Submitted by: Submitted by HeyAsh
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Words: 257
Pages: 2
Category: US History
Date Submitted: 01/28/2013 04:57 PM
Do Now: Define Populism to the best of your knowledge......
Need a book today and for the rest of the week!
“People” against the “elites”
1890’s political movement: Populism: hoping to increase the political power of farmer
Worked for legislation for the farmer
1880’s Farmers fell on hard times.
People deserting their farms to head back East.
Problem: Money Supply: Greenbacks (paper money) caused inflation
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Inflation: decline in the value of money
Government response: stop printing greenbacks, pay back bonds
Stopped making coins from silver
Money supply did not meet needs of growing economy
Leads to “deflation” (increase in value of money)
Result of Deflation: farmers borrowed $ to plant crops
Now farmers wanted more greenbacks printed to increase money supply....some wanted government to mint silver into coins
Grange: national farm organization founded for social and educational purposes
Changed their focus to help farmers in need
Grangers put $ together and created cooperatives: pooled member’s crops and held them off market to force prices to rise.
They would negotiate better shipping rates from railroads
Grange not successful by 1870’s many farmers left in search of something better
Farmers’ Alliance 1877
Many joined in South and Great Plains
Also created large cooperatives called “exchanges” not successful
Too small to affect world prices, many discriminated against them....
Members of the Kansas Alliance formed the People’s Party or “Populists” to push for political reforms that would help farmers solve their problems
Most Southern leaders of the Alliance opposed the People’s Party; they wanted Democrats to retain control of the South