Farmers in Revolt
The Emergence of the Populist Party
Early Farm Organizations
The Grange
Original Purpose 1867
“To provide a social outlet and
educational services for isolated
farmers”
The Political Grange
• Elected members to state legislatures
and Congress
• Passed “Granger Laws” in the states
to regulate the rates charged by
railroads and warehouses.
• Supreme Court overturns many
these laws
Farmer’s
View of
the East
The Rise of Populism
• Formed because they didn’t trust
Democrats or Republicans to take
care of Congress
• Held a Convention in Omaha
Nebraska in July of 1892
• Nominated James B. Weaver to run
for President
The Populist Party
Platform 1892
• Increase money supply – create
inflation which would raise the prices
for crops
• Graduated income tax
• Direct election of Senator by the
people
• Secret Ballot
• 8 Hour Day (attempt to get urban
workers to join)
The Populist Party
Platform 1892
• Restriction on Immigration
• Initiative –A way for people to rather than
legislature to create laws-The legislature then has
to vote on it.
• Referendum – A way for a proposed law to be
voted on by the people directly
• Recall – A way for people to remove a public
official from office
Election of 1892
• Republican –Harrison
• Democrat- Cleveland
• Populist – Weaver – He received over
1 million votes and carried Colorado,
Kansas, Nevada, and Idaho for a total
of 22 electoral votes.
Panic of 1893
CAUSES:
• Farmer’s debts
• Rapid railroad
expansion
• Drainage of gold from
treasury
Result of Panic
• “By the end of the year, over 15,000
businesses and 500 banks had
collapsed.”
• Farmers and Workers demand change
• Populist Party and Democratic Party
nominate William Jennings Bryan who
favors money to be backed in both gold
and silver
Election of 1896
• William Jennings Bryan
• William McKinley
Election of 1896
Republican Party
• McKinley
•Platform: Gold
Standard
Election of 1896
Democratic and Populist Party
•Bryan
Platform:
Bimetallism – – A monetary system in which the
government would give citizens either gold or silver in
exchanged for paper currency.
•Woman suffrage
•Income Tax
Bryan vs. McKinley
Who
Supported
What they
Wanted
Why
Effects
Farmers and
Laborers
Bankers and
Businessmen
Bimetallism
More money in
circulation
Gold Standard
Less money in
circulation
Products would sell for
higher prices
Loans would be paid in
stable currency
INFLATION
Prices rise
Value of money
decreases
More people have
money
DEFLATION
Prices fall
Value of money
increases
Fewer people have
money
William Jennings Bryan’s
Cross of Gold Speech
“You shall not
press down upon
the brow of labor
this crown of
thorns, you shall
not crucify
mankind upon a
cross of gold”
Election Results
• McKinley wins
with 7 million
votes
• Populist Party
collapsed
Legacy of the
Populist Party
• The downtrodden could organize and
have political impact
• Many of the ideas of the Populist
Party Platform became law during
the first years of the 20th century
Populist Party
in Literature