The Populist Party or the People’s Party started in the 1890s. It started after the Civil War when the United States was rapidly shifting from an agrarian to an industrial economy. Farmers were facing challenges in selling their crops on a global market, gaining access to affordable credit, and dealing with huge debts. Farmers in the South and the West gathered and created a party to address these problems. It was done to challenge the status quo and to make the situation of rural families better.