08/27 Bellringer 5+ sentences Between 1864 and 1890, the United States Army and Native American tribes battled for control of the Great Plains. What do you think was the primary cause of the conflict between these two groups?

Review: Indian Wars chart

Between , western farmers faced major problems Crop prices fell due to over- production by farmers Banks charged high interest rates on mortgages and foreclosed on farmers Railroads charged high rates for shipping crops

These problems convinced western farmers to organize Groups like the Grangers and the Farmers’ Alliance demanded government regulation of railroads & banks Both groups were too small to be much good

In 1890, the farmer groups joined together to form a new political party called the Populist Party They wanted pro-agriculture laws passed and an end to laissez-faire business policies (regulation of banks and the railroad) They wanted a national, graduated income tax They wanted a Constitutional amendment to allow citizens to directly elect Senators They wanted the dollar to be valued on bimetallism (gold and silver)

What is meant by “bimetallism”?

From 1890 to 1896, the Populist Party was an influential 3 rd party and challenged the Democratic and Republican Parties

In the 1896 presidential election, bimetallism was the most important issue The Populist candidate William Jennings Bryan supported bimetallism Republican William McKinley supported the gold standard

During the election, William Jennings Bryan gave his dramatic “Cross of Gold” speech that explained the disastrous effects of the gold standard on the working class in America

Despite Bryan’s success among farmers in the West, McKinley won the election As president, McKinley returned to the gold standard & killed the bimetallism movement After the election of 1896, the Populist Party died… …but Populist ideas such as the income tax, direct election of Senators, & regulation of railroads will be enacted in the Progressive Era ( )

The Wizard of Oz – Is there more to the story? Parody – humorous or satirical imitation Allegory – a parable (story told to illustrate a moral truth) in which the main characters are animals or mystical people/creatures that symbolically represent real life people and events 1900 – Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz

What did the Populist Party Want? In small groups of 3-4, design a political campaign poster that outlines the Populist platform (information can be found in the textbook on page Chapter 13, Section 3) Identify the economic and political changes the Populist supported. Choose 2 economic changes and 2 political changes to illustrate on the political campaign poster.