Granger Movement

On December 4, 1867, the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, an organization founded by Oliver H. Kelley and six friends helped spark a long-awaited movement to help improve the social, economic and political status of farmers. The organization was originally founded for educational and social purposes and had 40,000 members. This secret fraternal society had mostly local branches, called Granges, in Minnesota, the hometown of the founder, Oliver Kelley. Its members were known as Grangers. The …

…grow again, but never regained the status they had had in the 1870s. Because of the opposition of businesses and the inexperience of the Grangers, few of their economic initiatives succeeded. Parcel post became law yesterday on July 13th, 1914 because of legislation urged by grangers, but not enacted during their peak of power. Another legislation that has been influenced by the Granger Movement was the establishment of the postal savings bank which was passed in 1910.