An inquirer once asked Grant about meeting General Lee at Appomattox: "What were your thoughts, General, in that sublime moment when you knew that at least Lee would surrender, and the heavens of your glory where about to open?" Grant's only answer to that was: "My dirty boots and wearing no sword." General Lee was dressed in a new uniform and sword by his side for the occasion, and Grant was...
Although the Alliance appeared in Robeson County, North Carolina in the spring of 1887, it was not until January 1888 that the Farmers' Alliance reached Sampson. By October 1887, the Alliance had established a state organization, with Syndenham B. Alexander as its president, Leonidas L. Polk as secretary, and Elias Carr as chairman of the executive committee. The Alliance attracted both small...
In the late 1800's, the Southern population burgeoned. At the same time, Congress imposed several tariffs, which benefited northern factories at the expense of southern agriculture. For many states, these two effects compelled Southerners to diversify their economies. North Carolina, for instance, changed its economic focus from tobacco towards furniture making, an industry that took advantage...
In the late 1880's, a full decade following the Compromise of 1877, many Southern states sought to push the proverbial envelope in terms of its Jim Crow laws. South Carolina led the way , in the upcoming election of 1888, many candidates promised their constituency that they would introduce “voting reform' that sought to ultimately disenfranchise blacks. Floridians followed suit when,...
On November 18, 1887 at around 9:30 P.M., Mrs. Yeakle, an old, white widow, was walking home from church when a black man attacked her in Frederick County, Maryland. He knocked her down, injuring her, and attempted to assault her. Her yells drew attention to the scene. The black man then ran away into the suburbs and escaped into the woods. A group was organized to track him down.
Although...
In March, seventy representatives from the Knights of Labor, the Agricultural Wheel, and the Farmers Alliance met in Montgomery to discuss the possibility of forming a joint political party. Several county leaders had already dismissed the convention, condemning its aims to mix economic interests with political power as impractical. Instead of forming a political party, the critics urged the gathered...
In early March, the Tennessee Farmers Alliance elected State Congressman John P. Buchanan the President of their newly formed organization. A self-educated farmer noted for his energy and dedication, Buchanan was the first cousin of James Buchanan, the fifteenth President of the U.S. His robust personality made him a popular politician among the lower classes. <br /><br />The Alliance...
Miss Jennie Barker made note of each day of her life in the year 1888 by writing inside a diary given to her as a gift by her cousins on New Year's Day of that year. On March 31st, Jennie wrote, she and her friend Clara took a trip to the market in Washington, D.C. where they lived. After marveling at the flowers and other wares, they decided to attend a nearby women's rights meeting. Jennie...
Jute manufacturers had announced early in 1888 that they would raise the price of their products. This proclamation triggered deep resentment among cotton farmers in the South, who were already struggling because of the oppressive crop-lien system. Raising the price of an essential component to cotton-picking, the jute bag, was adding insult to injury. Farmers Alliances across the South saw the...
James Holladay, the owner of a plantation in Spotsylvania County, Virginia was exceedingly proud of his new invention. Holladay had worked hard to perfect the new silo he designed for his farm, but he wanted assurance from an expert that his silo needed no further improvements. On October 28, 1887 Holladay wrote to Professor Elliot W. Stuart, an expert in agriculture at the University of Virginia,...