The Populist Party or the People’s Party started in the
1890s. It started after the Civil War when the United States was rapidly
shifting from an agrarian to an industrial economy. Farmers were facing
challenges in selling their crops on a global market, gaining access to
affordable credit, and dealing with huge debts. Farmers in the South and the
West gathered and created a party to address these problems. It was done to
challenge the status quo and to make the situation of rural families better.
