1. COS Standard 1
Explain the transition of the US from an agrarian to an industrial nation prior to WWI.

2. Identifying the changing role of the American farmer, including the establishment of the Grange movement and the Populist Party and agrarian rebellion over currency issues
Chapter 13-2 and Chapter 16-2

3. Farming After the Civil War, farming still spread west.
Great Plains: wheat
During the 1860 and 1870s, new technology made farming more profitable.
Mechanical reapers and bingers
Threshing machines

4. Farming continued
In the 1880s, the Great Plains experienced a drought.
Farmers could not repay loans.
In the 1890s, a oversupply of wheat caused the prices to drop.
Some farmers lost their land.

5. Populism AKA People’s Party
Formed in the 1890s, increased the political power of farmers and pass laws in farmers’ interest.
During the Civil War, the US experienced inflation.
To get inflation in check, the US quit printing money and started paying off bonds, which led to deflation.
Because of deflation, farmers had to borrow money to plant crops.
It increased the interest rate the farmers owed.

6. Grange
National farm organization founded for social and educational purposes.
Farmers joined for help.
Created cooperatives (marketing organizations that pooled members’ crops and held them off the market to force prices to rise.)
Grange didn’t work

7. Farmers’ Alliance Formed in 1877
Organized exchanges (large cooperatives that forced prices up and made loans to farmers at lower interest rates).
Exchanges failed because they overextended their loans without being repaid by the farmers.

8. Rise of the Populism
In presidential election of 1892, the populist party promoted…
James Weaver
Unlimited coinage of silver
Federal ownership of railroads
Graduated income tax
8 hour workday
Restrictions on immigration
Denounce the use of strikebreakers

9. Rise of Populism continued
The panic of 1893 resulted in a deep depressions for the entire US.
William Jennings Bryan was the presidential candidate in 1896 that the populists supported.
He supported the unlimited coinage of silver.
Because gold was discovered, it increased the money supply. Silver was no longer an issue.
Thus, the populist party dies out.