The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz
A Parable of the Populist EraA Parable of the Populist Era
The Wonderful WizardThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozof Oz by by
L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum Book was written in Book was written in
1900 when the 1900 when the Populist movement Populist movement was a relatively was a relatively current event in current event in American politicsAmerican politics
The CharactersThe Characters
DorothyDorothy ““Every person” with Every person” with
common sensecommon sense The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow
The farmersThe farmers The Tin WoodsmanThe Tin Woodsman
Dehumanized laborDehumanized labor The Cowardly LionThe Cowardly Lion
Wm. Jennings BryanWm. Jennings Bryan
The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the West of the West The harsh The harsh
environment of the environment of the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the Eastof the East The eastern The eastern
industrialists and industrialists and bankers who bankers who controlled the little controlled the little people (The people (The Munchkins)Munchkins)
Toto Toto The tee totaling The tee totaling
prohibitionistsprohibitionists The Good WitchThe Good Witch
The Farmers The Farmers Alliance (The Alliance (The Grange)Grange)
Dorothy’s Ruby Red Dorothy’s Ruby Red SlippersSlippers Were actually Were actually silver silver
slippers slippers in the book in the book but in the but in the Technicolor film, red Technicolor film, red looked better than looked better than silver silver
Silver was the Silver was the Populists solution to Populists solution to the nation’s the nation’s economic problemseconomic problems
The WizardThe Wizard Represents any one Represents any one
of the Presidents of the Presidents from the Gilded Agefrom the Gilded Age
The Yellow Brick The Yellow Brick RoadRoad (With all the (With all the
dangers along the dangers along the way) represented way) represented the Gold Standardthe Gold Standard
Emerald CityEmerald City Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
OzOz Is the abbreviation Is the abbreviation
for for ouncesounces, a , a reference to the reference to the silverites who silverites who supported free supported free silver in the ratio of silver in the ratio of 16 oz. of silver to 1 16 oz. of silver to 1 oz. of goldoz. of gold
And as any Populist would And as any Populist would know…know…
There is no place like home (steading)!There is no place like home (steading)!
Why did the Populist Party Why did the Populist Party disappear?disappear?
Major political parties adopted ideas of the Major political parties adopted ideas of the Populists – no need for a minor partyPopulists – no need for a minor party
Gold discovered in Gold discovered in AlaskaAlaska(1898) – no need for (1898) – no need for silversilver
Better economic times returned for the farmersBetter economic times returned for the farmers Famine in Europe increased demand for American Famine in Europe increased demand for American
productsproducts immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed”immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed” ““Golden Age of American Agriculture”Golden Age of American Agriculture” (1900-1914) (1900-1914)
Importance of the Populist Importance of the Populist PartyParty
Many Populist suggestions were Many Populist suggestions were eventually adopted into eventually adopted into lawlaw
Minority group can create Minority group can create change change within the system!!!within the system!!!
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