The Populist (Peoples’) Party James B. Weaver, Presidential Candidate Founded by James B. Weaver and Tom Watson. Omaha, NE Convention in July, 1892. Got almost 1 million popular votes. Several Congressional seats won. James B. Weaver, Presidential Candidate & James G. Field, VP

The Problems of Farmers 1. Low crop prices 2. High railroad shipping costs 3. New technology made farming more expensive 4. Farmers were caught in a cycle of debt.

The Grange 1. Farmers joined together and in 1867, formed the Grange. 2. By 1875, the Grange had more than 800,000 members.

Education and Fellowship 3. The Grange offered farmers education and fellowship farmers shared their grievances and discussed agricultural and political reforms.

Cooperative Action To increase farm profits, Grangers negotiated deals with machinery companies and 4. set up cooperatives and grain storage facilities. They also fought against railroad companies for hiking prices for short-distance shipment. The efforts of the Grange played a big role in the passage of the 5. 1887 Interstate Commerce Act.

The Farmers’ Alliance 6. By 1880, the Grange was replaced by Farmers’ Alliance. Beginning as a local group in Texas in the late 1870s, alliances spread throughout the South and Northwest. By 1890, it had a membership of 1.5 million nationwide.

The Populist Party In 1892, Farmer’s Alliance members helped found the Populist Party It had support from urban laborers and farmers.

Populist Platform of 1892 Populist economic reforms included: 1. An increase in the supply of money 2. A rise in crop prices 3. Lower taxes 4. A federal loan program 5. Reduced immigration

Proposed Political Reforms Populist political reforms included: 6. Direct election of senators 7. Single term presidencies

Populists Made Small Gains In the 1892 Presidential election, the Populist party candidate won only 9% of the vote. However, in the West, the party elected five senators, three governors and 1,500 state legislators. The smallest specimen yet (Populist party candidate’s showing in the election)

Note: Democratic states are red and Republican states are blue.

Support for Populists Grew The Panic of 1893 gave the Populist Party new life. Railroads went bankrupt, the stock market lost value, 15,000 businesses and 500 banks collapsed. Three million people lost their jobs – putting unemployment at 20%.

The Election of 1896 1. The 1896 presidential election, was Republican William McKinley vs. Democrat William Jennings Bryan It was a crucial turning point in U.S. history. William McKinley 1896

1896 Election -Silver or Gold? 2. The Republicans (McKinley) = gold 3. Democrats (Bryan) = bimetallism (gold and silver) 4. Populists wanted free silver (16 units of silver = 1 of gold).

Republican Dominance 5. McKinley won both 1896 & 1900 elections. This established Republican dominance in Washington for over a decade. 6. After these elections, the Populist Party declined.

7. Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech The Democrats hoped that free silver would increase the supply of money and provide more credit to farmers and workers. But despite Bryan’s stirring words, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” McKinley won the 1896 election.

The End of Populism With McKinley’s victory, Populism collapsed. The Populist Party was short-lived but left an important legacy: 1. A message that the poor and farmers/laborers can organize and be heard 2. An agenda of reforms that would be enacted in the 20th century.

Bosses of the Senate

Populist Party Reforms 3. 16th Amendment – Income tax 4. 17th Amendment – Direct election of senators

Populism and The Wizard of Oz Dorothy – Average American with little knowledge of world around them; Kansas is where the populist movement began Tin Man – Industrial Worker rusted in place without labor unions; made of metal showing how workers were dehumanized Oz (Ounces as gold is measured) – Washington, D.C. that is represented by those who support big business; green for money Wizard – Man behind the scenes represents scheming politicians using tricks to make people believe him Yellow Brick Road – Only way to Oz; gold standard Silver Slippers – Farmers’ support of silver standard

Wicked Witch of the West – Represents horrible drought terrorizing farmers at this time as well as wildfires, wild animals, etc.; water destroys her and needed for huge drought relief Scarecrow – Farmers that lack education Lion – William Jennings Bryan who makes a lot of noise but never becomes president; seen as cowardly for not supporting Spanish-American War Tornado – Political upheaval created by the Populist Movement Flying Monkeys – Native Americans representing a danger to the farmers of the West

Glinda, the Good Witch of the North/South – North/South supporting Bryan and Populist movement Wicked Witch of the East – Big Corporations that support McKinley Munchkins – Average workers of the east enslaved by the Wicked Witch of the East, or the big corporations Toto – Represents the “Teetotalers” of the Temperance Movement that follows along with the Populist Beliefs.

“The Wiz” Another version of “The Wizard of Oz” Diana Ross is “Dorothy” Michael Jackson is “The Scarecrow” Made in 1978.