2. SC State Standard 8-5.6
8-5.6 Compare the plight of farmers in South Carolina with that of farmers throughout the United States, including the problems of overproduction, natural disasters, and sharecropping and encompassing the roles of Ben Tillman, the Populists and land-grant colleges.

3. The Plight of the Farmer
Farming in the Gilded Age
A. Technological Advancements
1. New Machinery
a. Farming more productive
b. Creates surplus of food
2. Effective Fertilizers
B. Farming Increases
1. U.S. pop. More than doubles
2. Greater competition

4. The Plight of the Farmer
II. Unhappy Farmers
A. Economic Problems
1. Overproduced crops
a. Surplus of food
(1) Prices drop
(2) Not enough people to buy crop
b. Farmers make less money
(1) Farmers can’t pay debts
(2) Lose farms

5. The Plight of the Farmer
II. Unhappy Farmers
B. SC Weather and Competition
1. Hurricanes
a. Seven hurricanes over 18 yrs
b. Destroys SC rice industry
2. Droughts and Floods
3. Harder to Compete
a. Competing with Asia, S.A., and Europe
b. Suez Canal opened-Asian rice cheaper
4. Farmers turned to truck crops
a. Ex. Fruits, veggies, and flowers
b. Sold from back of truck

6. The Plight of the Farmer
III. Farmers Organize
A. Farmers protest
1. High Rates
a. RR rates for transporting crops
b. Bank loan interest rates
c. Business charges for farming needs
2. Ask Govt. for help
a. Push to increase nation’s money supply
b. Asked govt. to pass laws to restrict abuses

7. The Plight of the Farmer
III. Farmers Organize
B. The Grange
1. Group inspired by Labor Unions
a. Major goal: help farmers improve their lives
(1) Help sell crops
(2) Educate on Science of Agriculture
b. Tried to persuade politicians
(1) Setting limits for RR rates
(2) Not successful in SC
c. First SC meeting held in Charleston, SC (1871)
2. Creates the Agricultural Bureau
a. Oversaw Agricultural Industry
b. Managed Related Business
3. Organization Dies in SC
a. Did little to help politically
b. Membership declined

8. The Plight of the Farmer
III. Farmers Organize
C. Farmers’ Alliance
1. Replaced the Grange
a. Helped farmers market crops
b. Local groups org. by farmers
c. Wanted more govt. control
(1) Railroads
(2) Loans-lower interest rates
2. Successes
a. Won Govt. elections
b. Won majority of seats in Ga legislature
c. Won 35 seats is US House of Reps
d. More successful than the Grange

9. The Plight of the Farmer
III. Farmers Organize
C. Farmers’ Alliance
3. SC Farmers’ Alliance
a. Racially divided
b. Educated farmers
(1) Science of agriculture
(2) Inspecting fertilizer quality
(3) Recording weather reports
c. Offered veterinary aid
4. Organized new political party
a. The People’s Party
b. Also known as the Populists Party
C. Demanded many reforms

10. A New National Party I. Populist Party A. Demanded many reforms
1. Pushed for Govt. control of industries
a. Railroad
b. Telephone
c. Telegraph
d. Banks
2. Also wanted
a. Increase in money supply
b. An income tax
C. Tariff reduction
d. Secret ballots
e. Direct election of senators

11. A New National Party I. Populist Party 1. Govt. would own and operate
A. Demanded many reforms
3. Proposed
a. Creation of a “subtreasury system”
1. Govt. would own and operate
aa. Storage Silos
bb. Extend low interest loans to farmers
b. An 8 hour workday
c. Restrictions on immigration

12. A New National Party I. 1892 Presidential Election
A. Republican Presidential nominees
1. Benjamin Harrison
2. Incumbent
B. Democratic Presidential nominee
1. Grover Cleveland
2. Adlai Stevenson I
C. Populist Presidential nominee
1. James B. Weaver
a. Former Union General
b. Former Confederate General Running mate

13. A New National Party I. 1892 Presidential Election (Cont.) D. Outcome
1. Benjamin Harrison
a. 145 electoral votes
2. Grover Cleveland
a. 277 electoral votes
b. Wins SC vote
3. James B. Weaver
a. 22 electoral votes
b. Loses SC vote
(1) SC farmers support goals of Populists
(2) SC farmers dislike that party includes blacks
c. First time 3rd party did so well

14. A New National Party I. 1892 Presidential Election (Cont.)
E. Other Populist victories
1. Elected 3 governors
2. Elected 5 US Senators
3. 10 national representatives
4. Nearly 1,500 state representatives
II Presidential Election
A. Populists supported William Jennings Bryan
1. Democrat
2. Supports most of their goals
B. Republican William McKinley wins
C. Populist Party dies shortly after election

15. Ben Tillman I. The Rise of a “dirt farmer”
A. Farmer from Edgefield County
1. Called himself a “dirt farmer”
aa. Actually well off
bb. Owned 2,200 acre farm
2. Almost lost everything due to long drought
B. Plan for survival of the SC farmer
1. Believed SC farmers needed to diversify crops
2. Believed farmers needed agricultural education
3. Blamed Gov. Wade Hampton and Bourbons
aa. Thought they weren’t helping SC farmers
bb. Tillman published series of letters blaming conservatives in office
4. Calls for creation of a Farmer’s Convention
aa. Would meet annually
bb. Would discuss agricultural issues and reforms
cc. Becomes Tillman’s political machine- helps him rise to power

16. Ben Tillman I. Tillman the Reformer
A. He and his followers known as Reformers
1. Called himself a “dirt farmer”