Guilded Age Dbq

The tawdry historic period lasted from the post-Civil War industrial expansion to the forward-looking Era. During the Gilded Age, the country experienced both(prenominal) speedy economic expansion as well as social turmoil. The American husbandman experienced economic hard broadcasts caused by several factors. During this time the prices of commodities were breathing out see as the cost of coin was going up. Foreigners and western farmers were moving to the cities, thereby reservation apartments and work places extremely populated. The establishment enacted what were cognize as the Granger Laws in an fire to regain misrepresent.Some may argue that the common chord main factors negatively disturbing farmers were the appreciating dollar bill, the overproduction or surplus of food (for example drinking straw, give and cotton) and the railroads. The effects of the appreciating dollar on the farmer can be seen in the succeeding(a) atomic number 18as. The appreciating d ollar had a significant impact on prices and the farmers costs to do business. For example, in the years 1870-1873 the market cost of straw was $106. 7 and from 1894-1897 the market cost of wheat was $63. 3 (Document A).This decrease in prices unplowed farmers from making a profit, which forced many a(prenominal) of them into bankruptcy. In many instances, farmers were forced to collapse higher incubus pass judgment to ship their goods to market than they could make selling their goods (Document F). The appreciating dollar also caused banks and mortgage companies to raise their fire rates. Mortgage rates climbed from between 7% and 8% to 40% or much than during the Gilded Age (Documents E & G). This rapid change in rates change magnitude the famers costs tremendously.The overproduction and over depict of food also depressed prices in the markets for the farmers. Good growing weather and the government contributed to the overproduction on the farms. The government boost far mers to plant more crops and raise more livestock. This helped result in $0. 08 corn, $0. 10 oats, $0. 02 beef, $0. 00 butter, and $0. 00 egg (Document B). Farmers could not make enough money selling their goods at these prices to survive. The government did not help the farmers deal with the problem instead, it charge them for overproducing.The railroads were the one of the biggest source of trouble for the farmers during this period. The railroads controlled the transit of the farmers crops and livestock to the markets. The railroads also controlled the silos and ware firms the farmers used to house their goods before sending them to the markets (Document H). The railroads used this control to set exorbitantly high rates to store and ship the goods (Document F). The farmers lobbied the government through with(predicate) Granger parties, which were third parties formed by members of the Patrons of Husbandry.The Patrons of Husbandry were an organization for farmers commonly call ed the Grange. The farmers precious the government to help them with the railroads (Document C). The lobbying initially resulted in the passage of the Granger Laws which regulated the freight and storage rates the railroads could charge the farmers. current farmers face similar problems as the Gilded Age farmers did. Inflation and deflation effect forthwiths farmers and anyone who makes investments. The competition in merchant vessels keeps prices lower for farmers and the mortgage rates are stable thus allowing land to be more affordable.