legal cases that reached U.S. Supreme Court in 1877; upheld state laws protecting farmers and agricultural workers against monopolistic railroads and grain elevators; cases stemmed from movements started after American Civil War by Oliver Hudson Kelly; local units called Granges held meetings, urged legislatures to fix maximum rates charged by railroads and grain-storage facilities; later farmers' political parties were outgrowth of Granges; late 1870s Greenback party drew support away from Granges, although in e. U.S. active fraternal organization for farmers still exists; works on behalf of national agricultural legislation.