Final answer:
Farmers in different historical periods faced challenges such as poor harvests, overproduction, falling prices, and accumulating debt, which could result in the loss of land and livelihoods.
Step-by-step explanation:
In agrarian societies, like Europe's feudal society, farmers faced challenges during bad seasons. Peasants relied on the land for their livelihood and worked hard during the spring to plant crops. However, bad weather, crop disease, or insect infestation could lead to a poor harvest, causing starvation and potentially forcing survivors to relocate.
In the 1920s, American farmers also experienced difficulties. Overproduction and falling prices resulted in many farmers defaulting on loans and rural banks failing. The consequences of these challenges varied, but often farmers lost their homes and farms, as larger banks foreclosed on their mortgages.
Similarly, in Han times in China, poor farmers who could not obtain seed grain from the state would borrow it at exorbitant rates from wealthier neighbors. Accumulated debt and other setbacks could lead to the loss of land and dependence on less desirable roles, such as share-cropping tenants or house-slaves.