3. Joined the Southern, National Colored Farmers’ &
Northwest Alliance
4. In 1892 – the alliance founded the People’s or Populist
Party and wrote a platform based on their program.
5. They endorsed direct election of Senators and other
electoral reforms and nominated James B. Weaver for
President
APUSH
Chapter 20: Gilded Age Politics
1. Tariff Controversy
a. Dealt with by President Cleveland
b. Problem: Do we keep the same rate, raise it, or lower it?
c. Those in favor of high tariffs & why:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3. Crisis of the 1890s: Populism
a. Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
d. Those against high tariffs & why:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
e. Those with mixed feelings about tariffs & why:
1.
9.
10.
2.
3.
2. Agrarian Discontent
a. Why?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
b. The Response
1. Turned to granges which failed due to their small size ,
the supreme courts ruling on the Wabash v. Illinois
case, businesses refused to do business with them
2. Created the Greenback Party – which failed because
too many people did not support the idea of increasing
the supply of “soft money”
b. Who was the leader? James B. Weaver
c. Depression of 1893 - 1897
What happened?
 Causes by over-expansion of the railroads & industry
 Low agricultural priced goods
 Fear about the direction of the economy
Results:
 Low gold reserve and increased silver reserve,
Cleveland blamed the depression on the govt. for
purchasing so much silver
 Congress repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
and gave the treasury the ability to buy gold to save the
banks
4. Silver Question
a. Conservative point of view: Pro-gold
b. Agrarian point of view: Pro-silver
c. Pros to gold: Nations need it to base their money on more than
a printing press. Gold is worth more than soft money and silver.
d. Pros to silver: This is more of it available.
e. General Information:
The Silver/Gold ratio was 16oz : 1 oz
Silversmiths need as much silver as possible for their products
= govt. can’t have it or the silversmiths don’t get it.
5. Election of 1896: McKinley v. Bryan
a. Who supported McKinley and Why? Republicans,
Businessmen who feared W.J. Bryan, Pro – Gold people
b. Weaknesses of Bryan:
 He had less campaign money
 handicapped by the lack of appeal of “free silver” to
factory workers and the urban middle class
c.
Who won and why? McKinley because the Northeast,
Midwest, and most cities supported & voted for him. He kept
the majority in Congress (Republicans)
d. Significance of the election of 1896:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
McKinley is known as the 1st modern President because he took the US from
being isolationistic to being a major player in international affairs.
The Crime of ’73 --- LOOK IT UP!!!!! Discuss it here!!!!