The Authorship of the Letter from the federal Farmers, Revisited.
The debates over ratification of the United States Constitution stimulated the number of pamphlets by proponents and opponents of the new frame of government.
Of the Antifederalist pamphlets, two were of special importance because of their extensive distributions and widespread readership. The work of an author who employed the pseudonym "Federal Farmer". The use of pseudonyms was a common practice in political publications of that day and the task of matching authors with their pseudonyms is something of a cottage industry among historians. But the identity of Federal Farmer did not, it seemed, present a problem. .
In 1974, Gordon Wood disputed the attribution presented in the two Courant letters, though he did not suggest who the author of the letters may actually have been, assuming that Lee was not. Two scholars, Walter H. Bennett and Steven R. Boyd, took exception to Wood's argument. Robert H. Webking recently took the next step toward resolving the controversy when he suggested, in an article in the William and Mary Quarterly, that Melancton Smith, a New York Antifederalist, was the author of the letters. Webking makes a careful analysis in which he compares the Farmer's letter with speeches that smith delivered at the New York ratifying convention Poughkeepsie in June 1788.Webking's analysis is needed valuable, but he neglected to address arguments of those who support Lee's authorship of the Letter from the Federal Farmer.
Wood's argument have been criticized by Walter Bennett and Steven R. Boyd. Bennett, editor of a resent edition of the Farmers Letter, did agree that the evidence supporting Lee's authorship of the letter "hardly seemed sufficient to justified continuing this attribution." But, he believed there was a number of weaknesses in Wood's arguments. He argued that the views toward the Constitution shared by Lee and Farmer were "strictly similar".
The average age of the American farmer is now over sixty years. ... As more and more small farmers are going bankrupt, lager farmers and corporations are buying the land at extremely reduced prices. ... Diesel is sold to farmers at a reduced rate. ... The government also offers farmers a reduced death tax rate. ... The average age of the farmer is now over sixty years of age. ...
The decrease in the value of crops prevented farmers from paying off their never-ending debts, resulting in foreclosures by banks and many farmers were forced to become sharecroppers. ... Railroads and warehouses often favored larger farmers and, therefore, charged them lower transportation rates than smaller farmers. ... The Grange movement focused on defending farmers from trusts, pools and the rates charged by railroads. ... Other Farmers' Alliances followed the example set by the Grangers and joined together farmers in attempts to overcome the oppressing influence of industrializ...
The late 1880s farmers in the South began to face new competition from cotton grown in India and Egypt. ... Also, the Populists pushed for a Sub treasury Plan to help provide low- interest loans to farmers. ... The Populist Sub treasury Plan called for the government to provide warehouses for farmers' crops, upon which farmers could draw low-interest loans. ... The farmers who formed the backbone of the Populist movement were largely dependent on credit in order to run their farms. ... This time was brought on by a crisis for plains farmers. ...
Tracey in "Why Farmers Revolt" forum. ... Farmers could hardly afford to ship their products and this could put some farmers out of business. ... The need for farmers to reform corruption was a reason for farmers to organize politically. ... The need for farmer communities and sharing of achievements was a main reason for political organizations of farmer. Therefore, farmers organized politically for the betterment of themselves, the farmer community, and business itself. ...
Furthermore, the farmers had bad luck with Mother Nature during these years. ... The rise of the railroad industry proved to be faulty for farmers. ... Farmers saw this as a way out of debt and back on the stable market. ... The farmers of America seemed to work so hard and get nowhere. ... One of the only things that the farmers were completely right about was the weather. ...
Both organizations brought farmers together, but the Grangers had much less of an idea of where their problems stemmed from. ... Although the Grange brought farmers together in protest, they were basically an "organized mob" of angry farmers wanting change immediately. ... Grain elevators were charged with exploitation of the farmers" crops by buying them for less than their value and overcharging farmers. The railroads were accused of charging higher rates in rural areas, therefore "discriminating" against the farmers. ... It is true that both farmers" organizations effectively brought fa...
In 1997-1998, it cost farmers about $2.64 to grow a bushel of corn. ... In Minnesota, 5 out of 6 farmers who went out of business were small farmers. ... Why is this allowed to happen to the small farmers? ... When politicians talk about the great American farmer they are often referring to the giant corporate farmers (who donate to political parties). ... This cycle removes the profits from American farmers thus removing the American farmers" investments in the local community thus creating a sort of economic depression in areas which are dependent on farmers. ...
American farm exports drive down prices paid to local farmers, and in turn, reduce rural income around the world and push farmers off the land and into different markets. ... The 1970s were good years for farmers. ... Farm subsidies seem to have benefits for the small farmer. ... Competition among farmers has increased supply faster than demand. ... Some benefits favor the larger farms and hurt the small farmer. ...
