Agricultural Wheel facts for kids

The Agricultural Wheel was a group of farmers in the United States who worked together to improve their lives. It started in 1882 in Arkansas. W. W. Tedford, an Arkansas farmer and teacher, was a key founder.

Like other farmer groups of its time, the Agricultural Wheel aimed to fix unfair treatment of small farmers. They felt that businesses like stores, grain storage companies, and train companies were taking advantage of them. The Wheel had strong ideas for change. They wanted more money in circulation and to get rid of big banks. They also pushed for the government to control trains, phones, and telegraphs. The Wheel believed only Americans should buy public lands and that rich people should pay more taxes. They also wanted people to vote directly for senators, instead of state lawmakers choosing them. The Wheel encouraged farmers to join local groups, avoid getting stuck in debt, and not rely too much on growing just one crop like cotton.

History of the Agricultural Wheel

How the Wheel Started

On February 15, 1882, a group of nine farmers in Arkansas came together. This was a tough time for farmers, with low crop prices and dry weather. Led by W. W. Tedford, W. A. Suit, and W. Taylor McBee, they met at the McBee Schoolhouse near Des Arc, Arkansas. They formed a group called the Wattensas Farmers' Club.

The club promised to make farmers' lives better, help them learn more, and improve how they communicated. Many farmers in Arkansas were struggling with large debts. The club's early goals 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 in Arkansas remained difficult that year. They even asked the Governor of Arkansas, Thomas J. Churchill, to delay tax collection.

By 1883, the organization had over 500 members in Arkansas. They created a state-level Wheel and sent people to other states. These "deputies" helped start local Wheel groups there. At first, only white male farmers and mechanics could join the Wheel.

The Brothers of Freedom Join the Wheel

In 1882, another similar group called the Brothers of Freedom formed in Johnson County, Arkansas. This group also wanted to give small farmers more economic power. They stood against large businesses and monopolies. One of its founders, Isaac McCracken, was a farmer who had experience with worker groups in the northern United States.

The Brothers of Freedom grew in northwestern Arkansas, an area not ideal for cotton farming. In October 1885, the Wheel and the Brothers of Freedom voted to combine. This merger became official in July 1886. Isaac McCracken later became the president of the Agricultural Wheel in 1886.

Becoming a National Organization

In 1886, representatives from Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee met in Litchfield, Arkansas. They decided to create the National Agricultural Wheel and start an official newspaper. The national organization allowed women to join. It also set up separate Wheel groups for non-white members. However, non-white members could attend white Wheel meetings as "guests." The Wheel was known for not holding racially separate meetings, which was unusual for farmer groups at the time. This policy changed when they merged with the Farmers' Alliance.

By 1887, the national organization had over 500,000 farmer members. These members came from Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Indian Territory, and Wisconsin. The Wheel's growing influence in politics led them to create a list of demands:

• Pay off the national debt.
• Get rid of laws that favored big businesses over workers.
• Stop people from other countries from owning land.
• Close all national banks.
• Make the government operate using cash.
• End trading of farm products before they are harvested.
• Create a tax where richer people pay a higher percentage.
• Stop bringing in workers from other countries.
• Have the government own train and communication systems.
• Let people directly vote for national politicians.
• Allow free trade and remove all import taxes.
• Create a tax on luxury goods.
• Provide free public education.
• Do not renew patents (which give inventors exclusive rights).

In 1888, at a national meeting in Meridian, Mississippi, a merger between the Wheel and the Farmers' Alliance was suggested. The two groups met together in 1889 in Birmingham, Alabama, and officially merged that same year.

Joining Forces with Other Groups

The Agricultural Wheel, mainly based in Arkansas, looked to connect with other farmer protest groups outside the state. Talks about merging had started as early as 1887. The Agricultural Wheel and other farmer groups had similar goals and organizational structures. They were all set up as small clubs of farmers at the neighborhood level. Organizing at the county level was too big and not "local enough" for farmers in the 1880s.

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

Historian Theodore Saloutos explained that the Agricultural Wheel was a protest against many challenges. These included the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction. It also fought against the difficulties of farmers trying to adapt to a commercial way of farming in a new, less developed area. The Wheel also opposed the problems caused by growing only one crop, unfair loan systems, lawlessness, and corruption in high places.

See also

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