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Since 1867, the Grange has been a leader in the fight to bring prosperity and opportunity to farmers and rural Americans. Born in the aftermath of the Civil War, where nearly one in eight Americans were killed, wounded or left homeless from the effects of the great conflict, there was no active, representative civil government for the former Confederate states.<\/p>\n
This triggered large migrations of people seeking a new start, from both the north and south, toward the previously sparsely settled territories in the Midwest, the plains and the pacific coast. Large and powerful new corporations (using loopholes in state laws to reorganize themselves as \u201ctrusts\u201d) captured nearly complete legal control over the application and distribution of products and services arising from new technologies, such as railroads, telegraph, oil refining, and steel production. Protests against the economic power of these monopolies would be the catalyst for civil uprisings all over the nation, and most importantly the creation of the Grange and \u201cGranger Laws.\u201d These laws and court appeals would set the cornerstones of corporate citizenship that are still used today.<\/p>\n
Just as the issues for rural Americans have changed, we too at the National Grange have evolved to meet those needs. Today our issues range from protecting the livelihoods of farmers, ranchers, and their rural neighbors through the most efficient agriculture legislation and regulation, to advocating for the build-out of affordable access to high-speed broadband in rural areas. We realize the importance of affordable, sustainable health care as well as making sure rural schools can provide the same quality education as urban districts, and work towards the delivery of those systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"