Preview

AGRARIAN DISCONTENT DBQ

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
643 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
AGRARIAN DISCONTENT DBQ
Between 1880-1900, farmers believed that the railroad companies were swindling away their profits and that the government favored big business. The farmers had every reason to feel some sort of discontent because of their predicament as well as the fact that the government saw a need for reform which created the notion that problems existed. Farmers were correct in arguing that the United States’ money supply was not what it should be; over 30 years the population nearly double while the money circulation rose by only 60 %( Doc C). Railroads had a monopoly on shipping which raised costs and affected profit, the value of crops deflated, and big business was a strong opponent to the much needed 'Free Silver Movement' that farmers were relying on. The first major topic regarding farmers discontent with their economic situation involves the shipping monopolies controlled by the railroad companies. The cost of transportation was spiraling out of control, there was never any certainty when it came to exactly what it would cost for a farmer to ship his crop. Profit became a scarcity with the cost of shipping amounting to much more than the worth of the crop (Doc H). The ridiculous demands of railroad companies can also be compared to the crop deflation that made it that much more difficult to provide for one’s family, the companies claimed that the operating expense of the railroads demanded such intimidating shipping costs (Doc G). Farmer’s were left exasperated and often had no choice but to foreclose on their farms because no profit was to be made, this can also be seen within the fact that the United States’ money supply was not what it should have been, over 30 years the population nearly doubled while the money circulation rose by only 60 %( Doc C). “All his calculations as to a profit on his little investment he had based on freight rate of two cents a pound. Good money never made times hard (Doc B).
Secondly, Farmer's also struggled economically due to the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    dbq's for APUSH 1848-1920

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    2007 DBQ – Because of the political, industrial, and economic challenges that the farmers were forced to face, American agriculture suffered during the late nineteenth century.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the period 1865-1900, technology, government policy, and economic conditions all changed American agriculture a great deal. New farming machinery had a large role in the late 19th century, giving farmers the opportunity to produce a lot more crops than they used to. The railroads had an enormous influence on agriculture. They were able to charge the farmers large fees, expenses that farmers barely had enough to cover, in order to transport their goods throughout the expansive country. The booming industry also changed American agriculture, creating monopolies and gaining incredible wealth with which the farmers simply could not compete. Economically, the monetary policy along with the steadily dropping prices of agricultural produce led farmers further into debt, eventually producing outcomes such as the crop-lien system and sharecropping. All of these tie into government policy which favored the large and wealthy industries and monopolies over the farmers.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The new railroads profoundly affected farm owners in both good and bad ways. In some good ways…

    • 205 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    History Dbq 2012

    • 1940 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The growth of corporations in post-Civil War America led to economic deflation which subsequently widened the gap between the rich and the poor, paving the way for a change in labor and the relationships between social classes. The chart form Historical Statistics of the United States depicts the connection of the increase in big business with the improved innovations of mass production in agriculture. While improved farming equipment increased the crop production, the demand for produce declined, creating economic deflation. In response to the farmer’s plight, Charles Macune came up with the idea of the subtreasury plan, a plan that would allow farmers to store their nonperishable commodities in government warehouses until the market prices rose. Also, as a response to the farmer’s struggle the Farmer’s Alliance was created with the intention of alleviating farming hardships. Similar to agricultural mass production, Theodore Dreiser’s Sister…

    • 1940 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The populist Farmers were farmers that were generally angry over the increased amount of city industrialization and the decrease in agricultural farm land. Most farmers believed they were the reason America became successful and as developed as it is today. However, they believed that their original American government was being taken away from them. The developments that affected the farmers the most were factories, banks, and railroads. Farmers believed the developers tried to take away all of the hard earned money from them. The money spent on the equipment to take care of the crops and shipping in the long run was decreasing the farmers’ overall income as the cities’ industrialization grew. Most farmers borrowed money to afford taking care…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Society of Sturdy independent farmers: The American economy became more diverse and complex. Growing cities, surging commerce and expanding industrialism made the ideal of a simple agrarian society impossible to maintain.…

