Protest and Reform
Growing agricultural problems for the
nation’s farmers created the
conditions for discontent and political
turmoil.
I. Hard Times Down on the Farm
• Last 30 years of the
19th century were not
good ones for farmers
• American farmer was
losing economic,
political and social
power
• Major shifts occurring
in the way Americans
made money
II. Reasons for these Agricultural
Troubles
•
•
•
•
Drop in Farm Prices
Increasing Costs
High Tariffs
Inadequate Currency
--The “Crime of ’73”
• Gradual erosion of
political power and
leadership
II. Reasons for Agricultural
Troubles (cont.)
• Gradual erosion of social
power and leadership
• New Business practices
• National recessions
• Problems with
“middlemen”
• Unforgiving environment
• Ingrained tradition of
rugged individualism and
physical isolation
III. Agricultural Organization to
Deal with Discontent
• The Grange (1867)
-- “cost-side” solutions
• The Greenback Party
(1877)
-- “price-side” solutions
• The Alliance Movement
(1880’s)
--Mary Elizabeth Lease
• The national Populist
Party (1892)
IV. The Omaha Platform (1892)
• Government ownership of
railroads
• Graduated income tax
• Direct Election of
Senators
• The Secret Ballot
• Sub-treasury to secure
cheap loans
• Expansion of currency
• Shorter industrial work
week
IV. Omaha Platform (cont.)
• Free and Unlimited
Coinage of Silver
• William Harvey’s
Coin’s Financial
School (1894)
• Frank Baum’s The
Wonderful Wizard of
Oz (1900)
V. The Politics of “The Gilded
Age”
• “Gilded Age” politics
• Major campaign issues
• Even division of power
between the parties
• Ideal presidential
candidate
• Alliances between
government and
businessmen were
common
V. “Gilded Age” Politics (cont.)
• High voter turnout
during the late 19th
century
• The typical late 19th
century Republican
• The typical late 19th
century Democrat
VI. Reform and Presidential
Politics
A. The Election of 1880
• Garfield (R-Ohio) vs.
Winfield Scott
Hancock (D-Pa)
• Garfield’s
assassination
• Arthur = better than
expected
• Pendleton Civil
Service Act (1883)
B. The Election of 1884
• Republicans nominated
James G. Blaine (Maine)
• The rise of the
“Mugwumps”
• Democrats nominated
Grover Cleveland (NY)
• The 1884 Campaign
• Cleveland’s First Term in
Office
• Called for Tariff Reform
C. The Election of 1888
• Cleveland (D-NY) vs.
Benjamin Harrison (RIN)
• The Campaign and the
Results of the Election
• Harrison’s Presidency
• “Billion Dollar”
Congress of 1890
• McKinley Tariff
D. The Election of 1892
• Cleveland vs. Harrison
again
• Strong Populist showing
by James Weaver (Iowa)
• Problems for Populists
• Cleveland’s Second
Administration
• The Panic of 1893
• Coxey’s Army
E. The Election of 1896
• Currency = major
issue of the campaign
• Democrats nominated
William Jennings
Bryan of Nebraska
-- “Cross of Gold”
Speech at Chicago
convention
• The Populist Dilemma
E. The Election of 1896 (cont.)
• Republicans nominated
William McKinley (Ohio)
• Reasons for Election
Results
• Political Significance of
this election
• McKinley’s Presidency
• The Currency Act of 1900
• Currency and Tariff
reform swallowed up by
calls for war