HISTORY
Welcome to the Next Migration.
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Humans have migrated from one area to another since the beginning of civilization, whether it was in search of an abundant food supply, more agreeable climate, economic opportunity, or freedom from oppression.
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It’s no different in 2020. Today’s “back to the land” movement is part of the same technology-driven, opportunity-fueled cycle that has uprooted and transplanted Americans for centuries. For prehistoric people, stone arrowheads helped expand hunting areas. For European explorers, stronger ships reached more distant shores. For American settlers, steam engines opened access to neighboring economies. This time around, broadband internet access frees us to live, work, and play anywhere we choose.
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So, how did technology get us back to small towns?
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From the farms to the cities
Until the late 1800s, America was an agriculture-based economy. That meant that the majority of folks lived and worked in rural areas and small communities. Around the turn of the century, new manufacturing technology spurred the industrial revolution. Whether out of necessity or ambition, people left the small towns in droves to pursue opportunity and economic promise in newly thriving, industrial urban centers.
From the cities to the suburbs
By the 1930s, city life had become crowded, employment was competitive, living was expensive, and the urban environment was unsafe for many. New technology in the form of cars, electricity, and telephones created yet another opportunity to migrate. Families began to leave the stress and expense of city life for the newly expanding suburbs, seeking tranquility, space, affordability, and safety.
Back to the cities, again
By the 1980s, bland suburban life began to lose its appeal for many. Folks began ditching long commutes for a revitalized urban experience, leaving many suburban communities in decline. At the same time, the already-shrinking small rural towns took another big hit. The sprawling factories that had come to sustain their local economies closed down as production moved overseas. Urban areas became opportunity magnets once again, drawing folks back into city life by choice and by necessity. Rural America’s slow drain of talent and passion had officially become a huge leak.