Question

People moved into cities during the Industrial Revolution because:

Answer 1

During the 1800's, many people in New England decided to move away from their farms because the soil wasn't very rich. They moved into the cities, because when textile mills and factories opened up, it increased the demand for labor.

Answer 2

In 1900 it took eight (8) agricultural workers to produce enough food for eleven (11) people. By 1980 the ratio was one (1) to one-thousand (1,000). The onset of the oil age produced great advantages to a mechanized farmer. It also provided cheaper fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that increased productivity. This, combined with the 'dust bowl' era of Western drought, prompted a change from an agrarian to a manufacturing economy. The bottom line is that workers were needed in the city more than they were needed on the farm so, essentially, they followed the jobs.