1. The Populist Agenda Platform and Reforms

2. How does this song lyric show the sentiment of the time? When the banker says he ’ s broke And the merchant ’ s up in smoke, They forget that it ’ s the farmer feeds them all. It would put them to the test If the farmer took the rest; Then they ’ d know it ’ s the farmer feeds them all.

3. Farmers Face Many Problems Falling Prices? Rising debt from what? Big business practices hurt how? Deflation – What does this mean? Why is it bad?

4. The Grangers (1867 - ) Origins - (Oliver H. Kelly) Original goals? - Educate in new farming techniques - Regulate railroads What was the ICC?

5. Populist Platform (1890) 1.Currency inflation by either printing more money or coining silver. 2.Graduated Income Tax 3.Create postal savings banks 4.Wheat for Cash - Federal loan progam where farmers would store wheat and use it as collateral to borrow from U.S. government (up to 80%)

6. Populist Reforms (1890) 1.Direct election of U.S. Senators 2.Single term for President and V.P. 3.Secret ballot to end voter fraud 4.Initiative to allow people to introduce bills to federal and state legislatures 5.Recall to allow people to remove elected officials. 6.Referendum to allow people to approve bills after passed by the federal and state legislatures.

7. The Election of 1896 The main issues is money!! Bimetallism v. “ Goldbugs ” Republicans ( “ Goldbugs) - represent business and financial interest in the Northeast of the United States. Democrats (bimetallism) - farmers and laborers in the agrarian south and west

8. The Republican - William McKinley Governor of Ohio Backed by Marcus Alonzo Hannah and big business Raises $3.5 million in campaign contributions Front Porch tour gets McKinley ’ s face and message out to the public

9. The Democrat - William Jennings Bryan Former Congressman of Kansas Known as a great speaker We will see him later in the Scopes Trial Will tweak the 1890 platform

10. The Middle Class Swings the Election In the end, the Northeast went to McKinley The South went to Bryan The new industrial middle class goes Republicans thus they gain the advantage in the West (Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan)