Agriculture
THE RURAL LANDSCAPE
A. Using the key below, match each of the descriptions below with the rural settlement pattern which it
best describes.
T + R = Township and Range System
M + B = Metes and Bounds System
LL = Long-Lot System
CS = Clustered (aka Nucleated) Settlements
DS = Dispersed Settlements
________ A rectangular land division scheme adopted after the American Revolution.
________ Adopted across Eastern Seaboard, this survey system used natural features to demarcate
irregular plots of land.
________ Associated with agrarian reform (e.g. Enclosure Movement), peace and political stability (no
need for protection of village walls), individual initiative, population resettlement, and
rectangular survey system.
________ Associated with intensive mechanized agriculture because it allows use of large farm machinery.
________ Basic unit in this system is a geometric square of a mile on each side called a section (640 acres).
A six by six mile square of thirty six such sections was called a township.
________ Basis of current location of Iowa farm fields, major streets in Chicago, and highways across the
Midwest.
________ Because of its imprecise nature, it was replaced by the rectangular Township and Range system.
________ Because of the many small, scattered fields associated with it, this type of settlement is
inefficient and impractical for large scale mechanized agriculture or for feeding large
populations.
________ Characterized by a collection of homes, farm buildings, churches, shops in close proximity to
each other surrounded by agricultural fields and beyond that woodlands and pastures for
common use by all residents.
________ Characterized by individual farmsteads isolated from their neighbors.
________ Designed by Thomas Jefferson as a way of facilitating the sale of Western land to settlers.
________ Diffused from Mid-Atlantic to Great Plains of U.S.
________ Divided land into narrow linear parcels measured and stretching back from rivers, or roads so
that each farmer had access to that transportation conduit.
________ Drawn without reference to terrain resulting in regular, uniform parcels of land.
________ Found in areas settled by the French in North America, including the Canadian Maritime regions,
Quebec, Louisiana, and Texas.
________ Helped create the dispersed rural settlement pattern of the U.S. Midwest and West.
________ Most common in Mid-Atlantic region of U.S. in 19th century because settlers were
heterogeneous, arrived individually, and bought tracts of land individually from speculators.
________ Most common in New England before 18th century because settlers there were homogeneous,
arrived and were granted land as a group, wanted to reinforce common cultural and religious
values, and needed to defend themselves against Indian attacks.
________ Sub Saharan African villages today as well as traditional Northern German Rundling villages typify
this type of settlement.
________ This type of settlement pattern includes walled circular type villages, a reminder of turbulent
times when villagers needed to retreat inside village walls at night to defend themselves against
attack .
________ This type of settlement pattern was dominant in Medieval Europe and is still most prevalent
globally.
________ Was the most significant impact the Enclosure Movement (1750-1850) on the rural landscape of
Great Britain.
________ When this type of settlement got too large, new settlements of the same type were established
nearby.
________ "Beginning with a corner at the intersection of two stone walls near an apple tree on the north
side of Muddy Creek road one mile above the junction of Muddy and Indian Creeks, north for
150 rods to the end of the stone wall bordering the road, then northwest …." is an example of
this type of survey system.