填空题

What was the most popular mix about the United States in the 19th century was that of the free and simple life of the farmer. It was said that the farmers worked hard on their own land to (36) whatever their families’ needed. They might sometimes trade with their neighbors, but in general they could get along just fine by relying on themselves, not on (37) ties with others. This is how Thomas Jefferson (38) the farmers at the beginning of the 19th century. And at that time, this may have been close to the truth especially on the (39) . But by the mid century sweeping changes in (40) were well under way as farmers began to specialize in the raising of crops such as cotton or corn or wheat. By late in the century (41) inventions in farm (42) has vastly increased the production of specialized crops and (43) network of railroads had linked farmers throughout the country to market in the east and even overseas. By raising and selling specialized crops, (44) . Now farmers were no longer dependent just on the weather and their own efforts, (45) .As businessmen, farmers now had to (46) And so by the end of the 19th century, the era of Jefferson’s independent farmer had come to a close.