From the Archives: President Abraham Lincoln Creates the Department of Agriculture

From the Archives: President Abraham Lincoln Creates the Department of Agriculture | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts State of the Union

Watch the Enhanced Video

Briefing Room Your Weekly Address Speeches & Remarks Press Briefings Statements & Releases White House Schedule Presidential Actions Executive Orders Presidential Memoranda Proclamations Legislation Pending Legislation Signed Legislation Vetoed Legislation Nominations & Appointments Disclosures Visitor Access Records Financial Disclosures 2011 Annual Report to Congress 2010 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff 2009 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff A Commitment to Transparency

Browse White House visitor logs

Issues Civil Rights It Gets Better Defense End of Iraq War The Way Forward in Afghanistan Disabilities Economy Jobs Reform and Fiscal Responsibility Strengthening the Middle Class Supporting Business Blueprint for an America Built to Last Education Energy & Environment Ethics Fiscal Responsibility Excess Federal Properties Interactive Map Foreign Policy Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Rural Rural Tour 2011 Seniors & Social Security Service Taxes The Buffett Rule Tax Receipt Technology Urban Policy Veterans Joining Forces Women We Can't Wait

See executive actions President Obama has taken

Your Federal Tax Receipt

See how your federal tax dollars are spent

The Administration We the People

Create and Sign Petitions Now

President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden First Lady Michelle Obama Dr. Jill Biden The Cabinet 2010 Video Reports White House Staff Chief of Staff Jack Lew Deputy Chief of Staff Nancy-Ann DeParle Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco Counselor to the President Peter Rouse Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett Executive Office of the President Other Advisory Boards About the White House Inside the White House

Take an interactive tour

Inside the White House History Décor and Art Interactive Tour Video Series Google Art Presidents First Ladies The Oval Office The Vice President's Residence & Office Eisenhower Executive Office Building Camp David Air Force One White House Fellows President’s Commission About the Fellowship Current Class Staff Bios News and Newsletters White House Internships About Program Presidential Department Descriptions Selection Process Internship Timeline & FAQs Tours & Events 2012 Easter Egg Roll 2011 Easter Egg Roll Holidays 2011 Kitchen Garden Tours Our Government The Executive Branch The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Constitution Federal Agencies & Commissions Elections & Voting State & Local Government Resources /* Maximize height of menu features. */if(typeof(jQuery)!='undefined')jQuery.each($('.topnav-feature','#topnav'),function(i,v){var o=$(v),oh=o.height(),sh=o.siblings().height();if(oh Home • The White House Blog   #subhead-wrapper{background: url("/sites/default/themes/whitehouse/img/blog_breadcrum.jpg") top left no-repeat !important;height: 16px;}.blog-header{ background: url("/sites/default/themes/whitehouse/img/blog_header.jpg") no-repeat scroll left top transparent; height: 84px; width: 976px; position: relative;}.blog-header-text{ color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 3em; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 20px; text-shadow: 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);}.blog-header-text a{ color: #fff; text-decoration: none;}.blog-header-text a:hover{ text-shadow: 3px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3); text-decoration: none;}#breadcrumb{ color: #fff; height: 16px}#breadcrumb a{ color: #fff !important;}.header-subscribe{ position: absolute; right: 21px; top: 54px;}The White House BlogSubscribe Our Top Stories President Obama Calls for a Simpler Refinancing Process President Obama to Barnard College: "Fight for a Seat at the Head of the Table" President Obama's To-Do List for Congress: Reward American Jobs, Not Outsourcing President Obama on Ending the War in Afghanistan From the Archives: President Abraham Lincoln Creates the Department of Agriculture
Megan SlackMay 15, 2012
02:02 PM EDT Share This Post

True to his roots as a frontier farm boy, on May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Over the next two months - in the midst of the Civil War - he signed additional legislation that expanded and transformed American farming, including the Homestead Act, and the establishment of the Land Grant agricultural university system.

To mark its 150th anniversary, the USDA released a short film featuring interviews with nine of the most recent Secretaries of Agriculture about the Department's role in our history and American life. Check it out:

Related Topics: PREVIOUS POST
National Women's Health Week by the Numbers: 20.4 MillionNEXT POST
The President and Vice President's 2011 Financial Disclosure Forms #content #featured-content-block .title { font-size: 17px !important; font-weight: normal; text-indent:0;}.blog-featured-content-queue { float: left; margin-top:15px; margin-right:49px; width: 197px;}#featured-content-block .last {margin-right: 0;}#blog #content .blog-featured-content-queue-title {font-size: 12px;line-height: 14.4px;}#featured-content-block {margin-bottom:55px;margin-top:20px;}Featured ContentWe Can't WaitJob Resources for Returning HeroesEnd of the Iraq War Subscribe to the White House Blog WHITEHOUSE.GOV IN YOUR INBOXSign up for email updates from President Obama and Senior Administration Officials PHOTOS OF THE DAY VIEW PHOTO GALLERIES JUMP TO: Other White House Blogs The White House Blog Middle Class Task Force Council of Economic Advisers Council on Environmental Quality Council on Women and Girls Office of Management and Budget Office of Public Engagement Office of Science & Tech Policy Office of Urban Affairs Open Government Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships US Trade Representative Office National Drug Control Policy   Home The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts Briefing Room Your Weekly Address Speeches & Remarks Press Briefings Statements & Releases White House Schedule Presidential Actions Legislation Nominations & Appointments Disclosures Issues Civil Rights Defense Disabilities Economy Education Energy & Environment Ethics Fiscal Responsibility Foreign Policy Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Rural Seniors & Social Security Service Taxes Technology Urban Policy Veterans Women The Administration President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden First Lady Michelle Obama Dr. Jill Biden The Cabinet White House Staff Executive Office of the President Other Advisory Boards About the White House Inside the White House Presidents First Ladies The Oval Office The Vice President's Residence & Office Eisenhower Executive Office Building Camp David Air Force One White House Fellows White House Internships Tours & Events Our Government The Executive Branch The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Constitution Federal Agencies & Commissions Elections & Voting State & Local Government Resources En español Accessibility Copyright Information Privacy Policy Contact USA.gov Subscribe to RSS Feeds Apply for a Job

View the original article here