Settling the Great Plains and Farmers and the Populist Movement Settlers of the Great Plains transform the land and farmers united to address their economic problems, giving rise to the Populist movement. Opening Activity: Think about the students that set the trends at TUHS. In a paragraph discuss what they all have in common.
1. Directions: Causes Taking Notes Identify the causes of the rise of the Populist Party and the effects the party had. 1. Effects 2. Populist Party 2. 3. 3. Define the following terms: Homestead Act bonanza farms bimetallism exodusters Grange gold standard soddy Farmers Alliance William McKinley Morrill Act Populism William Jennings Bryan
I. Settlers Move Westward to Farm A. Railroads Open the West -1850-1871, huge land grants to railroads for laying track in West. -1860s, Central Pacific goes east, Union Pacific west, meet in Utah. -By 1880s, 5 transcontinental railroads completed. -Railroads sell land to farmers, attract many European immigrants.
B. Government Support for Settlement -1862 Homestead Act offers 160 acres free to any head of household. *1862-1900, up to 600,000 families settle. -Exodusters Southern African-American settlers in Kansas. -Railroad, state agents, speculators profit: only 10% of land went to families. -Government strengthens act, passes new legislation for settlers Oklahoma Sooner State.
C. Dugouts and Soddies -Few trees, so many settlers dig homes into sides of ravines or hills. -In plains, make soddy or sod home by stacking blocks of turf.
D. Technical Support for Farmers -Mass market for farm machines develops with migration to plains: John Deere s steel plow (1837), reaping machine (1847), springtooth harrow (1869), grain drill (1841), barbed wire (1874), corn binder (1878), and steel windmill. -1830, producing a bushel of grain 183 minutes by 1900, 10 minutes. -Morrill Act (1862 and 1890) finances agriculture colleges Hatch Act (1887) creates agriculture experiment stations research; turned the plains into the breadbasket of the nation.
E. Farmers in Debt -Railroads, investors create bonanza farms huge, single-crop spreads. -1885-1890 drought bankrupt single-crop operations. -Rising cost of shipping grain pushes farmers into debt.
II. Farmers Unite to Address Common Problems A. Economic Distress -Farmers buy more land to grow more crops to pay off debt. -After Civil War, government takes greenbacks out of circulation. -Debtors have to pay loans in dollars worth more than those borrowed. -Prices of crops fall dramatically 1867-1887 bushel of wheat, $2.00 to 68. -1870s, debtors push government to put more money in circulation. -1878 Bland-Allison Act increased money supply, but wasn t enough for farmers.
B. Problems with the Railroads -Lack of competition lets railroads overcharge to transport grains. -Farms mortgaged to buy supplies; suppliers charge high interest.
C. The Farmers Alliances -1867, Oliver Hudson Kelley starts Patrons of Husbandry or Grange purpose is educational, social: by 1870s, fighting railroads. -Farmers Alliances groups of farmers and sympathizers: *Lecture on interest rates, government control of railroads, banks. *Gained over 4 million members.
III. The Rise and Fall of Populism A. The Populist Party Platform -Populism movement of the people; Populist Party wants reforms: *Economic: increase money supply, graduated income tax, federal loans. *Political: Senate elected by popular vote; secret ballot; 8- hour day, restrictions on immigration. -1892, Populist candidates elected at different levels of government: Democratic Party eventually adopts platform.
Farmers and laborers (especially miners) proved to be the Populist Party's strongest supporters. In this cartoon, the fruits of their labor are being stolen by financial interests through foreclosures, interest, rents, etc.
B. The Panic of 1893 -Railroads expand faster than markets; some go bankrupt. -Farmers were overextended with dept. -Government s gold supply depleted (people traded silver notes for gold government still obligated to buy silver), leads to rush on banks (traded paper money for gold): *Over 15,000 businesses and 500 banks collapse stock market crashes. *Panic becomes a depression 1/5 of work force lost their jobs.
C. Silver and Gold -Political divisions also regional: *Republicans: Northeast business owners, bankers. *Democrats: Southern, Western farmers, laborers. -Bimetallism system using both silver and gold to back currency. -Gold Standard backing currency with gold only. -Paper money considered worthless if cannot be exchanged for metal. -Silverites: bimetallism would create more money, stimulate economy risk inflation. -Gold bugs: gold only would create more stable, if expensive currency risk deflation.
D. Bryan and the Cross of Gold -1896, Republicans commit to gold, select William McKinley as presidential candidate. -Democrats favor bimetallism, choose William Jennings Bryan. -Populists endorse Bryan, choose their own vice president to maintain party identity.
E. The End of Populism -McKinley gets East, industrial Midwest; Bryan South, farm Midwest. -McKinley elected president people feared inflation. -Populism collapses; leaves legacy: *The powerless can organize, have political impact. *Union, liberal reforms enacted in 20 th century.
1. The lasting effect of the Party was it showed that the poor and disadvantaged could organize and gain power in government. 2. The use of the secret ballot was one method to stop fraud. 3. Populists is the name of the political group who believed many changes should be made in the United States, one of which included giving people a greater in politics. 4. The intent of the Act was to encourage families to develop the West. 5. Farmers and laborers favored which would add more money into circulation and increase inflation. 6. Bankers and businessmen favored the which would put less money into circulation and increase deflation. Words: Review Questions Homestead election voice gold standard Populist bimetallism