Farmers and the Populist movement Unrest in Rural America The growth of urban America made possible because farmers were so productive Farmers felt poor compared to city people Farm life seemed boring compared to the exciting opportunities of the city
Farmers and the Populist movement
Unrest in Rural America
The growth of urban America made possible because farmers were so productive
Farmers felt poor compared to city people
Farm life seemed boring compared to the exciting opportunities of the city
Hard Times for Farmers
1867 - Oliver H. Kelley started the Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the ___________
- Hoped to fight the loneliness of farm life & farming methods
- Open to both men & women
Meetings were held at local schools
- Both social & educational
Late 1800's - most farmers weren't self-sufficient
- Grew cash crops
Most in debt
- _____________farmers owed banks money for their land & equipment
- _____________ farmers had taken on debt to rebuild farms destroyed in the Civil War
Problems of Farmers
Low Prices and High Cost
Farmer's lives were hard
- droughts, floods, insects, and animal diseases
1870's - faced another problem
- Low prices for their crops
- Sank farther into _________ Caused by ____________
- More people became farmers
- Farming methods improved
Became more expensive to operate a farm
- __________ on imported farm equipment
- Railroads raised prices
The Granger Movement
Turned their attention to economic and political issues
Economic goal - avoid using middlemen
- People who made a living storing, transporting, and selling a product
- Cut into farmers’ profits and added to cost for the buyer
Grangers created cooperatives
- An organization owned and operated by those who use its services
- They shared crops in some places
- Allowed them to set their prices
Politically - they elected legislatures that put limits on railroad and storage prices
- Called _________
The Populist Party
1880's - Several political parties combined
_______________ - the movement of the people
Populist Party wants reforms
____________: increase the money supply, graduated income tax, & federal loans
_____________: Senate elected by popular vote, secret ballot & 8-hour day
1892 - Populist candidates elected at different levels of government
What Is Populism?
_____________ Party eventually adopted/takeover the platform
Debate Over Money Policy
Pitted debtors against creditors
Debtors wanted more money to be put into circulation
Wanted the government to coin more silver_________
Bimetallism - a system using both silver & gold to back currency
______________ - would create more money, stimulate the economy
Creditors wanted to limit the amount of money
- Favored __________ standard
Gold standard - backing currency with gold only
Paper money considered worthless if cannot be exchanged for metal
Gold bugs - gold only would create more stable with an expensive currency
Election of 1892
1892 - Populist nominate James B. Weaver for president
He had the following proposals
- Gov. to control & operate railroads, telegraph & telephone systems
- the secret ballot in elections
- graduated income tax
- U.S. senators to be elected directly by the people rather than state legislatures
- Demanded shorter working hours for labor
_________________ won the 1892 election
The Panic of 1893
Railroads expanded faster than markets
- Some went bankrupt
The government’s gold supply became ___________
- Led to rush on banks
- Businesses, banks collapse
- Panic became depression
Election of 1896
Money was the central issue
Republicans nominated ______________
- Supported big business (gold standard)
Democrats nominated ______________
- Supported silver
Populists endorsed _____________
& chose own VP to maintain party identity
US President William McKinley bribed by corporate titans
The End of Populism
1896 - __________ elected president Populism collapsed
Left legacy:
- Showed the powerless could organize & have a political impact
- Agenda of reforms enacted in the 20th century
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