APUSH Farmer's Plight

"What you farmers need to do is raise less corn and more Hell"

Mary Elizabeth Lease

Free Silver

Political issue involving the unlimited coinage of silver, supported by farmers and William Jennings Bryan. Silver-->west Gold-->east

Interstate Commerce Commission

- a former independent federal agency that supervised and set rates for carriers that transported goods and people between states. - required railroads to publish rates openly - goal was to eliminate unfair business practices by regulating business -first regulatory agency

Munn v. Illinois

1877 Supreme Court decision that allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders Grain houses could be regulated by public law

Interstate Commerce Act

1887 *Established the Interstate Commerce Commission in part to monitor discrimination within railroad industry *Prohibited rebates and pools and required railroads to publish their rates *Also prohibited unfair discrimination against shippers and outlawed the practice of charging more for short hauls than long hauls *In general, the Act opened competition, the goal of which was to preserve equality and spur innovation

Farmers' Alliance

A Farmers' organization founded in late 1870s; worked for lower railroad freight rates, lower interest rates, and a change in the governments tight money policy Ran candidates for office

Granger Movement

A farmers' organization and movement that started as a social/educational association; the Grange later organized politically to pass a series of laws to regulate railroads in various states.

Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois

Declared that states could not regulate commerece that went beyond their boundaries. Instead, regulation had come from federal government

Hepburn Act (1906)

It imposed stricter control over railroads and expanded powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission, including giving the ICC the power to set maximum rates.

People's Party (Populists)

Started as Farmer's Alliance, farmers came together and became organized, translated into Populists. Wanted to unite farmers of south/west/poor blacks and whites and industrial/factory workers

Ocala Demands

This series of demands was the result of an 1892 farmers' convention held in Ocala, Florida. The farmers demanded: (1) the direct election of senators, (2) lower tariff rates, (3) a graduated income tax, and (4) a new banking system regulated by the federal government.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

an 1890 law that banned the formation of trusts and monopolies in the United States

Populists/ Populist party

people's party of the USA, farmer's alliances created it, party goals was to appeal for the common people, wanted to replace the gold standard, proposed free silver, wanted to limit the president and vice president to a single term, elect senators directly, and introduce the use of secret ballots, shorter work hours, national income tax