migrated from rural to urban centers from 1870–1920. By 1920, over half the American population lived in cities like New York City and Boston. Steam-powered spinning and weaving machines, coupled with steamboat and locomotive transportation, caused an explosion in manufacturing. The introduction of the assembly line with interchangeable parts also meant that unskilled workers could easily labor in factories.

Secondly, there was a marked loss of rural employment, which sent people packing for urban industrial centers. In England, for example, before the Industrial Revolution was in full force, the country experienced the Agrarian Revolution—an explosion of new farming technologies and techniques. This revolution meant that more crops could be grown more quickly, making many farm jobs obsolete. As the Industrial Revolution brought new technologies, farming jobs continued to dwindle.

In America, the effect was similar. New farming technologies sprouted up all over the nation, beginning with the cotton gin in the late 1793. Eventually, the cotton gin would be operated using steam power, revolutionizing the cotton industry and making it the most profitable market in America. Additionally, reapers and threshers allowed for a smaller number of people to cut wheat stalks faster. This meant that not as many people were physically needed for the task.

Lastly, farmers were eager to make money in big cities as they became disillusioned with the difficult task of farming. Many had suffered with little profits for too long and yearned for new opportunities. Bad weather could sabotage a crop and leave farmers with nothing to show for their hard work. Furthermore, farmers complained that it was difficult and costly to get their produce to markets. When these concerns were expressed to politicians, they often fell on deaf ears. With Henry Clay's American System, the federal government invested in railroads, canals and roadways. The allure of new industrial cities on the Eastern Seaboard was undeniable. For example, large, profitable textile mills were big draws for rural folk. The Beverly Cotton Manufactory (1787), the Slater Mill in Rhode Island (1790), and the Waltham Mill in Massachusetts (1814) made New England the "cradle of the American Industrial Revolution."

During the industrial revolution, many farmers left the profession.  There were many reasons for this.  One reason was financial. Farmers were producing too many crops. Part of this was due to the use of machinery that led to increased crop production.  As a result, crop prices dropped causing farmers’ income to also drop.  Some farmers mortgaged their farms to deal with the debt.  However, this usually led to foreclosure by the banks.

Another reason farmers left the profession was because they felt they were being treated unfairly.  Railroad companies would not give the farmers rebates on shipping rates.  Railroad companies often gave rebates to businesses that did a lot of shipping on the trains. The railroad companies wouldn’t do this for farmers. Farmers also believed they were being charged very high interest rates.  This contributed to their debt issues.  When farmers could not pay back their loans, they lost their farms.

Farmers also left the profession because farming was a hard life.  They had to work very long hours every day.  They lived in isolated areas.  They faced serious problems discussed in the above paragraphs.  When the industrial revolution came, some farmers moved to the cities. There were more jobs available in the cities, and there were more things to do.

Farmers had many reasons to leave farming during the industrial revolution.