Final answer:
During the Industrial Revolution, farmers' relationships with their communities shifted as agriculture became more commercial and integrated with the global market. Early farming organizations were formed to address challenges like monopolistic practices and economic pressures. The technology-driven decline in rural labor needs also spurred urban migration, affecting community dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relationships Among Community Members for Farmers During the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, which transformed the society, economy, and technology in Europe and America, significantly affected farmers and their interactions with others within their communities. As agriculture embraced new technologies like gasoline-powered tractors and combine harvesters, the nature of farming shifted from subsistence farming to more commercial, profit-oriented practices.
Farmers were encouraged to cultivate large fields of a single crop, a system known as monoculture, to maximize their profits. With the rise of new transportation and refrigeration inventions, produce could now be transported across the world, widening the market for farmers. As a result, farmers became more integrated into a global economy and less reliant solely on their local communities for trade.
Despite these advancements, farmers faced challenges such as high interest rates from banks and monopolistic practices by the railroad industry, which increased costs for short hauls. This economic strain led to the formation of early farming organizations similar to labor unions. These organizations sought to amplify the collective voice of farmers to pressure political leaders and combat injustices in both rural and urban settings.
As the Industrial Revolution progressed, it also led to a rural-to-urban population shift. Improved farm equipment and technological advances meant fewer laborers were needed on farms, resulting in farmers moving to urban industrial jobs. The shift in population further altered the fabric of rural communities, as smaller towns experienced population decreases.