Farmers Grange Essay

The Farmers' Grange was an important American movement in the late 19th century, according to Charles Postel's book. As mentioned on page 15 of the book, “this… group invented a new kind of association for America’s farmers (Postel 15). The Farmers' Grange was initially founded as a fraternal organization with the primary goal of enhancing the social and economic well-being of farmers and their families, but it quickly evolved into a potent political force. Fighting against railroad monopoly practices that set transportation and shipping costs in rural regions was one of the objectives of the Farmers' Grange. These high rates put farmers at a disadvantage, reducing their profitability and making it challenging for them to compete with bigger

The WCTU was established in 1874 by Annie Wittenmyer and other women, according to Postel's book Equality (Postel 81). The WCTU “was the nation’s largest organization of women” (Postel 83). The group became well-known as a result of the harmful effects of alcohol use, especially on families. Members of the WCTU sought to inform the public about the risks associated with alcohol intake because they believed that alcohol was the cause of many social issues. When women were not yet allowed to vote in the United States, the majority of WCTU members were female, and the group provided a platform for women's advocacy. The group gave women the opportunity to participate in politics and shape public policy. The WCTU concentrated on several social problems, including peace, labor reform, and women's suffrage. However, it spent most of its time promoting temperance laws and high alcohol taxes. Members of the WCTU believed that limiting access to alcohol would lessen its detrimental impact on society. The WCTU also started to support the control of saloons and the organization fought against child

As mentioned in the book, “any person could join except bankers, lawyers, and liquor dealers, and join they did. Its local assemblies enrolled everyone, including shoemakers, laundry workers, carpenters, seamstresses, musicians, clerks, domestics, machinists, and homemakers” (Postel 120). The union promoted a number of causes, such as improved working conditions, increased pay, and an eight-hour workweek. In addition, the Knights of Labor promoted political and social reforms such the abolition of child labor, the creation of worker cooperatives, and the nationalization of important sectors of the economy. They held that labor exploitation was a major contributor to social injustice and inequality and that the interests of workers and those of society were strongly correlated. The issue of industrial capitalism, which the Knights of Labor perceived as a system that produced enormous wealth and power imbalances, particularly troubled them. They aimed to create a society that was more democratic and equal, where workers would have a bigger say in choices that would affect their lives and the general course of the