AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Development of Farming Cooperatives (Day 167/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the Development of Farming Cooperatives as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

The American Farmer, Wikimedia Commons

With the construction of railroads and government incentives for western settlement, the number of American farms more than doubled between 1865 and 1900.

APUSH 2007 DBQ

Improvements in mechanization and the increase in farms substantially increased production which led to a decline in food prices. Low earnings coupled with high railroad rates, expensive equipment, and high interest rates spelled hardships for farmers.

Gift for the Grangers, Wikimedia Commons

And so, farmers began to organize for their collective interests. The Grange Movement provided a social and educational organization and established cooperatives to lobby state legislatures to regulate railroads.

Farmers’ Alliance, University of Nebraska

Additionally, farmers’ alliances emerged to share scientific farming methods and engage in political action. Around 1 million farmers had joined state and regional alliances by 1890.

Facing economic hardships, farmers forgoed the long tradition of individualism and began to engage in collective action through the Grange Movement and farmers’ alliances.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Western Demographic Shifts in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!