1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Populism in the Land of Oz

2. Populism
1. Populism- movement to increase farmers’ political power and work toward legislation to represent their interests.

3. Kansas 2. Kansas: People’s Party
Kansas Alliance forms the People’s Party of Populists
Attempt to get Populists elected for congress
Work with Southern Democrats

4. Tornado 3. Tornado Scene: Panic of 1893 Harms livelihood
Crop prices fall
Borrow money from banks at high interest rates
Join cooperatives (The Grange, Farmers’ Alliance)
Farmers can’t charge higher prices because too many farmers are competing

5. Munchkinland 4. Munchkinland
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Sister, Witch of the South)
North and South were supportive regions for populism
Help Dorothy and her friends
Wicked Witch of the East: Banks/Business
Lent money to farmers at high interest rates
Perpetuated farmers’ financial struggle
Wicked Witch of the West: Railroads
High shipping costs that contributed to the Panic of 1893
Continued through the recession by over-charging farmers for shipping (“I’ll get you my pretty”)

6. Munchkinland Ruby Slippers: Silver Yellow Brick Road: Gold Standard
Farmers wanted silver to help increase the money supply
Combat deflation and falling prices of goods
Yellow Brick Road: Gold Standard
Monometallism- gold used as the only standard for monetary value

7. Scarecrow 5. Scarecrow: Farmers “If I only had a brain”- Uneducated
Can’t fix what ails them
Need a more knowledgeable person to help

8. Tin Man 6. Tin Man: Industrial Workers
Highly mechanized machines of industry
Rusted solid= stop in production after Panic of 1893
Use Oil to get him moving again (Rockefeller’s Standard Oil)
“If I Only Had a Heart”- Dehumanization of industrial labor, another cog in the machine

9. Cowardly Lion 7. Cowardly Lion: William Jennings Bryan Democrat
Supported populist interests
Coinage of Silver
End high tariffs
Hold crops so market isn’t flooded with supply
16oz. silver = 1oz. gold
8-hour work day
Immigration restrictions
Graduated income tax: tax those with higher earnings more

10. Cowardly Lion “Load roar, no bite.” Election of 1896
WJB nominated to run for Democrats
Appealed to farmers
William McKinley nominated to run for Republicans- appealed to urban workers
McKinley wins

11. Emerald City 8. Emerald City: Washington D.C.
Emerald indicative of “Greenbacks”
Going to the Emerald City to see the Wizard
Coxey’s Army
Jacob Coxey leads march on Washington
Attempt to appeal to the President to help the farmers in need
Wizard of Oz: Government, William McKinley
Revealed to be nothing more than a common man
Fraud
Deception
Trickery
Oz: Abbreviation for unit of gold measurement

12. Dorothy 9. Dorothy and “There’s No Place Like Home” Naïve Innocent
Returns home without the slippers: abandonment of the silver issue
Hopeful spirit brought back to the Plains people

13. The End Scarecrow rules Emerald City Tin Man rules West
Farm interests achieved national importance
Tin Man rules West
Industry moves westward
Lion protects forest creatures
William Jennings Bryan goes back to politics