Mackenzie’s Group
American agriculture has always been a huge part of the economic stability of
America. As the American government and economy started to change and technology
advanced in 1865, though, the American ways of agriculture also really started to change.
Technology played a big role in changing the agriculture status. It allowed farmers to
expand westward and produce more of their crops. The American government really started
to get involved in the farmers’ and other peoples’ lives especially if it could benefit them, like
in the Munn vs. Illinois when the government controlled freight rates in Illinois, In many
cases, this hurt the farmers, their lives, and their economic opportunity. Economically, the
farmers tried to protect themselves by making an alliance called the Farmers’ Alliance,
which eventually made itself into the Populist political party.
Technology greatly affected the American agriculture. New inventions and the newly
constructed railroads made the farmers’ jobs easier and more efficient. The railroad
expansion, at first, angered farmers but later they learned to appreciate the railroads. The
railroads helped farmers transport goods from the west to the east. Railroads also helped
farmers expand westward to new farmland. (Document B) The invention of the wheat
harvest allowed farmers to harvest a mass production of wheat. It made the harvesting
process much easier and quicker for farmers. The harvest plow also allowed farmers to
expand their farms, and plant more wheat and rye.
The economy was of great concern to many people between 1865 and
1890.Statistically during this time period, the price of their crops such as wheat, cotton, and
corn decreased as shown in the chart (Document A). Many farmers like Mary Elizabeth
Lease were frustrated that even when they follow government policy says to do to be
financially stable, they still don’t have enough money and aren’t getting much for their work
and what they’re producing.(Document G) The economy and hard money were also issues
debated between political parties. William Jennings Bryan’s Cross of Gold speech basically
won him the Democratic nomination for the 1896 and 1900 elections.The economy was
suffering because some people wanted silver and some people wanted gold. There was no
definitive form of hard money until William McKinley won the election. The Farmers’
Alliance, which was made up of farmers and which eventually formed the Populist party,
desperately wanted silver to be the nation’s form of hard money because it had basically an
unlimited supply and it would greatly help the farmers but alas, gold became the hard
money and therefore the economy suffered.
As the nineteenth century went on the government affected agriculture. Munn vs.
Illinois is when the Supreme Court was dealing with regulating public warehouses and their
inspections. It also regulating the handling of grain in Illinois. The farmers response to this
legislative change is that they were annoyed, they didn’t want the restriction on the freight
rates. They didn’t think it was fair that these limitations only applied to Illinois (Doc C).
Another event affected the farmers is the Omaha Platform. This is when the Populist Party
came together and talked about monetizing silver. The Dawes Severalty Act took away the
farmers land, while giving the Indians legal rights to their tribes, 25 years of citizenship, and
160 acres of land. THe farmers were very annoyed by this, not only were they furious with
the fact of the indians citizenship, but they were frustrated at the fact that they received
millions of acres of nourished land, that the farmers couldn’t use for farming(Doc I). They
didn’t think the Native Americans deserved it.
American agriculture changed greatly in the late nineteenth century. The technology
monopolized, railroads became popular as well as steel plows becoming more popular. The
economy became more financially stable and Farmer’s Alliance produced the Populist
party, who wanted to monetize silver. Government policy produced laws that seemed unfair
and caused the farmers to become frustrated such as: The Dawes Severalty Act and the
Legislative act in Munn vs. Illinois. All of these aspects changed American agriculture
greatly.