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Farmers’ Alliance

Definition

The Farmers' Alliance was a collective movement among American farmers in the late 19th century that aimed to improve their economic conditions through cooperative efforts and political lobbying.

Analogy

Think of the Farmers' Alliance as a group chat for farmers. They all had similar problems (like high railroad costs and low crop prices), so they banded together to try and solve these issues, just like how you might team up with classmates to tackle a tough homework assignment.

Related terms

Populism: A political approach that seeks to disrupt traditional power structures and appeal directly to the 'ordinary people', often used in reference to the People's Party which grew out of the Farmers' Alliance.

Grange Movement: An earlier social movement among U.S. farmers that sought similar goals as the Farmers' Alliance, including regulation of railroads and grain elevator rates.

Sharecropping: A system where landowners allow tenants to use their land in exchange for a share of crops produced on it. This system was prevalent during this period, contributing to economic hardships faced by many farmers.