Question

Why did most people stop farming during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 1

Most people stopped farming during the IR because it was also a Market Revolution. Prior to this, most labor was done in the home. Women, when not working in the farm fields, would work in the small-scale production of goods. This helped supplement the often meager profits that came from farming itself. When factories started making most produced goods, these at-home jobs mostly dried up. This forced many to leave the farms to go and work directly in the factories.
Population growth was another reason. The 19th Century marked a steep increase in the population of the United States and England. Coupled with improved farming techniques, it became less necessary to have large numbers of people all working on farms. In fact, having too many people on a farm became a liability. There simply was not enough in the way of profits to feed and take care of everyone there. Consequently, many left for the factories to help relieve the burden on their farms.
Innovations in transportation technology also led to this shift. Better roads, expanding railroads, and steamship travel allowed goods and people to travel faster, more cheaply, and safer than ever before. While people had previously been limited by their local geography, they could now travel more easily to cities and mill towns where new factory jobs existed.

Answer 2

During the Industrial Revolution, many people left agriculture and rural areas to work in factories in urban areas. There were several factors that contributed to this shift:

Technological advancements: The introduction of new agricultural technologies during the Industrial Revolution, such as the seed drill, plow, and threshing machine, made farming more efficient and productive. This led to a surplus of food and decreased the need for manual labor in agriculture.

Enclosure movement: The enclosure movement in Europe involved fencing off common lands and consolidating smaller farms into larger ones. This made it more difficult for small farmers to compete and forced many to give up farming.

Urbanization: The growth of cities during the Industrial Revolution created new job opportunities in factories and other industries. This, along with improved transportation, made it easier for people to move from rural areas to urban areas in search of work.

Economic incentives: Industrial jobs often paid better than farming, which made it more attractive for people to work in factories and mills.

Social and cultural changes: As society became more urbanized, people's values and aspirations shifted. Many saw factory work as a symbol of modernity and progress, while farming was often viewed as old-fashioned and backward.

All of these factors contributed to a decline in the number of people involved in agriculture during the Industrial Revolution. While farming remained an important sector of the economy, the shift towards industrialization and urbanization led to profound changes in the way people worked and lived.