Hear this out loudPauseRailroads discriminated in the prices they charged to passengers and shippers in different localities by providing rebates to large shippers or buyers. These practices were especially harmful to American farmers, who lacked the shipment volume necessary to obtain more favorable rates.
Why did farmers struggle with railroad costs?
Hear this out loudPauseFarmers in the west struggled with railroad costs because of the exceptionally high shipping costs to transport their products back to the East. The railroad companies charged high prices for shipping goods from the West to the East, which made it difficult for the farmers to earn a profit.
Why are railroads critical to farming?
Hear this out loudPauseRailroads move large amounts of anhydrous ammonia, potassium compounds, and urea. They also carry millions of tons of raw materials used to produce fertilizer each year, including phosphate rock, crude potash, and sulfur.
Why were railroads bad for farmers?
Why did many farmers dislike the railroads?
Hear this out loudPauseThus, farmers felt that the higher transportation costs they were forced to pay and which made agriculture less rewarding were in order to subsidize the industrial interests they increasingly detested.
What were the railroads doing to the farmers?
Hear this out loudPauseThe railroads benefitted western farmers the most by connecting them and their farms to America's cities and markets. Farmers could now easily and quickly move their produce and farm goods to the cities to sell, and could import finished, manufactured goods from the industrial east.
How did the railroads and tariffs hurt farmers?
Hear this out loudPauseIn addition to the cycle of overproduction, tariffs were a serious problem for farmers. Rising tariffs on industrial products made purchased items more expensive, yet tariffs were not being used to keep farm prices artificially high as well. Therefore, farmers were paying inflated prices but not receiving them.