Granger Laws
Encyclopedia
The Granger laws were a series of laws passed in western states of the United States
after the American Civil War
to regulate grain elevator
and railroad freight rate
s and rebates and to address long- and short-haul discrimination and other railroad abuses against farmer
s. The laws were passed a great deal in part to the Populist group. When several Granger laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
, the federal Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was passed to secure the same reforms. The Granger laws were so called because they were passed in response to the Granger movement. The granger laws were started by the Farmers' Alliance
s that brought about anti-Railroad pools and rebates. It was an intensely debated issue within the United States. Granger Laws were the deciding point of two very important court cases in the late 19th century, Munn v. Illinois
and Wabash v. Illinois.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to regulate grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
and railroad freight rate
Freight rate
A freight rate is a price at which a certain cargo is delivered from one point to another. The price depends on the form of the cargo, the mode of transport , the weight of the cargo, and the distance to the delivery destination...
s and rebates and to address long- and short-haul discrimination and other railroad abuses against farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s. The laws were passed a great deal in part to the Populist group. When several Granger laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, the federal Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was passed to secure the same reforms. The Granger laws were so called because they were passed in response to the Granger movement. The granger laws were started by the Farmers' Alliance
Farmers' Alliance
The Farmers Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement amongst U.S. farmers that flourished in the 1880s. One of the goals of the organization was to end the adverse effects of the crop-lien system on farmers after the American Civil War...
s that brought about anti-Railroad pools and rebates. It was an intensely debated issue within the United States. Granger Laws were the deciding point of two very important court cases in the late 19th century, Munn v. Illinois
Munn v. Illinois
Munn v. Illinois, 94 U.S. 113 , was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with corporate rates and agriculture. The Munn case allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads, and is commonly regarded as a milestone in the growth of federal government...
and Wabash v. Illinois.