USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Grangers and other agrarian reformers not only wanted free silver, they wanted “fiat money, ” or greenbacks–paper money issued directly by the federal government that was not backed up by any sort of precious metal.

Detailed explanation-2: -Granger movement, coalition of U.S. farmers, particularly in the Middle West, that fought monopolistic grain transport practices during the decade following the American Civil War.

Detailed explanation-3: -Farmers were opposed to the gold standard because it restricted the amount of money in circulation. William Jennings Bryan-Cross of Gold Speech. Famous Speech declaring that the US “shall not crucify mankind on a cross of Gold” opposes the gold standard.

Detailed explanation-4: -Farmers sought inflation of the money supply so that more money would be available to them for credit, prices for their crops would rise, and debts would become easier to repay.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.