1. Goal Four Populism: The Last West and New South
Chapter 14

2. Goal 4 Vocabulary Farmer’s cooperatives National Farmer’s Alliance
National Farmer’s Southern Alliance
Omaha Platform
Greenbacks
William Jennings Bryan
William McKinley
“Gold Bug” Democrats
Election of 1896
Ignatius Donnelly
‘Free coinage of Silver
Cross of Gold Speech
Interstate Commerce Act
Interlocking Directorates
The Wizard of Oz
Munn v. Illinois
The Populist Party
Rebates
Cooperatives

3. Objectives Objective 4.03 - Rise and fall of Populism
- Impact of laws and court cases upon the farmer
- Growing discontent of the farmer
- Gold standard v. Bimetallism

4. Essential Questions
1) How is American Democracy shaped by the struggle between individuals, states, and Federal Government?
2) How did changing agricultural and business practices change the American Economy?
3)How did the opening and closing of the western frontier impact political and cultural life and cultural life in America?

5. Notes on populism
Expansion of railroad lines made it possible for western farmers to ship goods back East
However, farmers were upset at current economic conditions
Increased dependence on rails to ship goods made farmers victims of corrupt business practices
Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History Learning Module on Gilded Age

6. Why farmers upset?
Competition among railroad companies existed for long-haul routes, but not for short-haul routes
Railroads could charge inflated rates for hauling farmer’s produce or offer rebates
Rebates – payments paid by the railroads to favored customers
Farmers were angered at railroads setting their own rates and offering rebates

7. Rise of the Grange Movement
The Grangers were formed by farmers in reaction to unfair railroad practices
The price of farm products were declining as farmers went deeper in debt to merchants and banks
Many farmers lost their land and animals to banks
Grangers worked to politically to help pass the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act

8. Interstate Commerce Act 1887
This act marked the first time that congress regulated industry
The act required railroads to publicize their rate schedules
Excessive railroad rates were outlawed
The act did not forbid interlocking directorates – under this plan, a few businessmen could control an industry by serving as directors for competing companies
(in this way, railroads could fix prices and avoid competition

9. Munn v. Illinois, 1876
Munn v. Illinois was a very important Supreme Court Case for farmers
The court, in support of the National Grange, ruled that states could regulate the use of private property when it was used in the public interest
This public interest applied to railroads

10. Farmers Respond to Changing Conditions
To help each other and protect businesses, farmers banded together to create Cooperatives
Cooperatives helped farmers buy equipment, supplies, etc. as a group. These groups helped to regulate prices somewhat.
Like the work of the Grange, farmers understood that they needed to get more political

11. The Rise of Populism
Grangers and other farmers formed a new organization called the National Farmer’s Alliance
The National Farmer’s Alliance represented western Farmers
The Southern Alliance represented southern white farmers
The Colored Farmer’s Alliance supported African Americans
Delegates from these groups met and organized a new party in 1892 – meeting in Omaha, Nebraska
The Omaha Platform, the platform of the People’s Party (The Populist Party) spoke to the needs of farmers)

12. A couple of links Populist Party Platform
The Wizard of Oz as parable to Populism

13. Populist Party Platform
1) Government ownership of railroads
2) Restrictions on immigration
3) More inflationary currency to help debtors

14. The Election of 1896

15. Big Question of Election?
Should the money supply be entirely backed by gold (gold standard) or be increased by coining gold and silver?
Bimetallism – the coining of both gold and silver

16. The Candidates
The populist candidate for president was William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was also the Democratic presidential candidate that year.

17. Bryan, the Democrats, and the Populists supported Free coinage of silver
at 16 – 1 exchange rate
*Democrats, farmers, and the working class supported bimetallism

18. The ‘Cross of Gold’
At the 1896 Democratic National Convention, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech against the Gold Standard view of the Republican party.

19. William McKinley William McKinley was the Republican Nominee
The republicans supported the gold standard in opposition to bimetallism
“Gold Bug” Democrats also supported the Gold Standard

20. Who is Frank Baum?

21. He’s connected to this movie!

22. The Wizard of Oz as Populist Allegory
Frank Baum was the author of The Wizard of Oz stories.
He had lived in the west and observed the plight of farmers
The characters in The Wizard stories represent populist characters and ideas
For Example…….

23. The characters
Dorothy – She is the ‘every man’ of the story. Someone that has to deal with the elements.
*Ruby slippers were actually silver slippers in the book
The Lion – The orator, William Jennings Bryan – looking for courage to fight the election of 1896
The scarecrow – The farmer, someone that needed a brain – could not think for himself.
The Tin Man – The eastern, factory laborer that was rusted out due to terrible working conditions

26. The Result of the Election
Although Bryan lost the election to McKinley, the issue of bimetallism would surface in 1900
Bryan would run for president again in 1900 and be defeated by McKinley
Many ideas of the populists would be taken up and completed by congress during the progressive era.