Chapter 13, sec.3, guided reading

The following questions deal with events of the Jeffersonian Era.


1. What problems did many Plains farmers face during the late 1800s?

Many farmers face the challenges of trying to find enough money to pay to keep their harvesting going. They had to put up mortgages on their houses, and many had their houses foreclosed. Also the railroads increased the prices for shipping grain.

2. What was the Grange’s plan for improving conditions for farmers?
The Grange's plan for was to provide a social outlet and an education forum for the isolated farmers and their families. Most of their attention was turned towards fighting the railroads. They taught members how to organize, how to set up farmers' cooperatives, and how to sponsor state legislation to regulate railroads.


3. What did the Populist Party platform call for?
The populist party called for an increase in money supply, which would create an increase in prices received for goods (helping the farmers), a graduated income tax, federal loan program, single terms for the president and the vice president, a secret ballot to end fraud, and a 8 hour workday and restrictions for immigrants.


4. What were the consequences of the Panic of 1893?
People started trading in their paper money in for gold, stocks fell rapidly. The prices of silver then plunged, which led to the closing of silver mines. At the end of that year 15,000 businesses closed and 500 banks.

5. What was the difference between the “gold bugs” and the “silverites”?
The difference between the "gold bugs" and the "silverites" are that the gold bugs wanted money to be backed by gold which would increase the value of money, make prices fall, and less people would have, money. The silverites wanted money to be backed by gold and silver which would decrease the value of money causing deflation, and making it so that more people have money

6. How did the presidential election of 1896 bring an end to populism?
Since Bryan lost the election and he was representing the farmers and populism, Mckinley became presedent. Mickinley did not support the populism party and so with his election the populism party ended.