The Grangers, whose goal was to improve the farmers' collective plight, were predominant in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. First started by the Farmer's Alliances, the Granger Laws regulated railway rates and storage fees charged by railroads and operators of warehouses and grain elevators. In Munn vs. Illinois, states were allowed to regulate certain businesses such as the railroad, but that was reversed in Wabash vs. Illinois. The Granger Laws faced much opposition in high courts, and after the Wabash case in 1886, the Grangers' influence disappeared. Jenny L.
Source: The American Pageant
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Comments (1)
Adam Zhu said
at 11:59 pm on Jan 21, 2010
Thanks for the concise definition; you're absolutely right about how the Grangers lost influence after the Wabash case! Their early leader was Oliver Kelley, and they tried to enrich the lives of farmers with social events, as well.
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