The Populist Movement 1880s – 1890s

The Beginnings of Populism• Mechanizing farms cost money• Farmers borrow money to buy machinery• Mechanization increases output which drops prices• Farmers can not pay loans back to banks• After the Civil War many felt that both parties represented

the capitalists and not the farmer• The Populist Party is born

The Money

• The money at this time was based on gold

• Gold is very stable (no inflation)

• Inflation is good for the barrower

Election - 1892

• James Weaver– Restore the principles of the founding fathers

(agrarian culture)– Gets over 1 mill. Votes but still can’t win– Party has to change tactics– Need the help of labor unions– Adds to platform

The Populist Platform

• Coinage of silver – creates inflation• Graduated income tax• Public ownership of railroads, telegraphs

and telephones• Restricted immigration• 8 hour workday• Women suffrage• Secret ballot• Direct election of senators

Mary Elizabeth Lease (1850 – 1933)“Queen Mary” or “Mary Yellin”

Populist political activist

Populists

• Ideas to return America to its agrarian past (negative reform)

• Populists were a conglomeration of classes, nationalities and sometimes races.

• Hard to keep that many different types on coarse

• They turned to the city only for labor vote – not enough farmers to get elected

L. Frank Baum (1856 – 1919)author of

The Wizard of OZ

The Wizard of Ozas

Political Allegory

The characters and who they represent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3ypbAbLJ8&list=PLC19B25D29635E0B5

Dorothy represents the ___________ ?

The Scarecrow represents the __________?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSFQy_cLvLU

The Tin Woodsman represents the ________ ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=louBM-Mix7s

The Cowardly Lion represents ___________________(1860 – 1925):________, a Democrat, ran for the presidency in 1896 and lost to

William McKinley; thus _______ had a load roar, but no power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2itQkiQUOE

Bryan and the

Cross of Gold

• “If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Bryan favored bimetallism

Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech, Recording

The Wicked Witch of the East

Represents the __________________ ?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eFubQuK0dg

• The Yellow Brick Road = __________ ?• Silver (not ruby!)Slippers = _________?

=

In the book the City was white but everyone had to

wear green glasses (Greenbacks)

+

The Wizard of Oz

William McKinley (1843 – 1901)25th President of the United States(1897 – 1901)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZR64EF3OpA

The abbreviation for an ounce of gold or silver

Oz

What does this poster symbolize?

End of the Populists

• Out of desperation in 1896 the populist party joins the Democratic party

• William Jennings Bryan looses to William McKinley (R)

End of the Populists

• This was the first campaign in which massive amounts of money was used to defeat a candidate

• The Democratic Party says that because of Bryan’s defeat the democrats disband all populist rhetoric.

A series of unfortunate events or purposely well played out scheme of capitalists?