After the Civil War new equipment made it possible for more crops to be produced, which then dropped the price of those products. Farmers now also found it more challenging to sell their products with railroads charging outrageous prices to ship. There was no regulation there. Railroads would often give secret rebates and discounts to large chippers. Poor farmers were losing money. Meager harvests, declining prices and a flawed economy caused farmers to form local groups called Farmers' Alliances. To bring validity and political standing to their movement, the leaders of these groups unified them to form the Populist party. It thrived predominantly among western farmers. The Populist party goals were direct election of senators, abolishment