1983 Apush Dbq - Example Document Based Question - 1056 Words

James McManus Mr. Colameco AP United States History 7 January 2013 Example Document Based Question Nearly all of the reasons for agrarian discontent in the late 19th century stem from three areas: land, transportation, and money. The farmers were fighting the perceived threats posed by monopolies and trusts, railroads, and the demonetization of silver. The American farmer during this period already had his fair share of problems which, compared to the success of the industrialized businessmen, resulted in much of the animosity between the two groups. The fact of the matter was farmers had entered a viscous cycle. Wheat and cotton, once the staples of American agriculture were selling at such low prices that it was almost impossible†¦show more content†¦As crop prices fell, farmers were forced to mortgage their lands and take out loans in order to grow more and more crop just to break even. When these tactics were ultimately unsuccessful, the banks closed in and quickly foreclosed on the farmers estates. These mass foreclosures led to a beli ef among farmers that they were all slaves to their â€Å"eastern masters† and that only the freedom of unlimited silver would release them from their shackles. One can see the argument from the farmer’s side. The banks gave out loans with exorbitant interest rates simply because they could. From 1865 to 1895, the population had risen by close to eighty percent whereas the amount of currency in circulation had only gone up by about sixty percent. With this deflation, the farmers were paying back double and triple the amount of money that they had originally borrowed. With free coinage of silver, these loans would be balanced and the farmers could suddenly afford their mortgages. This argument for silver was made famous by William Jennings Bryan’s â€Å"Cross of Gold’’ speech at the democratic nomination convention. Bryan would not rest until the Crime of 1873 was rectified. McKinley however shows the counter argument towards this radical inflation . Coining silver would be a temporary stay of execution for the farmers. It would not make farming any more profitable, but would only cheat the banks out of money that the farmers had agreed to pay them. The farmers were