Economic and Social Changes.

At the turn of the century the changing economy of the United States created new demands on the nation's schools for more vocational training in the new scientific farming methods and in industrial skills Largely because of improved farm machinery, the total value of agricultural products grew from less than $5 billion in 1900 to nearly $8 5 billion in 1910 and almost $12 5 billion by 1919 At the same time, the growth of manufacturing made the United States the world's leading exporter of manufactured goods in 1910 In northern cities industries were particularly dependent on public schools to provide industrial education for workers because immigration from countries with a high percentage of unskilled and illiterate workers was replacing immigration from countries with skilled and better educated workers The demand for more industrial training was further increased by the rise of American labor unions, whose restrictions limiting the...