Western Farmers and the Industrial Revolution 

 

• The Industrial Revolution introduced many helpful new technologies to the agricultural community, and allowed farmers to ship their goods quickly all over the world to a wide range of customers, but it also led to a rapidly growing economy, which brought about or worsened inflation, depressions, and monopolies. The influence of this was that things the western farmers depended on, such as shipping their goods on trains, selling goods to big businesses, even buying land and houses, had their prices go up, which upset the farmers.

• One such thing that impacted western farmers was the tariff policy, because it meant that they had to buy the things they needed to survive at high prices "on a market protected by tariff legislation", while selling their own goods in a relatively insecure market at lower prices because of foreign competiton and overproduction. (ACC)

• Oliver Hudson Kelley was a farmer in Minnesota during the Industrial Revolution. He was a "progressive farmer," meaning he wanted to keep up with new farming technology and always have the newest development. He came up with the idea of a "national farmers' organization", which soon became a reality when he founded the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, or the Grange. (Roberts)

• Kelley used the group not only for social gains, but also to spread his low opinion of business monopolies and railroads that charged unfair prices, especially for farmers. The Grange's numbers skyrocketed, and the group still exists today. (Roberts)

• Although Kelley liked the new technology and methods the Industrial Revolution had introduced for farmers, he strove to bring farming back to its older values, and he saw this farmers' organization as a way to get them to work together for the good of them all. (NPS)

• Mary E. Lease was another western farmer, this time in Kansas, and she was a firey influence in society there. She was a populist orator, who supposedly told her fellow farmers in Kansas to "raise less corn and more hell." (KHS) This was not actually said by her, but when she found people quoting her for it, she did not correct them because she considered it "a right good piece of advice". (Edwards) This was in response to the "high mortgage interest and railroad rates" that Kansas farmers were so upset about. (KHS)

• She rose to power in the Populist Party because of participating in the revolting of Kansas farmers against such high rates, and she travelled all around to give her moving and powerful speeches. (KHS)

• Kelley and Lease both wanted the best for the western farmers, but while Lease was ready and raring to fight, whether with words or men, and encouraged others to do the same, Kelley was a bit more of a rule follower, trying to make a type of farming union that could spread his and other farmers' ideas to the whole community.

• Unfortunately, the will of the farmers was not enough to face off against the strongest monopolies American had ever seen, but new technologies would continue to be introduced, and to make the lives of those farmers who still survived, and didn't move to citeis, easier.