Chapter 4
The United States and Canada
Exploring the United StatesSection 3: The Midwest: Moving From the Farm
A. As You Read
Directions: As you read Section 3, fill in the table below with information about the Midwest. Under each main idea, write three supporting details.
Most family farms in the Midwest have been replaced by corporate farms.
1. The number of family farms began to decline steadily between the 1860's and 1980's.
2. The combination of low product revenue, increased use of mechanization, and recession caused many small farms to go out of business.
3. Corporations bought up small farms and combined them into huge corporate farms.
The decrease in farmworkers has created a boom in the cities of the Midwest.
4. So many people have left farms that most people in the Midwest now live in towns and cities.
5. In the mid and late 1800's, Chicago was a center of food production and farm equipment manufacturing; now it is the largest city in the Midwest, a center of transportation and culture.
6. Detroit is the headquarters of the American automobile industry.
B. Reviewing Key Terms
Directions: In the blanks provided, write the definitions for the following key terms.7. Mixed-crop farm
A farm that produces a variety of crops
8. recession
A downturn in business activity
9. corporate farm
A large farm that is run by an agricultural company instead of by a single family