Grange
The Grange or Patrons of Husbandry is an American organization of farmers that originated in New York in 1873 and is still active. It is also active in Canada.
Politics
Independent farmers in the North and West, led by Nahum Bachelder and the National Grange, were a significant force in the Progressive Movement of the early 20th century. Bachelder, of New Hampshire, joined the Grange in 1877, and was Republican governor of New Hampshire in 1903 and 1904. Under his leadership the Grange grew from 285,000 dues-paying members in 1905 to one million members in 1911, and it wielded considerable influence with the Republican Party. The Grange's reputation suffered, however, from revelations in 1911 that two lobbyists had manipulated it. The Grange's influence declined quickly and Bachelder retired from it altogether.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
Further reading
- Schneiberg, Marc et al. "Social Movements and Organizational Form: Cooperative Alternatives to Corporations in the American Insurance, Dairy, and Grain Industries," American Sociological Review 2008 73(4): 635-667, theoretical essay