On The Road TO TROUBLE

Not until 1930 did the rural-urban population fall out of balance. That year, for the first time, more Americans lived in metropolitan areas than on farms. Every year thereafter, urban populations continued to grow. But in the early 1900s, the U.S. was a predominantly agricultural nation and its culture was dominated by farm concerns.

Major changes in farm practices became pronounced with increased use of tractors. Those who had always farmed with animals had a hard time adjusting to the fact that mechanized agriculture was becoming more popular and, in some instances, more profitable. But as the use of tractors expanded,