THE POPULIST PARTY
•
FARMERS GAVE THEIR SUPPORT TO THE POPULIST PARTY, A NEW NATIONAL PARTY REPRESENTING
THE “COMMON MAN” (FARMERS, INDUSTRIAL WORKERS, AND MINERS)
•
WOMEN PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN THE POPULIST MOVEMENTS SPEAKERS AND ORGANIZERS
•
CONVINCED THAT RICH INDUSTRIALIST AND BANKERS HAD A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE
GOVERNMENT
•
LIKE THE GRANGERS BEFORE THEM, THE POPULISTS WANTED THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A
LARGER ROLE (TO END OPPRESSION, INJUSTICE AND POVERTY)
•
1892: HELD A NATIONAL CONVENTION IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA (TO CHOOSE A PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE)
•
PARTY PLATFORM:
•
UNLIMITED COINAGE OF SILVER: TO RAISE FARM PRICES AND MAKE LOAN REPAYMENT EASIER
•
DIRECT ELECTION OF SENATORS: INSTEAD OF BY STATE LEGISLATURES
•
TERM LIMITS FOR PRESIDENTS: 1 TERM
•
SECRET BALLOT: TO PROTECT VOTERS FROM INTIMIDATION
•
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP: OF RAILROADS, TELEGRAPHS, AND TELEPHONES
•
IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS: WITH QUOTAS
•
GRADUATED INCOME TAX: TO TAX WEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AT A HIGHER RATE
•
SHORTER WORK DAY: OF 8 HOURS
TAX RATES
• 10% ON TAXABLE INCOME FROM $0 TO $8,925, PLUS
• 15% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $8,925 TO $36,250, PLUS
• 25% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $36,250 TO $73,200, PLUS
• 28% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $73,200 TO $111,525, PLUS
• 33% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $111,525 TO $199,175, PLUS
• 35% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $199,175 TO $225,000, PLUS
• 39.6% ON TAXABLE INCOME OVER $225,000.
HOMEWORK
• WHICH OF THE DEMANDS BY THE POPULIST PARTY WOULD YOU
HAVE SUPPORTED? PRETEND YOU ARE A NEWSPAPER EDITOR IN 1892
WRITING ABOUT THE POPULISTS. CHOOSE ONE OF THE DEMANDS OF
THE POPULIST PARTY PLATFORM AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU SUPPORT
THAT DEMAND. THEN CHOOSE A SECOND DEMAND AND EXPLAIN
WHY YOU OPPOSE IT.
ELECTION CAMPAIGNS
•
1892: IN 1892, THE POPULIST ELECTED 5 SENATORS AND RECEIVED OVER A MILLION VOTES
FOR THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. SOON AFTERWARDS, THE ECONOMY COLLAPSED IN
THE DEPRESSION OF 1893. POPULISTS BLAMED THE DEPRESSION ON THE SCARCITY OF
CURRENCY. THEY DEMANDED THE UNLIMITED COINAGE OF SILVER TO RAISE PRICES.
•
1896: THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINATED WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN FOR PRESIDENT
AFTER HE DELIVERED A SPEECH AT THE CONVENTION (CROSS OF GOLD SPEECH). IT PRAISED
FARMERS AND DENOUNCED BANKERS FOR CRUCIFYING MANKIND ON A CROSS OF GOLD.
THE POPULIST PARTY SUPPORTED BRYAN INSTEAD OF RUNNING ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
BRYAN’S SENSE OF MORAL OUTRAGE, HOWEVER, FRIGHTENED MANY VOTERS. HE
NARROWLY LOST THE ELECTION TO REPUBLICAN WILLIAM MCKINLEY, A PRO-BUSINESS
CANDIDATE. THE COUNTRY DIVIDED REGIONALLY: BRYAN WON THE SOUTH AND WEST BUT
MCKINLEY WON THE NORTHEAST AND MIDWEST, AND WITH IT THE ELECTION.
•
1900: FOUR YEARS LATER, BRYAN RAN AGAINST MCKINLEY AGAIN. MCKINLEY WON A
SECOND TERM. THIS VIRTUALLY BROUGHT AN END TO THE POPULIST PARTY. NEW GOLD
DISCOVERIES, HIGHER FARM PRICES, AND RURAL MIGRATION TO THE CITIES WEAKENED
NATIONAL INTEREST IN A SEPARATE FARMER’S PARTY IN LATER YEARS.
ELECTION PIE CHARTS
( R) = Republican Party
Election of 1892
(D) = Democratic Party
Election of 1896
(P) = Populist Party
Election of 1900
James B. Weaver (P)
Benjamin Harrison
( R)
Grover Cleveland
(D)
Glover Cleveland (D) 62% of
Electoral Votes [277]
William McKinley
( R)
William J. Bryan
(D)
William J. Bryan (D) 39% of
Electoral Votes [176]
Benjamin Harrison ( R) 33% of
Electoral Vote [145]
James B. Weaver (P) 5% of
Electoral Votes [22]
[#] = Electoral Votes Received
William McKinley ( R) 61% of
Electoral Vote [271]
William McKinley
( R)
William J. Bryan
(D)
William J. Bryan (D) 35% of
Electoral Votes [155]
William McKinley ( R) 65% of
Electoral Vote [292]
LEGACY OF POPULISM
• THE POPULIST PARTY APPEARED SUDDENLY IN THE 1890S AND DISAPPEARED
JUST AS FAST, YET IT LEFT ITS MARK ON AMERICAN HISTORY.
• THIRD PARTIES OFTEN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
• THEY PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR MINORITIES TO VOICE GRIEVANCES AND
GENERATE NEW IDEAS.
• POPULISTS WERE THE TYPICAL THIRD PARTY MOVEMENTS IN THE U.S.
• MANY POPULIST PROPOSALS, SUCH AS GRADUATE INCOME TAX AND DIRECT
ELECTION OF THE SENATORS WERE LATER ADOPTED BY ONE OF THE LARGER
POLITICAL PARTIES.
• IF A THIRD PARTY ATTRACTS SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF VOTERS, ONE OF THE
MAJOR PARTIES WILL OFTEN ADOPT ITS IDEAS.