Railroad Prices and Debt
- Railroads charged farmers high prices due to lack of competition
- Many farmers mortgaged their farms to buy more seed and supplies
- Crop prices fell due to overproduction
- After the Civil War, the amount of money in circulation went down, so money became more valuable which made it harder to pay back debt
- Farmers wanted more money in circulation
- This would cause inflation which would be good for crop prices
The Grange
- The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
- An organization that helped farmers
- Started after the Civil War (1867) and is still around today
Granger Laws
- Series of state laws passed in several Midwestern states - Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois-in the late 1860s and early 18870s
- Designed to fight back against railroad abuses
- Wanted railroads and grain elevators to charge fair price
Interstate Commerce Act
- Allowed the US Government to supervise railroads
- Required railroad rates to be "fair and just"
- Set up Interstate Commerce Commission to carry out law
- Failed to help farmers at first
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