1. The Wizard of Oz
“A Populist Parable?”

3. Late 1800’s Period of rapid growth in westward expansion
Industrialization and the growth of big business
Immigration and the growth of urban centers
The Mid-West

4. The Setting The Great Plains Rapid growth Good rainfall
Railroads move crops
Land was cheap
The Great Plains

5. Blame the railroads (monopolies) Natural disasters occurred
Trouble Begins
Severe drought
Overproduction
Farmers in debt
Blame the railroads (monopolies)
Natural disasters occurred

6. Political Organizations
Farmers Alliance (rose from the Grange)
began as a pressure group
attacked the monopolies
had surprising success at local polls
Farmers’ Alliance + the Knights of Labor
= The Populist Party (originally the People's Party)

7. The Populist Party Members were people in rural areas
Strong support in the South and the West
Some support in the North

8. Their demands Land Transportation Finances And for the working man
Believed is for the people/not be monopolies
All land for settler use only
Transportation
a means of exchange and a public necessity
Owned and operated by the government
Finances
called for the increase in circulation of money
“free silver” bimetallism
graduated income tax
And for the working man
eight hour work day

9. Their Power Ran James Weaver (IA) for president in the 1892 election
Join with the Democratic party in election of 1896
Supported William Jennings Bryan for president nomination
Party dies out after election of 1896
Historical cartoon of Populist Party as a snake with William Jennings Bryan's head swallowing donkey of the Democratic Party (Library of Congress)

10. “Cross of Gold” speech
"You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
July 9, 1896, at the Democratic National Convention, Chicago

11. Legacy Goals of reform did not die out
Reappears during the Progressive Era

12. A Populist Parable “The Wizard of Oz” Symbolism?

13. Kansas?
Hotbed of Radical Agrarianism & Populism

14. Dorothy
Miss Everyman

15. Tornadoes
Political and
Economic
Controversy

16. Wicked Witch of the East?
Eastern Bankers and Industrialists

17. Glinda the Good Witch of the South

18. Munchkins?
Workers Enslaved by “Money Power”

19. The Ruby Slippers?

20. Silver or
Ruby Slippers?

21. Yellow Brick Road

23. Toto? Teetotalers (Prohibitionists)
“Don’t mind Toto,”said Dorothy, “he never bites.”

24. Scarecrow
Brainless
Hayseed
Farmers

25. “I don’t mind my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because I cannot get hurt. If anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, for I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, … how am I ever to know anything?”

26. Tin Man
Dehumanized
Factory
Workers

27. Cowardly Lion
William
Jennings
Bryan?

28. William Jennings Bryan?
“If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself…”
“It seems … they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily.”

30. Off to See the Wizard
Coxey’s Army?

31. OZ?
Ounces?

32. Emerald City

33. Wicked Witch of the West?
Mortgage Holders

34. Water?
Rain?

35. Flying Monkeys Plains Indians not inherently bad; their actions depend
wholly upon the bidding
of others

36. The Wiz?

37. The Wizard of Oz/Everything to Everyone
Commentary on American leadership/Presidency
Harrison, Cleveland, McKinley

38. The People always had the Power
Clicking of the heels
The People always had the Power

39. Scarecrow rules the East and the Tinman Rules the West

40. Dark Side of the Rainbow?