Ocala Demands facts for kids

The Ocala Demands were a set of ideas for making big changes to the economy and government in the United States. These ideas were created by several farmer groups in 1890. Later, a political party called the People's Party used these demands as a main part of their goals.

In December 1890, three important farmer groups met in Ocala, Florida. These groups were the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union (also known as the Southern Farmers' Alliance), the Colored Farmers' Alliance, and the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. They all came together and agreed on the Ocala Demands.

Why Farmers Wanted Change

The meeting in Ocala was a big step for the Farmers' movement. Farmers had started out as groups that helped each other. But over time, they became more interested in politics and wanted bigger changes.

Earlier in 1890, the Farmers' Alliance had helped many candidates win elections. These candidates won positions in both state and federal governments. The farmers at the Ocala meeting hoped that winning more elections would lead to major changes in the economy and government.

How Farmers Organized in Florida

Early Farmer Groups in Florida

In 1873, a group called The Grange started in Florida. It grew to have 100 local groups. These local groups then formed a state-level group in Monticello, Florida. They even started a newspaper called the Florida Agriculturist.

The Grange worked on different campaigns. One successful effort in 1874 was against people stealing crops and farm animals. They convinced the Florida government to make it illegal to sell cotton from sunset to sunrise. In 1875, they tried to start a cooperative business, but it didn't work out. By the late 1870s, The Grange started to lose members and was gone from Florida by 1880.

Another group that came before the Farmers' Alliance was the Independent movement in 1884. This movement started for a few reasons. Many African Americans in eastern Florida felt that the Republican Party wasn't helping them, even though they had voted for it for years. They didn't want to vote for the Democratic Party because it wouldn't let them hold office. Also, some white Republicans were unhappy with their party and saw the Independents as a new option.

The Independents met in Live Oak in June 1884. They chose candidates and created a plan. Their plan supported better education, creating a railroad commission, and fair voting laws. They spoke out against the Bourbon Democrats (who they thought favored railroads) and a large land sale known as the Disston Land Sale. After the 1884 elections, this movement faded, but many farmers still had the same problems.

Before the Farmer's Alliance, there were also local farmer unions in northern Florida. These started forming in March 1887. They eventually became a state union at a meeting in Gainesville in October. About 1,700 members from 35 clubs attended this meeting.

The Farmers' Alliance Grows

In the spring of 1887, W. C. Macure, who started the National Farmer's Alliance, sent organizers to Florida. Two organizers arrived in June and began working in Marianna and Citrus County.

The Florida's Farmer's Alliance was officially formed in Marianna on October 4. It had 65 local groups and about 2,000 members. Oswald Wilson, one of the organizers, became its first president. The Alliance grew very quickly. By November, it had 91 local groups. In January 1888, it joined with the farmer's union, adding 1,700 members. By 1890, the Alliance had groups in almost every county in Florida. Even though they tried to stay out of politics at first, the Alliance became more involved in political issues over time.

What the Ocala Demands Asked For

The "Demands" agreed upon at the Ocala meeting asked for many changes. Here are some of the main points:

• They wanted to get rid of national banks.
• They asked the government to set up special offices called sub-treasuries in every state. These offices would give farmers and landowners low-interest loans directly.
• They wanted to increase the amount of money in circulation to at least $50 per person.
• They wanted to stop people from making bets on the future prices of farm products and other goods.
• They supported free silver, meaning the government should make more silver coins.
• They wanted to stop people from other countries from owning land in the U.S.
• They wanted the government to take back land that railroads and other big companies owned but weren't actually using. This land should only be for real settlers.
• They wanted laws to make sure that one industry didn't get special help from the government at the expense of another.
• They wanted to remove the tariff tax on things people needed every day.
• They asked for a graduated income tax, where people with higher incomes pay a higher percentage in taxes.
• They wanted national and state government spending to be limited to only what was necessary and managed honestly.
• They wanted strict rules or even government ownership of public transportation and communication systems.
• They wanted an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow people to directly elect their United States senators.

The convention was originally planned for Jacksonville. However, the leaders of the Florida Farmers' Alliance learned that Ocala offered more financial help. The Florida Alliance hoped the meeting would encourage more people to join their cause.

An event called the "Semi-Tropical Exposition" was also held at the same time. This exposition showed off Florida's culture and farm products. It had sections for products from different parts of Florida and even a special department for women.

What Happened After the Demands

In 1892, the Farmers' Alliance helped create the People's Party, also known as the Populist Party. The Ocala Demands became a key part of this new party's goals, which were written down in their Omaha Platform. As the Farmers' Movement became more focused on politics, the Farmer's Alliance itself slowly disappeared. Most of the Populist Party's ideas came directly from the Ocala Demands.

While the Alliance did manage to bring together farmers from both the North and South, this unfortunately led to the exclusion of African Americans who were part of the "Colored Alliances." After the convention, many people who believed in white supremacy and those who held conservative economic views left the movement.

The Ocala Demands: A Closer Look

Here are the main demands from the Ocala convention, explained simply:

• 1: Get Rid of National Banks. The farmers wanted to abolish national banks. They believed these banks were not helping ordinary people, especially farmers.
• 2: Government Loans for Farmers. They demanded that the government create special offices in each state. These offices would lend money directly to farmers and landowners at a very low interest rate (no more than 2% per year). These loans would be for farm products that don't spoil easily, and also for real estate.
• 3: More Money in Circulation. The farmers wanted the government to quickly increase the amount of money available to people. They wanted at least $50 for every person in the country.
• 4: Stop Speculation on Farm Products. They demanded laws to prevent people from betting on the future prices of farm goods and other products. They wanted strict rules to ensure people who did this were caught and punished.
• 5: Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver. The farmers were unhappy with a silver law Congress had just passed. They wanted the government to allow the free and unlimited creation of silver coins. This would increase the money supply.
• 6: Land for Settlers, Not Foreigners or Corporations. They demanded laws to stop people from other countries from owning land. They also wanted the government to take back land that railroads and other large companies owned but weren't using. This land should only be for people who would actually settle and farm it.
• 7: Fair Laws for Everyone. They believed in equal rights for all and no special favors for anyone.
  • a: Fair Industry Support. They wanted national laws to be written so that one industry wasn't helped by the government at the expense of another.
  • b: No Taxes on Necessities. They demanded that heavy taxes on everyday items, which poor people needed, be removed.
  • c: Graduated Income Tax. They wanted a fair system where people with higher incomes paid a higher percentage of their income in taxes.
  • d: Government Spending Limits. They believed that money should stay with the people as much as possible. So, they demanded that government spending at both national and state levels be limited to only what was necessary and managed honestly.
  • e: Control Over Transportation and Communication. They wanted strict, honest government control over public transportation (like railroads) and communication systems. If this control didn't fix existing problems, they demanded that the government own these systems.
  • f: Direct Election of Senators. They demanded that the U.S. Congress propose a change to the Constitution. This change would allow the people of each state to directly vote for their United States senators.