Farmers Road to Satisfaction
analytical Essay
968 words
Leading up to the end of the 1800’s, agricultural was losing its place as the largest economy in the United States. Farmers felt that they were under-appreciated and taken advantage of, even though they produced food to be distributed nationwide. Although agriculture was imperative to the survival of the nation, farmers faced devastating natural causes, outrageously high rates on land and transportation, and unsuccessful tries in politics.
In 1849, agriculture was the leading economy in the United States. As time passed, other economies grew, while the agriculture economy diminished by half in just 50 years and was overtaken by the manufacturing industry. (Doc G) Farmers struggled for success and support, but instead received very little of either. According to the Agricultural Department, the summer of 1894 brought many hardships to the crops nationwide. Crops in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota all were damaged by droughts, while New Jersey crops suffered from an abundance of rain. Temperatures and insect also devastated the crops. Nebraska was the only state able to maintain stable crops that summer. (Doc H) Despite the occasional force of nature working against them, the farmers continued to struggle and preserved to grow and harvest their crops. In 1896, a supporter of agriculture, William Jennings Bryan, explained the importance of farms in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech. He stated that a ruined city could rise again, but all walks of life would be devastated if farms were destroyed. (Doc A) The people did not understand the importance agriculture had in their lives, and by taking it for granted they further aggravated the suffering farmers.
Once the Civil War had ended,...
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...ted States, but his defeat confirmed that it be untrue. Once again, the Populists had appeal to the minority party of farmers, leaving the majority of business men to be appealed to the opposing candidate, William McKinley. (Doc I) This led to another Populists defeat, putting McKinley in the White House.
For years, the farmers faced trial after trial from natural, social, and political foes. Natural causes and outrageous rates were waiting to strike at any moment, devastating all their hard work. In order to find success, farmers joined together as the Populist party to try and gain influence in the politics of the United States. While they did acquire supporters along the way, it was not enough to gain the victory of the Presidency. Despite all these hardships, the farmers continued to preserve so that one day they would gain the support and success they deserved.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that agriculture was losing its place as the largest economy in the united states. farmers faced devastating natural causes, outrageous rates on land and transportation, and unsuccessful tries in politics.
- Explains that agriculture was the leading economy in the united states in 1849, but the agriculture economy diminished by half in just 50 years and was overtaken by manufacturing industry.
- Analyzes how the civil war left newly freed blacks with little to no means of supporting themselves or their families.
- Explains that the interstate commerce commission's limitations benefitted the railroad system, but the populists' presidential campaign was viewed as appealing to the lazy, incapable, and greedy.
- Explains that farmers faced trial after trial from natural, social, and political foes, devastating all their hard work. they joined together as the populist party to gain influence in the politics of the united states.
Related
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- Farmers of the late 1800's: Changing the Shape of American Politicsexplanatory essayThe farmers of the late 1800s had many reasons for being dissatisfied with their situation. Unfair railroad practices, such as rebates and drawbacks, hurt them severely. Even common issues of shortage of money, drought, and mortgages were all issues that hurt farmers economically. The farmers of the period, though, used these issues to change the shape of American politics.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the period between 1870 and 1900 was a time to change politics. the country was free from war and was united as one nation.
- Explains how the railroads hurt small shippers and farmers by offering rebates and drawbacks to win business. the farmers formed national grange of patrons of husbandry to protest the rates.
- Explains that despite the prosperity predictions that lured new settlers to the plains, the reality was more difficult. the farmers claimed that they did not have enough land, money, and transportation.
- Describes how the grange, farmers' alliance, and populist party sought to restore their grievances through organization.
- Explains that the farmers of the late 1800s were dissatisfied with their situation. unfair railroad practices, shortage of money, drought, and mortgages hurt them economically.
998 wordsRead More - Agrarian Discontent 1880 To 1900analytical essayThe period between 1880 and 1900 was a boom time for American Politics. The country was finally free of the threat of war, and many of its citizens were living comfortably. However, as these two decades went by, the American farmer found it harder and harder to live comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once the sustenance of the agriculture industry, were selling at prices so low that it was nearly impossible for farmers to make a profit off them. Furthermore, improvement in transportation allowed foreign competition to materialize, making it harder for American farmers to dispose of surplus crop. Mother Nature was also showing no mercy with grasshoppers, floods, and major droughts that led to a downward spiral of business that devastated many of the nation’s farmers. As a result of the agricultural depression, numerous farms groups, most notably the Populist Party, arose to fight what the farmers saw as the reasons for the decline in agriculture. During the final twenty years of the nineteenth century, many farmers in the United States saw monopolies and trusts, railroads, and money shortages and the loss in value of silver as threats to their way of life, all of which could be recognized as valid complaints.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the period between 1880 and 1900 was a boom time for american politics. however, the american farmer found it hard to live comfortably.
