USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The challenges that many American farmers faced in the last quarter of the nineteenth century were significant. They contended with economic hardships born out of rapidly declining farm prices, prohibitively high tariffs on items they needed to purchase, and foreign competition.

Detailed explanation-2: -At the end of the 19th century, about a third of Americans worked in agriculture, compared to only about four percent today. After the Civil War, drought, plagues of grasshoppers, boll weevils, rising costs, falling prices, and high interest rates made it increasingly difficult to make a living as a farmer.

Detailed explanation-3: -Farmers need to deal with many problems, including how to: Cope with climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Satisfy consumers’ changing tastes and expectations. Meet rising demand for more food of higher quality.

Detailed explanation-4: -To meet these problems they began to form organizations such as the Farmers’ Alliance. Besides facing such neutral problems as drought, farmers experienced low commodity prices, high freight rates, high interest rates, and other difficulties. They were very critical of the larger corporations, especially the railroads.