Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter 19: From Stalemate to Crisis The Farmer’s Revolt

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Main ideas A series of undistinguished political leaders fails to take action on problems caused by rapid industrialization and technological advancement, corruption and monetary issues In the 1890’s, the U.S. enters a period of national crisis Out-of -control trusts Public demands regulation of the railroads Agrarian (farmer’s) Revolt leads to the Populist Movement Sherman Anti –Trust Act was ineffective

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –The Party System  Electoral Stability—Even split  High voter turnout: 78 % 1860—1900  Party affiliation=identity politics –Catholics, immigrants, poor=Democrats –Old stock, WASP, middle class, temperance

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –The Party System  Electoral Stability  High Turnout  Cultural Basis of Party Identification

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –The National Government  Limited Responsibilities (didn’t do much!) The State, War, and Navy Building, Washington DC (Library of Congress)

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –The National Government  Limited Responsibilities  Civil War Pension System  Push business –RR Land Grants –Nat’l Guard! The State, War, and Navy Building, Washington DC (Library of Congress)

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –Presidents and Patronage  Presidents handed out jobs  Stalwarts and Half-Breeds –Rutherford B. Hayes (’77—81) –Split the Republican Party –Battle over patronage –Garfield (R) assassinated –Pendleton Act  Civil Service reform –Arthur takes over The Hayes clan

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –Cleveland, Harrison, and the Tariff  Cleveland (D) wins close in ’84  Harrison (R) wins close in ’88 –But Cleveland won popular vote  Tariff protectionism the issue Grover Cleveland (Library of Congress)

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Politics of Equilibrium The Politics of Equilibrium –New Public Issues  The public began to pressure the government  Sherman Antitrust Act, 1890 –Indifferently enforced, weakened by the courts  McKinley Tariff (highly protective, by Republicans)  Farmers called for regulation of the railroads –Wabash, et al, v. Illinois ruled against granger law  Interstate Commerce Act (1887): federal reg of RRs

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt The Agrarian Revolt –The Grangers  Origins

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt The Agrarian Revolt –The Grangers  Origins  Economic Grievances

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt The Agrarian Revolt –The Grangers  Origins: Share ag ideas, create community –Depression of 1873=increase in membership  Economic Grievances: –Market co-ops to cut out middle men –Attacked railroads and warehouses –Farmers’ Declaration of Independence (1873)

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Grangers Granger Accomplishments Granger Accomplishments –Co-op stores, creameries, elevators, & factories –Encouraged Montgomery-Ward to meet needs –Worked to elect antimonopoly/reform candidates –Got “Granger Laws” passed (local RR regs) Grangers mostly failed Grangers mostly failed –Middle men opposed them –Grangers weren’t very experienced in business –Courts defeated Granger Laws

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt The Agrarian Revolt –The Farmers’ Alliances –4 Million members by 1880 –Same goals as Grange Movement –Promoted cooperation over competition Mary Lease: Populist/Temperance Speaker Mary Lease: Populist/Temperance Speaker –Made fiery speeches v. corporations “Raise less corn and more hell!” Mary Lease

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt: Farmer’s Alliances The Agrarian Revolt: Farmer’s Alliances –Limitation: couldn’t overcome market forces –Mismanagement of the co-ops Farmer’s Alliances’ Achievements: Farmer’s Alliances’ Achievements: –National Convention: Ocala Demands –Won 12 state legislatures!! –Won 6 governorships!! –Won 3 Senate seats!! –Won 50 House seats!!!

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc 1892 Presidential Election Results

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

Who were these Populists? Mostly small farmers who felt cut off from the mainstream Mostly small farmers who felt cut off from the mainstream Sharecroppers and tenant farmers Sharecroppers and tenant farmers Some middle –class landowners Some middle –class landowners Engaged in less mechanized farming Engaged in less mechanized farming Tried but failed to attract labor Tried but failed to attract labor Early interracial cooperation faded Early interracial cooperation faded Leaders of the Populist movement were from the middle -class. Leaders of the Populist movement were from the middle -class.

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Agrarian Revolt The Agrarian Revolt –The Ocala Demands cala.html

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis Populism’s Ideological Challenge Populism’s Ideological Challenge –Some were anti-Semitic, anti-intellectual, anti- eastern, and anti-urban –Some were famously lunatic (Bacon, Watson) –And…the challenge of being anti-laissez faire capitalist in the land of the American Dream: what they advocated was peoples’ control of regulation of the economy to make it more humane and less brutal and chaotic.

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Crises of the 1890s The Crises of the 1890s –The Panic of 1893  Overexpansion and Weak Demand

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Crisis of the 1890s The Crisis of the 1890s –The Panic of 1893  Overexpansion of RR manufacturing and Weak Demand –Stock Market Collapse –Wave of Bank Failures (invested in St. Market) –Slipping farm prices and shrinking Euro market for U.S. farm products –Coxey’s Army

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis The Crisis of the 1890s The Crisis of the 1890s –The Silver Question  Weakened monetary system  16 to 1  Turn to page 536.

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis “A Cross of Gold” “A Cross of Gold” –Democrats at 1896 Convention:  Stricter control of trusts and railroads  Tariff reduction  Income tax  And, thanks to Williams Jennings Bryan, the free coinage of silver (instead of sticking with the gold standard) –Populists “fused” into the larger Dem Party William McKinley (Library of Congress)

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis “A Cross of Gold” “A Cross of Gold” –The Conservative Victory  Conservative Republicans dumped big bucks on McKinley  Birth of Modern Campaigning: Bryan begged for votes nation- wide! Whistle stop tour. His evangelical style may have Harmed his campaign.

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis “A Cross of Gold” “A Cross of Gold” –The Conservative Victory  Birth of Modern Campaigning Campaigning  End of the People’s Party Election of 1896

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis “A Cross of Gold” “A Cross of Gold” –McKinley and Recovery  McKinley Administration quietly calms the nation  The economy slowly recovers  Dingley Tariff jacks import tariff rate up  Currency or Gold Standard Act: –Ties specific gold value to dollar –Final verdict on the Silver Issue:  U.S. economic growth was limited by a lack of money in the system! Populists were right!

Copyright ©2007 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Where Historians Disagree:Populism Where Historians Disagree:Populism –Hicks: rational, progressive reaction v. Ind East –Woodward: Southern view similar to Hicks –Hofstadter: soft (nostalgic) and dark (racist) –Goodwyn: “cooperative crusade” v. corporates –Later historians: populists were disconnected –Eliz.Sanders: Populists were pre-New Dealers –Kazin: Populism continues as political tradition Chapter Nineteen: From Stalemate to Crisis