1. Agrarianism & Populism

2. What Changed in Farming?
Farmers switched from small-scale farming to…
Became increasingly more
Dependent on…
large-scale (“cash crops” such as wheat, corn).
manufactured
goods and less dependent
on self-sufficiency on the farm.

3. The Business of Farming
Farming became tied to banking, railroading, and manufacturing.
Farmers increasingly used machinery such as…
Farmers often blamed their situation in the global marketplace on banks and railroads; they often felt
detached from the new
business-like nature of their
agrarian business.
steam engines, combined reaper-threshers to raise production rates.

4. Effects of Factory Farming
The changing of farming to a big business forced many small farmers off their land and into…
Farming turned America into “the world’s breadbasket and butcher shop.” The mechanization of agriculture would be the predecessor to 20th century agribusiness.
the industrial workforce.

5. Deflation Some effects of deflation on farmers were…
When prices were high for crops, everything was fine, but when prices dipped low (as they did in the 1880’s and 1890’s), the farming sectors suffered.
Farmers feared low prices and deflated currency. Price rises and falls on crops seemed unfair to the farmers and they began to mistrust creditors, who distrusted them in turn.
Deflation was a “vicious cycle”– more production of crops (like grain) lead to lowered prices, and more debt for farmers.

6. Nature’s Challenges
Small natural disasters also impeded production of farming…
Fertilizers were needed to supplement weak soil.
Droughts across the Mississippi West during the summer of 1877.

7. Other Hindrances to Farmers
These other groups hindered farmers by doing what?
Trusts and corporations…
“Middlemen” and operators…
Railroad bosses…
such as the barbed-wire trust, and the fertilizer trust could control output and raise prices.
took large “cuts” from the prices of the crop.
controlled the grain growers because they were needed to transport the crop. They raised freight rates and farmers often loss less money by simply burning their crops for fuel than shipping it.

8. The Grangers
The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was formed in 1867 under Oliver H. Kelley.
Objectives of the Grangers
Included…
raising awareness
of farmers’ problems. They
]formed cooperative grain
elevators and warehouses.

9. Grangers and Greenbackers in Politics
Grangers entered politics—in Illinois, they entered state legislature and fought for regulating railway rates, storage fees, etc.
The Grangers’ popularity declined as decisions were overturned by “interest” lawyers.
Greenback Labor Party also advocated labor rights for farmers but received very little of the popular vote.

10. The Farmers’ Alliance
Founded in Texas during 1870’s to break railroad grip by cooperative buying/selling. Spread throughout South and Great Plains. It excluded…
Separate Colored Farmers’
National Alliance formed
to…
Blacks, however, which made up half the agricultural population of the South.
attract black farmers; racial
separation made it difficult
for these organizations to
work together.

11. The Populists
Out of the Farmers’ Alliance the Populist Party formed (or the “People’s Party”).
Fought against Wall Street and “money trust.”
Political leaders such as James Weaver ran as the Populist candidate in July 1892, but received few votes—8.5% of the total votes.

12. Populist Platform Populists advocated…
nationalizing railroads, telephone and telegraph.
instituting graduated income tax, and create federal “subtreasury” (loan program for farmers’ stored crops).
Free coinage of silver—Populist
leaders and authors emerged such
as William Harvey, Ignatius Donnelly
and Mary Elizabeth Lease in support
of this platform.

13. William Jennings Bryan
When the Populist party began to merge with Democrats, William Jennings Bryan became their candidate, giving a stirring speech on coinage of silver at the Democratic National Convention (1896):
“You shall not press down the
brow of labor this crown of
thorns, you shall not crucify
mankind upon a cross of gold.”

14. The Fall of the Populist Party
The Populist party lost support due to…
Loss of Democratic “Gold Bug” vote.
Increasing crop prices.
Employers frightening workers into voting Republican.
William McKinley defeated WJB in the 1896 election, and the Populist Party was disbanded.