The Granger Movement

Of the many recurrent elements of world history, agrarian discontent has been one of the most pervasive and has had a broad effect on the destinies of numerous political empires. Two such examples are the English Peasants' Revolt in 1381 and the Peasants' War in Germany in 1524-25. These revolts stemmed from a belief of the rural citizenry that they were being economically exploited by the ruling classes. The citizens did not necessarily believe that they were impoverished, only that they were being exploited. In the case of England, this belief led to a massive upheaval which ôaffected the daily life of the mass of the people in a manner not seen again in our social history till the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth centuryö (Churchill 370). Curiously, the revolutionary ideas that emerged during the nineteenth century stemmed from much the same discontent. The perceptions of the American farmer in the years following the Civil War were similar to the perceptions of the English peasants in 1381: both were conscious of exploitation by the ruling class. The standard of living for American farmers was an improvement upon that of their forbears, but the economic conditions of the c

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ed a list of grievances and established an organization based on the Masonic Lodge, exclusively for farmers. One aspect of the granges that was shared with the Masons was the inclusion of degrees, the ritualistic aspect of membership. The Granger Movement involved development of symbols, emblems, and a whole system of esoteric knowledge. The rituals was an important aspect of the movement, helping to build within its various local organizations a sense of cohesiveness. The philosophy of the group was largely derived from the Bible, with an invocation and benediction at every official meeting. Reverend J. Scott King was called upon by the National Grange officers in 1934 to make a study of Grange rituals and its compatibility with Christian teachings. King ôdevoted an immense amount of time to the survey and listed with exact scriptural references, almost fifty such quotations, an impressive revelation of the high spiritual ideals of the Grange foundersö (Gardner 347). Each member who attended a meeting was required to wear the organization's approved regalia, which included specially designed sashes, with color codes representing the status one held in the organization. The Grange also developed a ritual for admission, a consti
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Approximate Word count = 2573
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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