Goal 4 Part 2
Rise and Fall of Populism
The Rise and Fall of POPULISM
• Populism – the movement of “PEOPLE”
• Formed: Omaha Platform (1892)
(BIRTH)
– Main focus: lift the burden of the people /
farmers “against the abuses of the R.R.”
Enemy: railroads, banks and elitist
– Outcome: Convinced the federal government
they should be responsible for the actions of
the R.R. = REGULATION / CONTROL
Important legislation and ideas
during the Populist movement
– Populist Platform:
(a) An increase in money supply (more $ = farmers can raise
crop prices)
(b) A graduated / progressive income tax 16th Amendment (more income = more tax – saves some
pressure on the farmers)
(c) Free and unlimited coinage of silver
(Turn silver into the Mint – coinage at the expense of the
federal government)
(d) 17th Amendment:
– Direct election of Senators *(Instead of state
legislature….its by the people / popular vote)
(e) REGULATION of the Railroads
(f) 8 hour work days
Bland-Allison Act (1878)
• Farmers and other debtors pushed the
government to issue more money into
circulation.
• The Bland-Allison Act of 1878 required the
government to buy and coin at least $2 million to
$4 million worth of silver each month,
• Unsuccessful:
but this wasn’t enough to support the increase in
the money supply that the farmers needed.
Politics in Populism
“Silver or Gold?????”
• Late 1800s – mild “sectionalism”
• Republicans (Northern Industrialists / Bankers)
• Democrats / Populists (Southern Farmers)
Main Focus: WHICH METAL WILL BECOME THE
BASIS OF THE NATION’S MONETARY SYSTEM?????
• “Silverites” who favored “Bimetallism” – either gold OR
silver in exchange for paper $ (abundance) FARMERS
Benefit: more money in circulation would help raise crop
prices
• “Gold bugs” who favored “Gold Standard” – JUST gold
in exchange for paper $ (more stable) BANKERS
Bimetallism / William
Jennings Bryan
1896 Presidential Election
vs.
– Republican – William McKinley (Winner)
• (Gold bug/ gold standard) –includes bankers and
businessmen
– Democrat / Populist – William Jennings Bryan
• (Silverite/ bimetallism) – includes farmers and laborers
- Criticized for his radical beliefs
MAIN ISSUE: WHICH METAL WILL BECOME THE
BASIS OF THE NATION’S MONETARY SYSTEM?????
William Jennings Bryan’s
CROSS OF GOLD Speech
1896 Democratic / Populist
Nomination speech
Remember:
Bryan SUPPORTS Bimetallism and the
“farmer / common man”
• “You shall not press down upon the brow
of labor the crown of thorns, you shall not
crucify mankind upon a cross of gold”
» William Jennings Bryan (Cross of Gold Speech)
» HATES the Gold Standard
» SUPPORTS BIMETALLISM
What ENDS Populism ??
(1) Democrats “ADOPTED” (Gold Triumphs OVER Silver)
many of the Populist ideas….
and they later became law
(Ex. 16th & 17th Amendment)
(2) William McKinley’s victory
in the 1896 Presidential
Election
Populist Party
Causes:
- falling crop prices
- excessive railroad prices / abuse
- need for free and unlimited coinage of silver
- need for regulation and a federal loan program
Effects:
- New ideas that later became law (17th Amendment)
- federal regulation of private industry
- message for “hope” for farmer / laborer & the ability to
“Organize”
Which issue led to the organization
of the Populist Party?
A. The desire to lift the burden of debt from
farmers and other workers
B. The collapse of the Second Bank of
the United States
C. An increase in immigration
D. Limited availability of land in the West for
use by new farmers
T.Q. Which statement BEST
explains the Populist Party decline?
a. The party did not have effective leaders
b. The Populist platform only addressed the
goals of farmers
c. The Democratic Party adopted many of
the Populists’ goals and ideas
d. The nation elected a Democratic
President
Populist Party
•
Individually or Groups of 2 to 4
– You are members of the Populist Party. It is
your job to
(1) Design a campaign poster and a CREST to
convince voters / farmers that you can offer
to lift the burden they feel on a daily basis
from the corporate elite
Remember: Farmers do not have a political
voice…..give them one!