The speed at which the United States grew during the 19th Century astonished observers in the older nations. The changes were not only in size but in kind. Farms and villages gave way to factories and cities. Thomas Jefferson's earlier America, where "every one may have land to labor for himself, if he chooses," disappeared. In its place by 1900 was a nation where fewer than four workers in 10 were in agriculture; four families in 10 live in an urban area; and the industry produced 31.9 per cent of the world's coal, 34.1 per cent of its iron and 36.7 per cent of its steel.