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The Agrarian Revolt
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Grangers are Formed
The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was the first major agricultural organization. This fraternal organization taught new farming methods to their members. Founded by Oliver Kelly, one of the Grangers prominent accomplishments included the passage of the Granger Laws. Though these laws varied from state to state, they generally promoted regulating railroad rates and grain elevators. -
Women Suffrage
After black people got the right to vote in the fifteenth amendment, women were not happy because they did not. Women suffrage leaders, such as Susan B. Anthony, did not endorse the amendment because it did not include women. They thought that when the black man would vote, so would they, but that did not happen.
Women fought for their right to vote very strongly. The first state to allow them to vote was Wyoming. Shortly after was Utah. Eventually they earned the right to vote everywhere. -
Yellowstone
Ferdinand Hayden's government sponsored exploration of a large portion of Wyoming spurred the federal protection of the area. This active geothermal region later became Yellowstone National Park. Hayden believed the land should be set aside "as a pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." The creation of this protected area triggered the formation of other national parks when the Organic Act of 1916 was passed. -
The REAL Black Friday
Known as the original "Great Depression", the Panic of 1873 began in Europe due to more and more credit. Many banks in Industrialized Europe started to fail and banking rates increased, which caused many Americans to panic.
Many railroads wanted to continue laying track, so they took out short term bank loans to cover their expenses. However, as the railroads failed, banks also failed and the stock market crashed. -
Comstock Laws
"Obscene, lewd, and/or lascivious" materials were banned from the US mail after the Comstock Laws were passed. These acts prohibited items such as contraceptives, abortion pamphelts, pornography, and some anatomy books from being shipped. Publications that included homosexuality were often banned as well. These items were banned to protect the "average person, applying contemporary community standards". -
Grasshopper Plagues
In the summer of 1873, millions of grasshoppers invaded Minnesota and nearby states. The effect of the grasshoppers was devastating. Over 500,000 acres of crops, including corn, wheat, oats, and barley, were destroyed. Many farmers were not recompensed for their losses - the state government didn't direct any state funds towards the farmers' relief. -
The Southern Alliance
A group of ranchers from Lampasas County, Texas got together and formed this group. They first formed as a Texas Alliance but eventually expanded.
Their original goals were to apprehend horse thieves, round up stray animals, and cooperatively purchase large stores of supplies. The organization expanded and made more extensive goals. It was almost completely destroyed when they tried to enter the political field. -
Farmers' Alliances
Many farmers in rural America were joining together to form Farmers' Alliances. These clubs formed cooperatives and built stores and banks for their members, similar to the Grangers.
With over 4 million members, the Alliances began to see themselves as a strong voice for the generally unheard farmers. However, like the Grangers, the Alliances suffered from mismanagement and disagreements. Soon, a new, stronger Alliance would be formed. -
The Northern Alliance
People from the Grange movement of New York got together to fight against what they thought was unfair and industrialized markets. They wanted to reform the tax system, fight unfair railroad practices, and legalize Grange-sponsored insurance companies.
This organization ended up failing. It was very ineffective and unsuccessful. It did however, inspire more successful Alliance groups. -
James B. Weaver
James B. Weaver was nominated to be a presidential candidate twice. The first time was in 1880 when he was nominated by the Greenback Party. He did not get many votes during this election. The second time was in 1892. During this election, he was the populist candidate. He did much better by getting over a million votes but still did not win.
During the 1896 elections, Weaver did not run for presidency. He, instead, supported William Jennings Bryan, who was the Democratic candidate. -
Prohibition
Prohibition started with Protestants in both parties. Other groups supported this. They thought it would improve society.
Kansas was the first state to prohibit the sale of liquor in 1881. The eighteenth amendment was ratified in 1920. It lasted for a while but the rise of the mobs that illegally sold and dealt alcohol like Al Capone's gang caused the 21st amendment which repealed the 18th amendment. -
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute Founded
Founded by Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama, this school primary focused on educating blacks for technical and vocational positions. Many students were taught skills relating to agriculture and education. Many well-known philanthropists, including Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and George Eastman, donated money to the school to further its growth. The school continued to gain more student and is still a credible university, with notable alumni, including Lionel Richie. -
The Colored Alliance
The southern alliance was very racist. They did not like the fact that blacks were getting more rights. They hated the fact that some people thought blacks should be considered equal to whites.
