At the dawn of the 20th century, a spark of political radicalism ignited long-held resentments and turned a small agrarian protest movement into a national political prairie fire. Determined to take control of their own economic futures, North Dakota farmers led by Nonpartisan League founder A. C. Townley managed to take over state government in only two years.
Called the last of the great farmer’s crusades, the rise of the Nonpartisan League is a story fraught with political intrigue, back room dealings, conspiracies, riots, red baiting, slander and libel. Although the league were successful in creating its program of state owned industries, its very success threatened its future on the very verge of becoming an important national political movement.
The failure of the Nonpartisan League in its first bid for success did not mean the end of the farmers dream of economic independence. At the height of the depression, the economic disaster that ruined farmers' hopes also sparked a resurgence of the Nonpartisan League now led by one of North Dakota's most controversial politicians–William Langer.