Free trade, western farmers and Republicans

[Hash]

One thing which has always kind of confused me is the long-standing support for Republicans in the Plain States; notably NE, KS or the Dakotas.

Where I'm coming from is that I've always thought of farmers as supportive of free trade and low tariffs to sell their produce. In Canada, in the 20s and before, western farmers usually supported free trade and voted for pro-free trade parties like the Liberals and Progressives. In the US, with notable exceptions, it seems that farmers traditionally supported the Republicans, which were protectionist and pro-tariff (and the party of the industrialist interests). Why did farmers, who I would think would support free trade and low tariffs, support the GOP?

Is/was American farming more protectionist and/or different economically from Canadian farming?

[You kip if you want to...]

Is it anything to do with a lack of large metro areas? I mean, as we all should know, Omaha voted for Obama.

[ag]

In general Republicans are more free trade than the Dems. There is serious overlap, but, in general, Unions are the Dem electorate.

[phk]

In general Republicans are more free trade than the Dems. There is serious overlap, but, in general, Unions are the Dem electorate.

I think he means historically.

Anyway there were pro free trade farmers in the South and it may likely have had to do with the particular crops they harvested.

The South easily had a comparative advantage over any Western country in cotton etc and since the South has a long coastline it is easy to export.

The food grown in the plains states were likely used for domestic consumption since they are too far from any port to keep transport costs low.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's actually the Canadian farmers who were unusual. Agriculture and Protection were closely associated in most white countries/dominions/etc at that point. I suspect that Rocket has given you the answer though; farmers in Western Canada shipped out vast quantities of wheat at a lower price than British farmers could compete with (and, actually, at a quality far higher than most British farms were biologically capable of producing). Farmers in the American West were not in nearly so fortunate a position.

[Gustaf]

It should also be noted that the solid Republican west is a fairly recent phenomenon. Bryant, Wilson and Truman all did great in that region and it was perhaps during an era where trade issues and such were more prominent?

The gold standard battles were certainly farmers v industry to a great extent.