Grange, Populist, Immigration

Farm families only assets were good cheap land and their own hard labor.

Expenses were high. Major expense was high railroad rates for

storing crops in grain elevators and shipping the crops to the city.

To meet expenses until crops were sold farmers depended on credit from merchants and loans from banks.

Natural disasters and low prices often prevented farmers from paying their debts and losing their farms.

Farmers came to resent railroads, merchants, banks, and buyers who expected lower prices when production increased..

Farmers v railroads, merchants, and banks

Founded in 1867 to bring farm families together for social purposes but soon focused on coping with troubling economic issues.

Railroads competed for business over long routes and therefore charged low rates.

They made up their loses by overcharging farmers who had to ship crops over less competitive short routes.

Also high charges for storing grain in grain elevators

The Granger Movement

Farm prices fell in the late 1800s, farmers joined a movement that became the POPULIST PARTY.

Populist objectives 1892◦ Graduated income tax◦ Government ownership of railroads and telephone and

telegraph companies.◦ 8 hour work day◦ The initiative (voters’ power to propose new ideas for

new state laws) and the referendum voters’ power to approve or reject new laws)

◦ Secret ballot◦ Popular election of senators instead of state

legislatures◦ Limit terms of president and vice president to one

The Populist Party

Inflate currency by printing paper money or coining silver. 16 silver dollars for every gold dollar. Populist believed there was a connection between the hording of gold coins and the lower prices they received on their products.

Populist wanted to create inflation

The Populists and Inflated Money

Election of 1896: William Jennings Bryant Silver Democrats v Northern and Eastern

Democrats whom favored gold. Bryant loses to William McKinley

Silver Against Gold

Successes of the PopulistsMinor parties sometimes have a major impact on politics

Graduated Income Tax

16th AmendmentPassed 1913

Popular electionOf Senators

17th AmendmentPassed 1913

Populist party dies out after election

of 1896Farm Prices Rise

Third parties even when they fail to get Elected frequently

address issues avoided by the

Major parties

Immigration Before the Civil War◦ Colonial Times British, French, Germans, Dutch,

Swedes, African slaves.◦ After the Revolution: British, Germans (including a

large number of Jews), Irish◦ Latin Americans1848 after the Mexican War.

Changes In Immigration

Italy, Greece, Russia, Austria-Hungary and other southern and eastern European citizens.

Assimilation issue: new immigrants not trusted by Americans.◦ Protestants vs Roman Catholics and Eastern

Orthodox◦ Did not speak English

New Immigration

Population pressures Recruitment campaigns Economic conditions Political Opposition Enter the Immigrants from Asia

◦ 300,000 Chinese◦ 150,000 Japanese

Reasons for Immigration

Built railroads Turned prairies and forests into farms Made NYC a garment industry center Opened Macys and Marshall Field’s Manned the factories Were scientists and inventors

Contributions

Nativism the belief that foreign born persons threatened the majority culture and should be barred from this country.

Know Nothings: 1849 political party favored restricting immigration.

The Yellow Peril: fear of the Chinese◦ Chinese Exclusion Act◦ 1908 Gentlemen’s Agreement

Nativist reaction

Immigration Restrictions

1882 Chinese Exclusion

Act

1882Pauper,

Convicts, & mentally defective

1891Prostitutes, polygamists & Diseased

persons

1917Literacy

Test

1921First quota law

Limited to 3% of the # arriving

In 1910

1924New Quota law

1. No Asians2. No more than 150,000

3. 2% of the number arriving in 1890