The period between 1870 and 1900 was a time for policy change. The country was for once free from war and united as one nation. However, as the decades passed, the American farmer found it more difficult to live comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once cash crops of agriculture, were selling at such low prices that it was almost impossible for farmers to make a profit. Improvements in transportation made it easier and cheaper for larger competitors to sell, making it more difficult for American farmers to sell their crops. Finally, years of drought in the Midwest and the decline in business in the 1890s devastated the farming community. Most notably, the Populist Party formed to combat what farmers saw as issues affecting the farming community. During the last thirty years of the 19th century, many farmers in the United States saw railroads and banking companies threaten their way of life; their work to combat these elements ultimately led to a change in national policy. The growth of the railroad was one of the most important elements of economic growth. However, railroads hurt small shippers and farmers. Competition among railroad companies required a way to win business. Many railroads offered discounts and inconveniences to large shippers who used their railroads. However, this practice harmed small shippers, including farmers, because railroad companies often charged more to ship their products short distances. Freight rates were a burden on farmers (Doc F). Farmers therefore came together to form the National Grange of Livestock Bosses to protest against these scandalous prices. Even though farmers felt that protesting the rates was a benefit to them, it was actually a benefit to... middle of paper... at sixteen to one, became the party's battle cry. They believed that this formula would create a financial system that would meet their needs by producing controlled inflation. In 1896, the Democrats, led by William Jennings Bryan, adopted the Populist presidential campaign platform (Doc H). The Republicans, led by William McKinley, supported the gold standard. McKinley won and after his victory, agricultural prices began to improve. The populist party collapsed and the farmers' revolt ended. Farmers in the late 1800s had many reasons to be dissatisfied with their situation. Unfair railway practices, such as rebates and rebates, have seriously damaged them. Even the common problems of lack of money, drought, and mortgages were all problems that harmed farmers economically. Farmers of the day, however, used these issues to change the shape of American politics..