As a result of this racism, blacks were banned from the southern alliance. A group of black people got together and started their own alliance. The goals of this alliance were focused on education, more efficient farming, and raising money for sick or disabled members of the alliance. -
The Interstate Commerce Act is Passed
The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was passed to regulate railroad practices. However, this piece of legislation did not allow the government to regulate prices. This act also eliminated back-alley price deals in the industry by requiring railroad companies to publicize all shipping rates. Also included in the act was the prohibition of haul fare discrimination, which was typically used to discourage small farmers from using the rails. -
Dawes Severalty Act
Immigrants were flooding into the US and the government believed that Native Americans and other groups could not coexist peacefully. Thus, the Dawes Severalty Act was passed by President Grover Cleveland. This act, also known as the General Allotment Act, gave each person a certain amount of land. It also created reservations to protect the Native Americans and granted them citizenship. -
Rise of Populism
The merger between the Southern and Northwestern Alliances was the beginning of a new force in the American government. This new super Alliance met frequently over the next three years and began to form a set of grievances. These Alliances were the start of a new political power and the so-called Ocala Demands were their platform. After the election of 1890, there were six governors, three senators, and fifty representatives elected who supported Alliance beliefs. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Passed in 1890, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act regulated several aspects of the government. This legislation prohibited monopolies and cartels, as well as promoted the investigation of illegal business activities. -
McKinley Tariff
Many farmers were outraged after the Tariff Act of 1890 was imposed. This legislation, commonly known as the McKinley Tariff, put tariffs on everyday items, such as tin plates and wool. The tariff was not taken well by anyone because it made everyday items a lot more expensive.
The tariff raised the average taxes on imports to almost fifty percent. The purpose of this tariff was to protect domestic companies from foreign competition. -
Ocala Demands
This set of demands was adopted at the Ocala Convention. Some of their goals included getting rid of national banks, reclaiming lands used by railroads, and removing tariffs on everyday items.
Two of the most important ideals included in their demands were the introduction of free silver and a graduated income tax. The Populists also hoped to limit government spending and amend the Constitution to allow the direct election of US Senators. -
Formation of the People's Party
The People's Party was created as a radical agrarian party. They were against banks, railroads, and anything urbanized.
The party faded very quickly. The people in this party were not wealthy. They also did not have very much experience in politics. This created a bad combination which made the party fade almost as fast as it emerged. -
Election of 1892
The Populist Party nominated James B. Weaver as the presidential candidate for their party. They tried very hard to win the election. They campaigned for nationalization of the telegraph, telephone, and railroads, free coinage of silver, a graduated income tax, and creation of postal savings banks.
This election showed the potential strength of the new populist movement. The party elected ten congressmen, five senators, and three governors. James Weaver got more than a million votes. -
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was a Democratic candidate for the 1896 presidential elections. He supported a lot of populist ideas. This lead to James B. Weaver supporting him.
Bryan is known for his cross of gold speech. He thought that staying on a gold standard alone will hurt the working class. He campaigned for the economy to be backed by gold and silver. He thought this would lead to a prosperous America. -
Cross of Gold Speech
William Jennings Bryan gave this speech in 1896. In this speech, he supported migrating from an economy backed by exclusively gold to an economy backed by gold and silver. He supported bimetallism or free silver.
At the end of his speech, Bryan said, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." This statement is where the name of the speech came from. This speech is considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history. This speech practically made him a pres. candidate. -
William McKinley
William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States. His term was cut short by his assassination. He was, however, the start of a Republican dominated era. This era lasted for more than a third of a century.
McKinley imposed tariffs that nobody liked as a way to promote American industry. He also kept the gold standard as a rejection of inflation proposals. William McKinley was a Republican who stood against anything the Populists or the Democrats wanted. -
Carrie Nation
Carrie Nation was a well known prohibition advocate, widely known for her use of vandalism to prove her point. She became interested in the prohibition movement after her first husband died from alcoholism. Nation claimed that God came to her in a vision and instructed her to fight them with violence as a persuasive mechanism. She was arrested over thirty times for her riots and fined $500.
