Farm Economics and Populism (1862-1890)

Grade 8: Ch. 19, Sec. 4

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, hundreds of thousands of immigrants came to America in search of land and opportunity

“We do not dig gold with pocket knives, we do not expect to become rich in a few days or in a few years, but what we aim at is to own our own homes. The advantage which America offers is not to make everyone rich at once, without toil and trouble, but that the poor can work up little by little.”- Swedish Immigrant Olaf Olsson

Immigration to America

America wanted to expand out west, so settlers were enticed with free land

Homestead Act (1862): offered 160 acres of free land to anyone who agreed to live on it and farm or improve it for five years

Many jumped at the opportunity, especially escaped slaves

Nicknamed Exodusters because they were compared to the Hebrews fleeing Egypt in the Bible

The Great Land Giveaway

Life was not easy, as each season brought on extreme weather◦ Winter: freezing temperatures and snow◦ Summer: harsh winds and high temperatures◦ Spring: severe flooding caused by melting snow

Wood was in a short supply (lack of trees) and water was hard to come by

Houses had to be built out of sod blocks, which was a layer of thick prairie soil◦ Farmers who built with this method were called

sodbusters

Farm Life on the Frontier

Women had more freedoms out west◦ Instead of being housewives, they were allowed to own

land◦ Were not confined to the inside of the home, but worked

alongside their husbands in the fields Many single women, including older widows, and

some younger who never married, were attracted to the large open spaces of the west, and a chance at a new life

New political rights◦ Women could vote in Wyoming as early as 1869◦ By the 1890’s, women could also vote in Colorado, Utah,

and Idaho

Changing Role of Women

Necessity the mother of all invention◦ In 1837, John Deere invented the first steel plow◦ It was improved in 1868 by James Oliver, who

made it bigger and stronger◦ Windmills invented to pump water out from deep

in the earth◦ Barbed wire invented to keep cattle from roaming

off a farmer’s property◦ Reapers invented to harvest crops

Between 1860 and 1890, crop production doubles

New Farming Technology

The number of farmers out west had increased◦ More farmers = more product◦ More product = less demand◦ Less demand = cheaper prices◦ Cheaper prices = economic crisis

◦ What do we call the term used to describe the above financial problem?

Economic Problems for Farmers

Farmers were making less money selling crops, but had to spend more to run their farms and buy equipment

Farming machinery was becoming more expensive, and railroads were charging more money to ship crops to the east

In 1867, a group of farmers organized and called themselves the Grange, and helped poor farmers meet their needs by buying equipment and selling it at lower rates, and also selling the crops directly to merchants

Farmers Organize

1877: members of the Grange ask the federal government to regulate (or control) the high prices being charged by railroads to ship crops

A law eventually passed to do just that, because it was seen as something helping the American people

Help from the Government

In the 1890’s, several farm groups joined together and created their own political party called the Populist Party, or “People’s Party”

Ideas:◦ Make coins out of silver◦ No limit on the amount produced◦ Silver was plentiful, so they figured it would cause

inflation, meaning the money would not be worth as much, therefore, farmers could charge more money for crops

Populism

At the time, every dollar was worth a certain amount in gold, known as the Gold Standard

Populist opponents wanted to stay on the Gold Standard, because the supply is limited and there could be no inflation. Gold was also worth more

The Gold Standard

Populist Party joined the Democratic Party◦ Supported William Jennings Bryan, who ran for

president against William McKinley. Bryan was very much in support of the farmers

They debated which would be more beneficial, gold or silver◦ Bryan supported Silver, but McKinley warned that a

silver standard would mean higher prices for food Just three years earlier, in 1893, America was

in an economic crisis, and agreed with McKinley

Election of 1896

According to William Jennings Bryan, one of the great public speakers of the time:

◦ “Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the street of every city in the country. We answer their demand for the gold standard by saying you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Farming Importance

McKinley Defeats Bryan

McKinley: 271

Bryan: 176

No longer are the prairies open, wild, and untamed

Farms and fenced in lands began to take over the once open land

In 1889, there was only one unclaimed area of land, located in Oklahoma. It was Indian territory, reserved for Indians◦ By 1890, it was gone, changed from Indian Territory

to Oklahoma Territory The frontier was officially declared gone later that year.

17 million people lived between Mississippi and California

Frontier Life Ends