- Analyzes how the growth of the railroad hurt small shippers and farmers in many ways. the railroads used rebates and drawbacks to win business.
- Explains how railroads tried to end competition by establishing pools to divide traffic equally and charge similar rates. the pool lacked legal status, while the trust centralized control over a number of different companies.
- States that the interstate commerce act of 1887 was passed to establish a commission to oversee fair and just railway rates, prohibit rebates, end discriminatory practices, and require annual reports and financial statements.
- Explains the rise of monopolies and trusts in the nineteenth century. falling prices, along with the need for better efficiency in industry, led to companies like carnegie steel and standard oil.
- Explains that congress passed the sherman antitrust act in 1890, which outlawed trusts and other restraints of trade.
- Explains that john d. rockefeller, head of standard oil, competed ardently to not crush out his competitors, but instead to persuade them to join the business.
- Analyzes how deflation and falling prices led to the bitter complaint of farmers and the populist party that grew out of agricultural discontent.
- Analyzes how the wealthy eastern businessman controlled a huge number of western farmers. the more these industrial businessmen increased their prices along their railroads and factories, the more the farmers suffered.
- Explains that the farmers of the late 1800's had many reasons for being dissatisfied with their situation. unfair railroad practices, such as rebates and drawbacks, hurt them severely.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that farmers in the late nineteenth century were being taken advantage of by railroad companies and banks. industrialization created big businesses and capitals, allowing corporations to overtake farmers.
- Explains that industrialization allowed farmers to modernize their techniques. however, since these tools were too expensive to buy, farmers went to the banks to borrow money, which caused them to fall into debt.
- Analyzes how railroad companies scammed farmers by using rebates and drawbacks to win the business of large shippers.
- Analyzes how the railroad companies justified their actions by claiming that if they did not give rebates, they would not make enough profit to stay in business.
- Explains that the money circulation in united states from 1865-1895 was in shortage. the population had increased throughout the years, but the circulation of money had only increased to a minor extent.
- Explains that farmers saw monopolies and trusts, railroads and money shortages as threats to their way of life. the populist party believed that changes were needed to prevent agrarian discontent.
- Argues that the populist idea of free silver didn't satisfy many people in the government and the economy, such as william mckinley.
- Explains how the american farmers found it hard to live comfortably. improvement in transportation made it easier for foreign competition to gain the upper hand, making it harder for farmers to dispose of extra crops.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that farmers' incomes were low, and in order to make a profit on what they produced, they began to expand the regions in which they sold their products.
- Analyzes how the rates and lack of support from the government angered farmers and led to the formation of the grange, led by oliver hudson kelly.
- Explains how the changes in american agriculture were molded by economic change, government policy, and technology in the period of 1865-1900.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how farmers' discontent during the period 1870 – 1900 had an impact on their attitudes and actions towards politics. manufacturing had a growth spurt and agricultural started to decline.
- Explains that the high rates of being a farmer made it difficult to make payments on the lands. railroads were important to farmers because they took farmers out to their land, carried their produce to markets, and brought them manufactured goods.
- Explains that farmers were the main supply for a country back then. in william jennings bryan's speech called cross of gold, he said, "burn down your cities and leave our farms."
- Explains how the colored farmers were affected by the civil war and how they had to depend on the local merchant or someone else to supply their food while the crop was being made.
- Explains that the government was telling people to keep growing, which led to the surplus of crops and people also needed money. people demanded transportation and the abolition of the national bank.
- Explains that the interstate commercial commission came to a time of stop and the government could easily take advantage of it. soon after, the farmers were losing land for the production of railroads.
- Explains that cleveland won the election of 1892. he brought new ideas and was an inspiration to all including the opposite parties.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that agrarian discontent in the late nineteenth century stemmed from supposed threats posed by monopolies and trusts, railroads and money shortages.
- Analyzes how agrarian complaints against monopolies were not incredibly valid. weaver summed up the feelings of farmers during the great uprising in his book, a call to action.
- Analyzes how the railroads hurt small shippers and farmers more than they helped them in the late nineteenth century.
- Analyzes how deflation and falling prices led to the most bitter complaint of farmers and the populist party that grew out of agricultural discontent.
- Analyzes how the battle between gold and silver had little real meaning in the farmers' problems. the discovery of gold in alaska and improved methods of extracting gold later on did much to increase the nation's money supply.
- Explains that farmers of the late 1800's were dissatisfied with their situation. unfair railroad practices, such as rebates and drawbacks, hurt them severely, and their view of silver as a way to end deflation and the decline in crop values was inaccurate.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how agriculture became an important part of the u.s. history in the 1900's, when the economy fell and desperately tried to climb back up.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
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