Agricultural Wheel facts for kids

The Agricultural Wheel was a special group of farmers in the United States. It was like a team or a club for them. This group started in 1882 in Arkansas. W. W. Tedford, an Arkansas farmer and teacher, was one of its main leaders.

Like other farmer groups at the time, the Agricultural Wheel wanted to help small farmers. They aimed to fix unfair problems caused by merchants, grain companies, and railroads. The Wheel had some big ideas. They wanted to make sure only Americans could buy public land. They also wanted to tax people with very high incomes. The Wheel encouraged farmers to join local groups and avoid getting into too much debt. They also suggested not planting only one crop, like cotton, all the time.

History of the Agricultural Wheel

How the Wheel Started in Arkansas

On February 15, 1882, a group of nine farmers met in Prairie County, Arkansas. They were led by W. W. Tedford, W. A. Suit, and W. Taylor McBee. Farmers were having a tough time with low prices and a dry spell. They formed a club called the Wattensas Farmers' Club.

This club wanted to make farmers' lives better. They also wanted to help farmers learn more and talk to each other. Many farmers in Arkansas were deep in debt. They felt trapped by unfair loans. The club's early ideas were similar to those of an older farmer group called The Grange.

Soon after, the group decided to change its name. They chose "The Agricultural Wheel" over "The Poor Man's Friend." The situation for farmers did not get better that year. They were in such trouble that they asked the Governor of Arkansas to delay collecting taxes.

Growing Across the State

By 1883, the group had more than 500 members in Arkansas. At a meeting that spring, they created a state-level Wheel. They also sent people to other states to start local Wheel groups there. At first, only white male farmers and mechanics could join the Wheel.

Joining Forces with Brothers of Freedom

In 1882, another similar group called the Brothers of Freedom started. It was in Johnson County, Arkansas. This group also wanted to help small farmers gain more economic power. They were against big businesses and monopolies. One of its founders, Isaac McCracken, had experience with worker unions.

The Brothers of Freedom grew in northwestern Arkansas. This area had rocky soil, which was not good for cotton farming. In October 1885, the Wheel and the Brothers of Freedom decided to merge. This became official in July 1886. Isaac McCracken later became the president of the Wheel in 1886.

Becoming a National Organization

In 1886, leaders from Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee met. They gathered in Litchfield, Arkansas. There, they created the National Agricultural Wheel. They also started an official newspaper for the group.

The national organization allowed women to join. They also set up separate Wheel groups for non-white members. However, non-white members could attend white Wheel meetings as "guests." This was unusual for farmer groups at that time.

By 1887, the national group had over 500,000 farmers as members. These members came from many states. These included Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Indian Territory, and Wisconsin.

The Wheel's Big Ideas for Change

As the organization grew, it gained more political power. It then shared a list of demands for change. These demands included:

• Paying off the national debt.
• Getting rid of laws that favored big businesses over workers.
• Stopping people from other countries from owning land.
• Closing national banks.
• Making the government run on a cash basis.
• Stopping the trading of future farm products.
• Creating a tax where richer people pay a higher percentage.
• Stopping foreign workers from coming into the country.
• Having the government own transportation and communication systems.
• Letting people directly elect national politicians.
• Allowing free trade and removing all import taxes.
• Adding a tax on luxury items.
• Providing free public education.
• Not renewing patents that were too old.

In 1888, the Wheel met in Meridian, Mississippi. They suggested joining with another big farmer group, the Farmers' Alliance. The two groups met together in 1889 in Birmingham, Alabama. They officially merged that same year.

Joining with Other Farmer Groups

The Agricultural Wheel, mostly based in Arkansas, wanted to team up with other farmer protest groups. They started talking about merging as early as 1887. These groups had similar goals and ways of organizing. They all had small clubs of farmers at the neighborhood level.

The Agricultural Wheel continued as its own group until 1889. Then, it merged with the National Farmers' Alliance. Together, they formed a new group called the Farmers' and Laborers' Union of America.

Historian Theodore Saloutos wrote that the Agricultural Wheel was a protest. It was against the problems after the Civil War. It also fought against the difficulties of small farmers trying to make a living. It aimed to fix issues like one-crop farming and unfair loan systems.

See also

• The Wheel Store: A cooperative store on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Wheel, Tennessee: A town named after the organization.