Do Now: What problems do farmers have?
Think about all the things we’ve learned
about. (You have 5 minutes – Got to go
quickly so we can do a fun activity!)
Objectives: Students will be able to…(1) define populism
(2) explain the struggles of farmers
Homework: Finish your notes for NEXT FRIDAY
Farming Activity
• Round 1 – Everyone grew 5 bushels! (Rip up a
paper into 6 pieces
• 5 minutes to try and sell your bushels to the
buyers
Mortgage and supply payment is
due….
Round 2
• It was a somewhat dry season and you were
only able to get 2 bushels of supplies.
Mortgage and supply payment
due
Round 3
• It was a somewhat dry season and you were
only able to get 2 bushels of supplies.
Mortgage and supply payment
due
Round 4
• Massive drought! You were only able to grow
1 bushel!
• Your crops from last year are no longer good!
Mortgage and supply payment
due
Money Supply
• During Civil War government printed greenbacks
• After war, they stopped printing money
• Eventually this created deflation
Farmers Hurt
• Many borrowed money for farming
• Prices went down – still had to pay mortgage and
interest
• Thought problem was that government stopped
printing $$ (“The Crime of ‘73”)
Grange Forms
• Farmers isolated
• Grange – First national farm organization - Alliance
(800,000-1.5 Million members)
• What they wanted:
1. Government to regulate railroad/warehouse rates
2. Print more $$$
3. Cooperatives: organizations that benefited farmers
Do Now: Grab a worksheet
and complete the ‘Do Now’
Objectives: Students will be able to…(1) define the populist
movement (2) analyze a video for key information
Homework: Don’t forget, chapter 16 DUE FRIDAY
Populism Video
• Answer the questions that go along 
Farmers Alliance
• Very similar to The
Grange
• Alliance had same
problems as Grange 
leaders realized they
needed a political party
(People’s Party- aka the
Populists)
Populism
• The general people joining together, usually
against the elite for reforms
Subtreasury Plan
• Government provides
warehouses where
farmers goods could
be kept at low
interest.
• What will this do?
Rise of Populism
• Gaining power
• Demands – Subtreasury, end
protective tariffs, regulations of
railroads, free coinage of silver
• Sherman Silver Purchase Act
of 1890 – Tried to prevent
farmers from voting for
Populists, but didn’t end up
helping farmers
Populist for President
• James Weaver – Populist
candidate for President
– Coin silver
– Federals gvt. owns railroads
– Graduated income tax – tax
rich more
• Won 22 electoral votes
(Cleveland won)
Gold vs. Silver
• Panic of 1893 – Economic
depression, no jobs, no $$
• Crisis with money:
– Goldbugs – Gold should be
the basis for US currency
– Silverites – coining silver
would save economy
Election of 1896
• Using the book, write a
brief news release telling
the public the results and
course of the election of
1896