Warm-Up Questions 1.) How did the Dawes Act attempt to help Native Americans? a.) Selling land and building a trust of money for them b.) Returning them to their native lands c.) Reintroducing the buffalo to reservation lands d.) Training them to become farmers 2.) Why did the army encourage white hunters to kill buffalo? a.) To stop buffalo from trampling crops b.) To starve Native Americans c.) To force Native Americans on to reservations d.) To make way for new railroad lines 3.) Why did the Cheyenne come to Camp Lyon before the Sand Creek Massacre? a.) To negotiateb.) To surrenderc.) To attackd.) To defend their land 4.) Why did the confrontation at Wounded Knee occur? The chiefs followers… a.) Would not stay on the reservation b.) Were raiding nearby farms c.) Continued to hunt buffalo d.) Continued to perform the Ghost Dance 5.) What was the goal of assimilation of the Native Americans? a.) Moving all Native Americans to reservations b.) Absorb them into traditional American life c.) The destruction of the buffalo d.) Creation of the Dance Ghost Movement

The Rise and Fall of the Populist Party ( ) Objectives Describe the causes and effects of the financial problems faced by the American farmer and trace the rise & fall of Populism

Farmers’ Problems Falling prices for crops Weather - droughts, dust storms, blizzards Most Farmers were in debt (could not pay farm mortgages) Needed a cheaper money The West tended to favor the issue of greenbacks after the Civil War because inflation and cheap dollars would favor the in-debt farmers Dependence on the railroads Midwestern farmers found earning a living was increasingly difficult during the 1870’s and 1880’s because railroad companies charged high rates for transporting farm goods

Railroad Abuses Railroads had the farmer in a tough position. Areas typically had only one rail line out and as such farmers were forced to pay the rates that the lone railroad company charged. Unfair pricing – Long hauls - cheaper – Short hauls - more expensive Construction graft – Credit Mobilier Scandal Bribes Use of rebates for large customers

Farmers Response to Problems Criticize banks (credit) and railroad (transportation) Banded together in cooperatives to sell products Organized for political action and policies to ease their debts, regulate shipping prices, lower interest loans and inflation of money supply

Farmers’ Demands Regulation of the railroad companies by the government Make cash more available (back the dollar with silver) Political demands: – Single term for President and Vice-President – Secret ballot – Popular election for Senators To get industrial workers to support them – Supported 8-hour workdays – Wanted to restrict immigration

The Grange Also called the “Patrons of Husbandry” Started as social group but became a political group who pooled supplies and money Established cooperatives Supported political candidates sympathetic to the farmers’ needs Gave out information abut new scientific farming techniques Wanted regulation of the railroads Granger Laws - Midwestern state laws that regulated railroad abuse and currency reform Farmers’ Alliances formed because farmers believed too much power was in the hands of a few corporations and financial institutions

Populism Political Ideology that tends to claim that they side with "the people" against "the elites“ Took place of the Grange and Farmers’ Alliances Midwestern support Reform based party Omaha Platfrom,1892 – Use Silver to increase money supply – Fair distribution of money – Graduated income taxes – Secret ballots – 8-hour work days – Immigration control – Government owned railroads

Populism Successes Interstate Commerce Act - regulated the railroad against monopolistic practices Munn vs. Illinois - Supreme Court upholds the principle that state governments could regulate certain businesses within its borders (specifically railroad and grain elevator companies.) Failures Divisions: – National Farmers’ Alliance – Colored Farmers’ Alliance – Southern Alliance Wabash vs. Illinois - Limited states from regulating interstate commerce and motivated the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Railroad still abused farmers

Gold Bugs vs. Silverities Panic of Worst economic depression in the United States up until that point in time Greenbacks issued during the Civil War were discontinued because they were now worthless Republicans/Businessmen/Merchants wanted gold standard to back the U.S. Dollar Democrats/Farmers/Poor wanted bimetallism (Gold and Silver back the dollar)

1896 Election: End of the Populist Party Populists decide to improve their chances by supporting a Democratic candidate (William Jennings Bryan - he agreed to support the Silver-Backed dollar.) William McKinley - Republican – The Gold Standard – Warned of radical Populists William Jennings Bryan - Democratic/Populist – Free silver - solution to Economic Depression – William Jennings Bryan delivers “Cross of Gold Speech” - “We shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold” McKinley wins the election. Becomes the 25 th President of the United States. Populism dies out

William McKinley William Jennings Bryan

Overall Successes of the Populist Movement Gradual income taxes Direct election of Senators Secret ballots 8-hour working days Government subsidies to farmers

Assignment “The Rise and Fall of Populism” Worksheet Vocabulary Words Cross of Gold Speech Interstate Commerce Act Munn vs. Illinois Wabash vs. Illinois William J. Bryan The Grange Populism