In this essay, I am going to talk about the Farmers’ Revolt, a movement that aimed to change the economic prospects of farmers who were deteriorating. The uprising arose after the failed land reform. As a result, most former slaves remained poor and had no land to call their own during Reconstruction (Foner, 443). Also, sharecropping became oppressive and denied these freed slaves the economic monotony they so much needed. The Farmers’ Revolt was a response to the betrayal the freedmen were going through (Foner, 509). The Revolt was a significant move especially because it saved farmers from poverty. The uprising also saw the federal government come in to address issues affecting farmers.
The Farmers’ Revolt was an ideal solution to the many challenges farmers were facing in the 19th century. The Farmers’ Revolt came when farmers in the South and the Trans-Mississippi West were facing challenges and frustrations in an attempt to achieve economic freedom and autonomy (Foner, 509). The uprising was an ideal response to the falling agricultural prices, the oppressive sharecropping system, and also and the increased economic dependency in the rural areas. With the increased production of cotton in domestic and foreign markets, the prices declined, threatening to throw most of the farmers into debts and loss of their land (Foner, 509). The farmers’ frustrations were intensified by the high freight rates by railroad companies and the high-interest rates imposed by banks and merchants (Foner, 477). The fiscal policies of the federal government were also a key factor contributing to the challenges farmers were facing. These policies only saw prices go down and also reduced the supply of money.
The Farmers’ Revolt remains a significant event in history for various reasons. Through the Farmers’ Revolt, the Farmers’ Alliance was formed. The Alliance was the most massive movement witnessed in the 19th century (Foner, 509). Farmers needed to redeem their condition, and the Alliance came in handy. The Alliance proposed that the federal government builds warehouses for farmers. They would store their produce in these warehouses until they secured a market (Foner, 509). The produce would also serve as collateral for loans from the government (Foner, 509). Farmers would thus no longer suffer in the hands of banks and merchants. Here came the most remarkable political expression that saw the dignity of labor respected and created a country that served as a commonwealth for everyone, even the small producers.
In conclusion, the meaning and the boundaries of freedom sometimes differ among people, and such was the case between employers and farmers during the Reconstruction era. For the employers, freedom meant property that is unrestrained by public regulation and sustained the public good. For the farmers, freedom meant economic security and freedom, independence of the tyranny of employers. The conflicting views, as anyone would expect, led to one of the largest movements led by farmers, the Farmers’ Revolt. The Revolt was an ideal strategy, came when it was so much needed and adequately addressed the problems farmers were facing. To some extent, I feel freedom can only be achieved through raising a voice and letting oppressors know the harm they are causing. People have to express what they want and hold those in positions of power accountable for frustrations facing them. In the Farmers’ Revolt, what was seldom spoken was heard, and reforms were seen.