Farm Issues and Populism

• Trapped in debt due to mortgaging

• Banks foreclosing on mortgages

• Railroads were taking advantage of farmers by overcharging transportation fees

• Prices of crops were falling

• Good farming land was becoming scarce

THERE WAS NO COMPETITION

•Union Pacific and Central Pacific partook in a merger and since there were no other western railroad companies

- they could charge whatever price they wanted and the farmers had no other option, so they had to pay

In 1867 there is the formation of an organization for farmers known as the Grange and Alliances. Purpose was:

-Provide a social outlet and an educational forum for isolated farm families

-Fight monopolies

-Seek Reforms

The leaders of Grange and Alliances realized that to make far-reaching changes, they would need to build a base of political power

Populism = is any political movement claiming to represent the COMMON PEOPLE. It is also referred to as the People’s Party was created in 1892

• Democrats and Republicans were divided when determining a way to fix the economy

• The Issue – which metal to use as the nations monetary currency

• Both Democrats and Republicans did not think about the impact that their decisions will have on farmers

The Populist Party called for

-bimetallism= a system of currency based on two metals (gold+silver)

-free coinage of silver=system in which the government gives an unlimited number of silver

Populist Party candidates ran in a national election:

-James B. Weaver lost the presidential run to Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland but he won in 4 states and  received a lot of votes

The Populist Party allies with the Democratic Party

-Bryan did not win/Populist Party lost

-Period of prosperity eased the demands of the farmers

-No more need of the Populist Party

-Ideas of this party carried on in the Progressive Era