ABSTRACT
In early rural American life, the barn raising tradition arose out of necessity; small efforts and contributions from large numbers of people were required to construct a building that would benefit the larger community as a whole. Brought together by the harsh realities of frontier living, settlers responded to the needs of their community and peers. Whether motivated by altruism, an expectation of a returned favor, or devotion to a shared value system, the resulting collective action helped build strong social ties as well as physical structures within communities.
