Farmer Life
● The surplus of crops caused prices to fall, making them ________ ___________
Less valuable
The Populist Movement was a political movement aiming to represent the interests of ________ __________, especially _____________.
The Populist Movement was a political movement aiming to represent the interests of "ordinary people", especially "farmers".
Advocated for ___________ control of railroads, lower ____________, and _________ to benefit farmers.
Advocated for "government" control of railroads, lower "tariffs", and "reforms" to benefit farmers.
Economics:
1.) What is a progressive income tax?
2.) Why did farmers want this tax enacted in law?
1.) A progressive income tax is where the tax rate would increase with the amount of a person's income.
2.) They believed that the wealthy should pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes compared to those who earned less.
This idea reflected a deep-rooted belief in economic equality and the idea that the rich should contribute more to support the government and society
Cross of Gold:
Who was the author of this speech?
William Jennings Bryan
Since farmers were lowering their prices of their crops, they struggled paying off their monthly ___________ for their houses/farms due to debt
mortgages
It focused on economic fairness, ______ control of industries like railroads, and political reform. (against ___________)
It focused on economic fairness, "government" control of industries like railroads, and political reform. (against "monopolies")
The Grange was formed to advocate for the ________ and ___________ reforms for farmers, such as regulation of ___________ and warehouses.
The Grange was formed to advocate for the "social" and "economic" reforms for farmers, such as regulation of "railroads" and warehouses.
Political:
1.) What is the 8 hour work day?
2.) Why would farmers want this?
1.) The 8 hour work day is a significantly shorter time compared to the original 12-16 hours. Basically, the government/monopolies would be cutting their work hours in half.
2.) Aimed at improving working conditions, reducing exploitation, and creating a more balanced life for workers.
The eight-hour workday symbolized a more humane approach to labor, recognizing the need for rest and leisure in addition to work.
Cross of Gold:
William Jennings Bryan spoke mainly about the problem with the currency (money) within the United States?
1.) Explain what the original standard of currency was.
2.) Explain why this standard of currency was a problem for farmers, industrial workers, and other working class groups of people.
William Jennings Bryan spoke about the currency backed by GOLD.
This was a major problem since GOLD was held mostly by the rich individuals/families/companies/govt. in the United States
Explain did the government not care about farmer's losing their property?
Hint: The answer is a "process" of building/creating more of these.
The government did not care about farmer's losing their property so they could further URBANIZE the Industrial United States.
The Populist Movement led to the formation of the Populist Party which worked in collaboration with farmers’ organizations such as the _________ __________ and the _____________.
The Populist Movement led to the formation of the Populist Party which worked in collaboration with farmers’ organizations such as the "Farmers’ Alliance" and the "Grange".
Influenced the formation of the Farmers’ Alliance and collaborated on shared goals, such as ___________ and _________ __________.
(_____ ____ ______)
Influenced the formation of the Farmers’ Alliance and collaborated on shared goals, such as "regulation" and "fair pricing".
("pricing on transportation")
Social:
1.) Who had access to education during this era of the Gilded Age?
2.) Why did Farmers want access to education?
1.) The people who had access to education were mostly white middle-upper class U.S. citizens. Primarily white men.
2.) The Populist Party advocated for public education accessible to everyone, regardless of socio-economic status. They believed that an educated group of people would be better equipped to participate in democracy and make informed decisions.
Social:
1.) Which two groups did the Populist Party try to unite?
2.) Why?
1.) Farmers and laborers (industrial workers)
2.) The party aimed to bring these two groups together, as both faced economic challenges and exploitation by large corporations.
By fostering cooperation and unity, the Populists believed they could stand up to big businesses and push for changes that would benefit both farmers and workers.
Explain what kinds of climate conditions farmers experienced and how it affected the crops
Farmers experienced:
1.) Extreme droughts which led to dried up soil, incapable of cultivating new/healthy crops
2.) Extreme flooding due to rainfall led to the soil not allowing air and sun to work together for further crop cultivation
Economic Challenges: Farmers faced falling crop prices due to ___________, high __________ costs due to lack of regulation, and struggles with ___________ and potential loss of land.
Economic Challenges: Farmers faced falling crop prices due to "overproduction", high "transportation" costs due to lack of regulation, and struggles with "mortgages" and potential loss of land.
Choose all of the appropriate of the hardships that farmers faced during the Gilded Age.
There are 3 hardships listed below:
- Sweatshops
- Overproduction
- Underproduction
- High railroad transportation fees
- Mortgages
- Overproduction
- High railroad transportation fees
- Mortgages
Economic:
Why did farmers advocate for government regulation on the wealthy railroad corporations?
Railroads were a vital part of the American economy but were largely controlled by wealthy corporations, leading to high shipping rates.
They believed that government intervention would lead to fair pricing, improved service, and reduced corruption.
Political:
1.) What is a secret ballot?
2.) Why did farmers want this "secret ballot"?
3.) What is the overall pros to having a secret ballot?
1.) Voting done in a private and anonymous act
2.) Voters were susceptible to intimidation, bribery, or coercion.
3.) The introduction of the secret ballot helped to increase voter independence, reduce corruption, and make the electoral process more democratic
Farmers valued "education" and "civic engagement". Why did they rely on these two elements?
"Civic" pertains to the "social" element of Social Studies.
Farmers valued civic engagement because they wanted to prioritize community engagement. They held Farmer Picnics, Meetings, and Councils in order to talk about their mistreatment from monopolies/robber barons.
They also valued education since the need in being literate was mandatory to better understand the mistreatment professional (contracts) and how to coordinate strikes.
Political Factors: Farmers also faced a lack of ___________ for farmers’ interests in government and a heavy influence of big ____________ over political decisions. (_____________)
Political Factors: Farmers also faced a lack of "representation" for farmers’ interests in government and a heavy influence of big "businesses" over political decisions. ("Laissez-Faire")
Why did the Populist Party ultimately fail?
Provide at least 1 example and explain why
Mary Elizabeth Lease:
Although Mary Lease was a strong advocate for farmers, industrial workers, and ordinary people in general.
1.) What was a negative bias she possessed?
2.) How does this change the narrative of farmers fighting for equality and justice?
Explain in detail
Answer judged by Mr. Benitez
Economic/William Jennings Bryan:
1.) What currency did farmers and industrial workers want to introduce?
2.) What is this combination of currency called?
3.) Why did they want to introduce this?
1.) Silver
2.) Bimetallism: The currency combined with both silver and gold
3.) The country's currency was based on the gold standard (every dollar was backed by a specific amount of gold).
However, gold was in limited supply, leading to deflation.
The Populist Party advocated for bimetallism, a system that would also include silver as a basis for currency. This would increase the money supply, potentially making credit more accessible to farmers and boosting the economy