculture to Big