Review
• What were political machines? How did
they operate and what did they seek to
accomplish?
• What was the most infamous Political
Machine of the Gilded Age and who was
its boss?
The Populists
Manifest Destiny
• The idea that it is
America’s God-given
destiny to stretch from
cost-to-coast.
Farming in the South and West
after the Civil War
• With Manifest Destiny, more farming
was happening in the U.S. than ever
before.
• More machines were being used in
farming then ever before.
• Eventually, more crops were being
grown than could be consumed.
• This led to crop prices falling and
many farmers needing to borrow
money.
• Thus many farmers went into debt
and some lost their farms.
Declining Status of Farmers
• Status of farmers falling as
giant corporations rise.
• Farmers blamed their
problems on East Coast
Bankers and the
Railroads.
• (RR’s charged smaller
farmers more than big
corporations.)
Crises of 1890s (#9)
• Severe Depression in 1893.
• Worst in US up to then.
• Also time of great labor unrest—Pullman
Strike (1894) Homestead (1892).
Coxey’s Army
• Jacob Coxey
• March of unemployed men from. Ohio to D.C.
• Demand govt. to enact public works projects to
provide jobs.
• Only 500 marchers.
• Coxey is arrested and little accomplished.
The farmers begin to organize
•
The farmers realized that if they banded together, they
would have more power in addressing their concerns.
• 1st attempt is “The Grange.”
• Then comes the “Farmers Alliance.
• These groups wanted the government to regulate
railroad shipping costs.
• They also started cooperatives—pooling their products
and sharing supplies and profits.
The Populist Party
• A political party, mainly of Western and
Southern farmers.
• They believed that farmers and workers
should be freed from the exploitive
practices of the banks, railroads, and
merchants of the East coast.
.
Who are the Populists?
• Economically and culturally marginal
people—geographically isolated.
• Rural white Protestants farmers.
• Blame RR’s, Eastern bankers, and
middlemen for their plight.
• Anti-Semitism.
review
• Overproduction led to a “glut” which
resulted in falling prices which resulted in
debt and foreclosures.
• Farmers blaimed others.
• Hung up on an idealized version of a
mythical american past in which the selfsufficient farmers was the heart of
America.
What they Want:
• 1. Restricted Immigration.
• 2. Free coinage of silver —this
would cause inflation and drive up
the price of their crops.
• 3. Graduated Income Tax.
• 4. Direct Election of Senators.
• 5. Government ownership (or at
least regulation) of utilities—
railroads, telephones, telegraphs,
etc.
Pops. Also want “Subtresuries”
• Subtresuries =govt. owned wharehouses
where farmers would store their crops and
get low interest loans against the crops
and then sell them when the price rose.
• All Populists demands were in the Omaha
platform of 1892
The problem of the Railroads
• Often charge small
farmers more to ship
goods than big
business men such
as Rockefeller.
• “Short Haul vs. Long
Haul”
• Grain Elevators
Issue of Silver
• Govt. had stopped using
silver in 1873 (“Crime of
73).
• Farmers (and western
miners) want coinage of
silver at 16:1 ratio to
create currency inflation.
“Coin’s Financial School”
• Fictional book written in 1894 by
William Harvey.
• One of the best-sellers of the
age.
• Was about how the coinage of
silver would solve all of the U.S.
financial plans.
The Wizard of Oz
• Populist Parable
Some Big Name Populists:
• Tom Watson of
Georgia
• “Sockless” Jerry
Simpson.
• Mary E. Lease
“Raise less corn and
more hell”
Populist Presidential Candidates
• 1892—James B.
Weaver (won 6 states
and received more
than 1 million votes).
• William Jennings
Bryan in 1896.
The issue of “Fusion.” (#11)
• Some Populists want to unite with the
Democrats to be more powerful.
• (race in South)
• They are for “Fusion.”
• Others against.
Election of 1896
• Republicans nominate
William McKinley of Ohio.
Conservative—for tariff,
against coinage of silver.
• Democrats are divided on
silver issue, but nominate
William Jennings Bryan
(who is Pro-Silver).
• Gives “Cross of Gold
Speech.”
William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of
Gold” Speech
• Gold Standard is
crucifying Mankind
McKinley wins
• Bryan wins only parts
of South and West.
• Loss signaled the
practical end of
Populist Party.
The Failures of Populism
• In the South, the issue of race divided poor
farmers.
• Many Populist leaders wanted to include blacks
but many whites resisted and thus continued to
vote for Democrats.
• Americans in general like the 2-party system
(Democrats and Republicans).
• Democrats begin to use Populists’ ideas.