Infographic Template Galleries

Created with Fabric.js 1.4.5 1890's 1870's 1880's 1980's 1890's 1890's Late 1890's After Civil War: 1875 American agriculture expanded rapidly throughout the US. The Farmers Alliance was originally formed to attract new settlers, bring in new railroad lines, and raise the value of farmland. But the land boom turned to a bust and farming could not keep up with industry. Farmers soon found themselves in the middle of falling farm prices and heavy debt payments on land and machinery. When these attempts failed,the farmers alliance playeda role in establishing a nationalthird party known as"The Populist Party." The Farmers Alliance attempted to solve the financial problems by forming cooperative purchasing and marketing enterpirises. Farmers Alliance 1860-1890 In its prime, the Alliance contained 1.2 million members in twenty-seven states. Leaders included Leonidas Polk of North Carolina, William Peffer of Kansas, and Marion Cannon of California. These men were important rural citizens, whereas most other members were poor farmers. However, they all shared a vision of rural improvement. Dr. Charles W. Macune was the leader of the Farmers Alliance. He believed that the cause of rural poverty lay in the famers lack of organization and that farmers had to utilize the same professional and business methods that other commercial interests employed to gain political influence and bargaining strength in the national economy. It helped give poor farmers a voice. They unfolded a series of bold plans, which included building large-scale cooperative enterprises, such as the Texas Farmers' Alliance Exchange, eliminating the middlemen, and gaining direct access to major trading centers. They also built effective farm lobby in politics. It was the first time rural Americans had been so organized and so determined to improve their place within the commercial and social order. Decline of its cooperative enterprises and internal struggles, which were aggravated by its support of the Populist Party, led to the rapid demise of the farmers alliance. Membership numbers dropped and the Alliance eventually fizzled out. However it had majorly influenced both state and national politics, and some of its demands were enacted into federal law during the early twentieth century.
Create Your Free Infographic!