Agriculture has always played a central role in American and world history. These resources reflect that prominence as they address events significant to the development of ancient and modern agricultural practices, crops, technology, and agrarian life.
History of Agriculture
Spotlights
Rise of Dairy FarmingWisconsin Historical Society.
A collection of primary sources, images, books, and other information about the rise of dairy farming in Wisconsin in the late 1800s. By 1915, Wisconsin had become the leading dairy state in the nation.
ArchiveGridArchiveGrid connects you with primary source material held in archives, special collections, and manuscript collections around the world. You will find historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. Go directly to the agriculture listings, or browse the other topics available from around 1,000 institutions.
Jefferson's GardensThomas Jefferson Foundation.
Agriculture has been part of American life since before the U.S. was a nation. Explore Jefferson's gardens, including vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and see what's being done to preserve and maintain historic plant varieties.
Cherry Tree Files collection
USDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Assembled by Roland Maurice Jefferson, a botanist at the United States National Arboretum, the United States National Arboretum (USNA) Collection Cherry Tree Files spans the years 1809-1993 and reflects the research Jefferson conducted for the writing of The Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees of Washington, D.C.: A Living Symbol of Friendship. Jefferson was featured in the Washington Post article, "For retired botanist, cherry blossoms never lost their charm".
USDA Census of Agriculture Historical ArchiveUnited States Department of Agriculture.
A collaborative project between USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University, this archive currently contains Census of Agriculture information from 1925 through 1987, with information back to 1840 to be added. A list of past Census years and links to their data are on the NASS Historical Census Publications page.
Farm Security Administration PhotographsNew York Public Library.
View historical images taken for USDA's Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression. Hosted by the New York Public Library, this collection includes images by photographers like Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Gordon Parks that are not in the Library of Congress collection of FSA photographs.
National Park Service Park History Electronic LibraryDOI. National Park Service.
Explore U.S. History--including the history of agriculture and persons associated with agriculture--in the National Park Service History Electronic Library of digitized NPS reports and other materials.
Black Farming and Land Loss: A History
Public Broadcasting System.
Documents the history of Blacks in farming from the newly freed slaves of 1863 to today. Includes a timeline, stories of Black farmers and their descendants, and a teachers' guide.
School Gardening in the Early 1900s
Michigan State University Libraries.
View digitized primary sources from the early 20th century through World War II about gardens in schools and organizations involved in encouraging such projects.
Farm, Field and Fireside Newspaper Collection
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University Library.
Browse or search this collection of historically significant U.S. farm weekly newspapers published in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Subject Guides are available on the site as well.
Organic Roots Digital CollectionUSDA. National Agricultural Library.
View our electronic collection of historic documents published before 1942 – a time before synthetic chemicals became widely used – containing state-of-the-art information and data that are still very pertinent for today's organic and sustainable agriculture.
From Yellow Rain to Green WheatUSDA. Agricultural Research Service.
A report, summarizing twenty-five years of trichothecene biosynthesis research conducted at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Mycotoxin Laboratory in Peoria, IL. The lab became a center of the international community of scientists striving to reduce trichothecene contamination in human foods and animal feeds.
History of American Agriculture
USDA. NIFA. Agriculture in the Classroom.
A historical timeline of American agriculture, accessible by decade or major subject area.
Agricultural History--Recent and Historical ArticlesUSDA. National Agricultural Library.
Search for article citations in the NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA) on agricultural history back to 1900. Or search for books.
Veterinary History Resources at the National Agricultural Library
USDA. NAL. Animal Welfare Information Center.
A bibliography of works on the history, derivation, and development of the veterinary profession.
The Papers of Layne R. Beaty
USDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Guide to a manuscript collection on the history of farm radio and television broadcasting in the United States.
Agricultural History Society RecordsUSDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Guide to the records of the Agricultural History Society, one of the very first specialized historical groups of the American Historical Association.
Screwworm Eradication Program Records
USDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Guide to collections pertaining to the USDA-led eradication of the screwworm from the United States, Mexico, and most of Central America.
Thomas Jefferson Correspondence CollectionUSDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Guide to a collection of eleven letters to, from, and about Thomas Jefferson covering a variety of agricultural subjects.
Popcorn: Ingrained in America's Agricultural History
USDA. NAL. Special Collections.
Online exhibit on the history of popcorn and its importance in American agriculture.
Collections by Subject: Agriculture in MarylandUniversity of Maryland Libraries. Archives and Manuscripts Department.
Lists their collections relating to the history of agriculture, especially in the state of Maryland. Briefly describes each collection and links to the finding aids where available.
History of Landscape ArchitectureUniversity of California at Berkeley Library.
A bibliographic research guide to resources on the history of landscape architecture. Includes selected reference titles and historical surveys of landscape architecture history, as well as strategies for locating additional materials.
Agricultural Technology CollectionsUniversity of California at Davis. Shields Library. Special Collections.
Guides to more than 30 manuscript collections relating to the history of agricultural technology and agricultural manufacturers from 1795 to the present.
Archives of American Gardens
Smithsonian Institution. Horticulture Services Division.
A collection of approximately 80,000 photographic images and records documenting historic and contemporary American gardens.
Wessels Living History FarmWessels Living History Farm Board.
Explores various aspects of farming and farm life in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Includes numerous images, along with audio and video clips.
Forest History SocietyForest History Society.
Focuses on the history of interactions between people, forests, and their related resources -- timber, water, soil, forage, fish and wildlife, recreation, and scenic or spiritual values.
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