    • 2026 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the time of the late nineteenth century, the telecommunication revolution, or globalization, was beginning to make its start in American history. Communication and transportation was becoming faster with the new advances in the technological world. This made large businesses grow, creating large fortunes from the new railroad business However, the farmers if America took a hard hit ti these advances. Food prices were decreasing, and farmers were producing more crops than the economy could consume. Because if the changes in economy, the farmers had grown in discontent with the government, and the fingers were being pointed at the large scale business leaders. In the late nineteenth century, the farmers had a valid reason that big businesses were decreasing away the profits of their work, and into the railroad companies and that banks were taking advantage of the farmers, causing the great agrarian discontent.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Black Tuesday

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages

    During the 1920s American farmers faced difficult times especially only making up one forth of the workforce. Many farmers saw several opportunities for increasing their production by buying an increase of harvest yields and land to put under plow in order to meet the demands created by World War 1. Farmers also bought expensive tractors and other merchandize farm equipment and by doing so led farmers into huge debt and additional mortgage payments. Later, demands fell nearly hitting rock bottom and hitting it hard. But in spite of the drop postwar production remained high due to increasing merchandise of farm equipment and methods. However, failing to sell off crop surpluses and pay banks and other institutions created more problems. Through the mid 1930s farmers faced additional problems and looked for the governments help. Dust storms and droughts hit hard through the Great Plains and the high plains, regions of Texas, Oklahoma,…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American family farmer felt the pressure from large corporations seizing their lands for pennies on the dollar while banks breathed down their necks waiting to foreclose on their properties; a David versus Goliath epic battle where…

    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Agriculture Dbq

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages

    During this time period, the large businesses were greatly influencing America politically, socially and economically. It was the large companies that were making all the money while farmers found themselves in poverty due to the overproduction of products. The farmers thought that government should produce more money by adding silver to the Gold Standard. By creating this inflation, there would be a more economic balance between the farmers and large companies. The people in the cities of course did not favor changing the Gold Standard because then they would lose power because the value of their money would go down (Document J). As a result of the industrialization in America, there was an increase in economics because of smart business people like Rockefeller and Carnegie that was able to use their knowledge to increase wealth in the nation. Farmers were being left behind in this economic advancement because they were no longer the primary economic influence in America. As a result of farmers getting into more and more debt, it led to the crop-lien system and sharecropping (Document E). The crop-lien system allowed farmers to gain credit before the planting season by borrowing from merchants the anticipated value of their harvest. The economic conditions were hard on the farmers due to the freight rates and high land prices. A radical supporter of the agricultural movement, Mary…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the time of this economic boom, the agricultural sector of the US began to decline in growth. More and more jobs were being pushed out towards the cities which led to less people working on farms since most Americans saw big cities as being the best place for opportunity and income. The price of farm products was also on the decline during the 20s and this decline in prices lowered the profits for farmers. Farmers accounted for nearly one-fourth of the nation’s workers and this decline in income, to an average yearly income of 273 dollars, began to weigh down the nation’s economy since the average for workers in other occupations was 750 dollars a year. Agriculture was once the foundation of American economy before industrialization. Without this consistent and solid foundation the American economy became too dependent on industries that had a tendency to fluctuate from profitable to non-profitable.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1983 dbq

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the late 1800s, many farmers were trapped in a vicious economic cycle. Crops prices began falling and farmers were often forced into mortgaging their farms so they could buy more land and produce more crops to break even. Good farming land was becoming rare and the banks took over the mortgages of farmers who couldn't make payments on their loans. The railroads, on the other end, took advantage of farmers by charging them extreme prices for shipping and storage. Both equally frustrating the farmer, who pretty much resembled a larger economic problem because if he wasn't doing well then the whole nation can’t do well either.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Depression (Narrative Essay) During the great depression many farmers, such as I ,were about average in value because we grew the food, but we weren’t high enough in value to keep our land when we couldn’t make our payments.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Documents A-H reveal some of the problems that many farmers in the late nineteenth century(1880-1900)saw as threats to their way of life.(a)explain the reasons for agrarian discontent and(b)evaluate the validity of the farmers' complaints.…

    • 664 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    2007 Apush Dbq Essay

    • 1243 Words
    • 5 Pages

    UNITED STATES HISTORY SECTION II Part A (Suggested writing time—45 minutes) Percent of Section II score—45 Directions: The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that integrates your interpretation of Documents A-J and your knowledge of the period referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only by essays that both cite key pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on outside knowledge of the period. 1. Analyze the ways in which technology, government policy, and economic conditions changed American agriculture in the period 1865–1900. In your answer be sure to evaluate farmers’ responses to these changes.…

    • 1243 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays