1. Farming Farmers Move West Oklahoma Land Rush Hard Life on the Plains
The Populists

2. Farmers Move West
Homestead Act – A law passed in 1862 that promised 160 acres of free land to anyone who paid a small filing fee and farmed it for 5 years
Problems with the Act – Some companies bought large chunks of the offered land and sold it to farmers at a higher price
Exodusters – African Americans who moved to Kansas in 1881 to take advantage of the land
Named themselves after the Jews escaping slavery in Egypt
Los Mexicanos – Spanish speaking southwesterners
Many were treated unfairly and had to work on white farms
To protest this, they formed the Hispanic American Alliance in 1894

3. The Oklahoma Land Rush
Much of the open land was being taken so the government offered land in OK
Many Native Americans were forced to sell their land there
Whites could not stake claims until April 22, 1889
At noon, 1,000,000 land seekers rushed out to snake their claims
They were called “Boomers”
To the boomers surprise, there were people who had already snuck in to stake their claims called “Sooners”

4. Hard Life on the Plains Shelter was a problem Sodbusting
Wood was scarce so houses were built of sod (soil held together by grass roots)
Sodbusting
Plains were covered with sod which could break plows
Surviving the Climate
Many crops shriveled and died because of the hot dry climate
Grasshoppers threatened to eat the crops
Winter brought dry, icy gusts across the plains which could make huge snow banks that trapped animals and farmers
More Crops, Less Money
Grain prices dropped in the 1890’s and farmers ended up in debt

5. Activity
Read the article given to you and complete the Venn Diagram on the National Grange and the Farmer’s Alliance

6. The Populists
Formed in 1892 it was a group of farmers and labor unions that formed the party
Wanted the government to raise farm prices, regulate railroad rates, enact an income tax, have an 8 hour work day, and limit immigration
Also wanted silver to be used for money
Other parties disagreed because they thought the silver standard would cause inflation (increased prices)
Election of 1896
William Jennings Bryan – supported by Populists and Democrats
Was for the common people, free silver
William McKinley – supported by Republicans
Bryan narrowly lost the election
Populist party ends up dying out because the Democrats adopted their causes and the economy starts to do better