Almost all Texans lived on farms or ranches between 1846 and 1860. The number of farms grew from 12,000 to around 43,000 in this time. Most Texans farmed, seeing as land was inexpensive and available. Corn was the largest food crop and was the major part of Texans' diet. Few farmers were able to make much of a profit from this. The primary cash crop was cotton. Cotton would be shipped to Northern states and Europe to be made into cloth. During the 1850's many Texans began raising livestock for profit, and ranching became very important to the Texas economy.

Rural Life in Texas