“Farmers should raise less corn and more hell.”

-Mary Lease, Populist

Farmers in Farmers in RevoltRevolt

The Emergence of the Populist The Emergence of the Populist PartyParty

Early Farm OrganizationsThe Grange

Original Purpose 1867Original Purpose 1867

  ““To provide a social outlet and To provide a social outlet and educational services for educational services for

isolated farmersisolated farmers””

Farmer’s Poem

When the banker says he’s brokeAnd the merchants up in smoke,They forget that it’s the farmer who

feeds them all.It would put them to the testIf the farmer took a rest;Then they’d know that it’s the farmer

who feeds them all.

The Political Grange

• The Grange united to combat the monopolistic practices of the railroads and grain elevators– Its aim was to advance the political, economic,

and social interests of the nation's farmers– 860,000 national members860,000 national members

• One way they did this was by Grange One way they did this was by Grange members getting elected to local, state members getting elected to local, state legislature and Congress officeslegislature and Congress offices

The Political Grange

• Elected members to state Elected members to state legislature and Congresslegislature and Congress

• Passed Passed ““Granger LawsGranger Laws”” in the in the states to regulate the rates states to regulate the rates charged by railroads and charged by railroads and warehouses. warehouses.

• Supreme Court overturns Supreme Court overturns many of these lawsmany of these laws

Farmer’s

View of the East

Farmers Revolt

• Populist Movement– Farmers caught up in a new and

complex international market– Factors that upset farmers:

1. Farm prices had steadily declined from 1865-1890.

2. Railroads charged high shipping rates.3. Farmers mortgaged their farms to buy new

farm machines.4. High tariffs increased prices of factory

goods that farmers needed.

The Populist Party

Platform 1892• Increase money supply – create inflation Increase money supply – create inflation which would raise the prices for crops.which would raise the prices for crops.

• Free coinage of silver – farmers wanted Free coinage of silver – farmers wanted silver on the currency system. silver on the currency system.

• Graduated income tax – taxes increase Graduated income tax – taxes increase as income increases.as income increases.

• Direct election of Senators by the Direct election of Senators by the people.people.

• Secret Ballot during elections.Secret Ballot during elections.

The Populist Party

Platform 1892• Initiative –A way for people to Initiative –A way for people to rather than legislature to originate rather than legislature to originate laws.laws.

• Referendum – A way for a Referendum – A way for a proposed law to be voted on by the proposed law to be voted on by the people.people.

• Recall – A way for people to Recall – A way for people to remove a public official from office.remove a public official from office.

1892 Election1892 Election1892 Election1892 Election

Election of 1892

• Impact:• The Populists did not win the

presidential election, but did achieve huge results throughout the nation.

• Populists elected governors in Populists elected governors in Kansas and North Dakota, 10 U.S. Kansas and North Dakota, 10 U.S. Congressmen, 5 U.S. Senators, and Congressmen, 5 U.S. Senators, and 1500 members to state legislatures1500 members to state legislatures

Panic of 1893CAUSES:CAUSES:

• FarmerFarmer’’s debtss debts

• Rapid railroad Rapid railroad expansionexpansion

• Drainage of gold from Drainage of gold from treasury as a result of treasury as a result of the Sherman Silver the Sherman Silver Purchase Act Purchase Act

Result of Panic• By the end of the year, over 15,000 By the end of the year, over 15,000

businesses and 500 banks had collapsed.businesses and 500 banks had collapsed.• Farmers and Workers demand Farmers and Workers demand

change.change.• Populist Party and Democratic Populist Party and Democratic

Party nominate William Jennings Party nominate William Jennings Bryan who favors money to be Bryan who favors money to be backed in both gold and silver.backed in both gold and silver.

Election of 1896• William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan • William McKinleyWilliam McKinley

Election of 1896

Republican Republican PartyParty

•  Candidate = Candidate = McKinleyMcKinley

•Platform Platform (Beliefs) : U.S. (Beliefs) : U.S. Currency should Currency should remain based on remain based on Gold StandardGold Standard

Election of 1896

Democratic and Populist Democratic and Populist PartyParty• Candidate = Bryan

Platform (what they stood for):

•Bimetallism – free coinage of silver

• Belief was to use gold and silver in the currency system. Result would allow more money to be printed

• At this time currency was only backed by gold.

•Woman suffrage – voting rights

•Income Tax – tax on people’s income

Bi-Metallism Bi-Metallism IssueIssue

Bi-Metallism Bi-Metallism IssueIssue

Bryan vs. McKinley

Who Who SupportedSupported

Farmers and Farmers and LaborersLaborers

Bankers and Bankers and BusinessmenBusinessmen

What they Wanted

BimetallismMore money in circulation

Gold StandardLess money in circulation

Why Products would sell for higher prices

Loans would be paid in stable currency

Effects INFLATION Prices rise Value of money decreases More people have money

DEFLATION Prices fall Value of money increases Fewer people have money

Into Into Which Which Box Box Will Will the the

VoterVoterof of ’’96 96 Place Place His His

BallotBallot??

Into Into Which Which Box Box Will Will the the

VoterVoterof of ’’96 96 Place Place His His

BallotBallot??

Election Results

• McKinley McKinley wins with 7 wins with 7 million votesmillion votes

• Populist Populist Party Party collapsedcollapsed

Legacy of the Populist Party

• The downtrodden (lower class) The downtrodden (lower class) could organize and have political could organize and have political impactimpact

• Many of the ideas of the Populist Many of the ideas of the Populist Party Platform became law during Party Platform became law during the first years of the 20the first years of the 20thth century century

Populist Party in

LiteratureL. Frank Baum, a reform-minded Democrat who supported William Jennings Bryan's pro-silver candidacy, wrote the book… The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a parable of the Populists, an allegory of their failed efforts to reform the nation in 1896.

Wonderful Wizard of OzDorothy representedthe common person.She was from Kansasa farming/populist state.

The Wicked Witch of the East represented all the things back east that were Bringing the farmers down…bankers and factories.

•The Munchkins represent the “little people”

In the book Dorothy’s slippers were silver. In the movie they are red. As Dorothy walked along the Yellow Brick Road (gold) in her silver slippers it represented the proper relationship between gold and silver. The main cause of the Populist Party to put both gold and silver on the currency system.

Along the way, Dorothy meets three companions:1.The Scarecrow, who represents the farmer. Farmers were considered uneducated

and dumb they were called names like “hicks” and “hayseeds.”2. The Tin Man represents the industrial worker who had lost his heart and only focused

on working in the factories.3. The Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryan, who actually was not a coward,

but stepped up and took on the Populist cause of free silver as the 1896 Presidentialcandidate for the Democratic Party.

The Wicked Witch of the West represents all the things out west that are hurting the farmers…railroad rates, low farm prices, tariffs, etc.

OZ represents ounces – 16 ounces of silver = 1 bar of gold

The Emerald City represents Washington D.C.

The Wizard represents politicians who are not alwaysWhat they seem.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

• In Baum’s book, Dorothy pours water over the Wicked Witch of the West and she melts. This represents the long drought that farmers had to endure in the Great Plains. Dorothy returns to Kansas using her magical silver slippers (free coinage of silver) and the scarecrow (farmer) rules over Oz.

Legacy of the Populist Party

• Direct election of senators (17th Amendment)

• Federal Income tax (16th Amendment)

• Women’s suffrage (19th Amendment)• Initiative Initiative • ReferendumReferendum• RecallRecall