Rural Life in Texas

Between 1846 and 1860 nearly every Texan lived on a farm or ranch. During those times farms grew from 12,000 to about 43,000. Many texans farmed because it was inexpensive ,and many texans raised cattle on their own land rather that working for someone else. Many Texan farmers focused on growing crops. Corn was the largest food crop in Texas and was a big part of many texans diets. Few farmers were able to make a profit from food crops. Cotton was the biggest cash crop in Texas. Because of the rich soil in the area cotton was mostly grown in the East part of Texas. Live stock continued to be an important aspect of farming in Texas.