1. Section 3 – The Midwest

2. Topography of the Midwest

3. Economy of the Midwest  52% of people are involved in manufacturing and industry in the Midwest  43% have a job in the service industries  Only 5% of the people work in agriculture

4. Technology Changes Farm Life  Often called the heartland  Great for growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and raising livestock  Early inventions like the steel plow, windmill, and barbed wire helped settlers to become successful in agriculture  Today the technology continues to make a difference with machines & computers that do much of the work  This means there is less need for people  Kansas is an example with 90% of the state being farm ground, but less than 1% of the population being a farmer

5. From family farms to corporate  Until the 1980’s most farms in the Midwest were owned by small family farmers  These farmers had taken out large loans for land and equipment in the 60’s & 70’s when demand for their goods was high  The economy hit a recession in the 1980’s and demand went down  Many of these farmers lost their farms or were forced to sell them  Big business bought it all up and now corporate farms are the norm in the Midwest

6. Chicago  Was a processing center for farm goods in the mid-1800’s  Turned raw materials like hogs, corn, wheat, and cattle into foods and shipped it east through the Great Lakes  Once railroads were added Chicago really took off  In the late 1800’s Chicago became known for steel-making & other manufacturing (specifically farm equipment)  Today it is very diverse culturally and a transportation hub of the nation  Also home to the first steel skyscraper which was the Home Insurance Company Building

7. Chicago Skyline: The “Second” City

8. Detroit & St. Louis  Known as the “Motor City”  The “big three” all have their roots in this city  What are the “big three”?  Ford, GM, & Chrysler  St. Louis used to be the starting point to the West  Wagon trains would start here  Today the Arch marks the Gateway to the West  St. Louis is also a hub for banking & retail companies

9. Great Mississippi Flood, 1993 St. Louis, MO before the floodSt. Louis, MO during the flood St. Louis, MO after the flood

10. The Twin Cities  Minneapolis is the biggest city in Minnesota and its sister city is St. Paul  These two cities were once the flour-milling center of the U.S. and being right on the Mississippi River it made it easy to transport goods  Pillsbury began there in 1872  Today the Twin Cities are known more for publishing, medical, computer, & art business  The sprawl of the suburbs have replaced 100’s of square miles that were once used for farming in this area

11. Tornadoes Per Year: 1950-1997