Populism McIntyre “What you farmers need to do is raise less corn and more Hell!” Mary Elizabeth Lease (1890) Populist Organizer
The Grange What? Farmer’s Union founded in Minnesota Cooperative movement - farmers pooled their money to make shared purchases of machinery, supplies, insurance, limited quantity of produce etc. How? Worked for pro-farmer laws Ex. Interstate Commerce Act - regulated rates of railroads
A joining of two forces: Northern Farmer’s Alliance + Southern Farmer’s Alliance Created Co-opportunities to help purchase goods at lower rates Created storage places to help poor farmers ______________________________ The Populist Party of 1890 Mary Lease from Kansas: “Kansans should raise less corn and more hell!”
1892 Presidential Campaign Omaha Platform – forming of Populist Party End the “hands-off” agenda of the U.S. Government Government ownership of the railroads (West) Finance Reform (Eastern Banks) Enforce Sherman Anti-Trust Act – against cartels & Monopolies “16:1 oz” ratio for specie (silver to gold) to devalue currency (Bi-metalism) Australian Ballot (secret ballot) Direct election of Senators (not by State Legislature)
Populist Party & Free Silver Why? Populists believed that this would solve nearly all of the farmer’s problems What? They wanted to use both silver and gold coins, thus increasing the amount of money in the country All money would be worth less, a situation that was bad for creditors (big banks) and good for debtors (farmers)
Election of 1892 Defeat Won millions of votes out West, not on the East. Decide to join forces with the Democratic Party to get their agenda passed. William Jennings Bryan: “Cross of Gold” Speech: won the nomination. -Americans were being crucified on a “cross of gold.”
Coxey’s Army Result of the Panic 1893: Like Pullman Strike Heading to Washington 1894 Worthless waste of time
Silver or Gold? The central issue of the Populists was which metal to use as the basis for the nation’s monetary system: bimetallism (gold and silver) or gold alone. The Republicans preferred gold Democrats favored free silver (bimetallism at a ratio of 16 units of silver to one of gold). This has fluctuated over the years, but the standard remains between 14:1 and16:1
A Populist President? William Jennings Bryan Ran as a Populist President in 1896 on platform of Free Silver Tried to attract Industrial workers to no avail. William Jennings Bryan Big business opposes his run, Republicans win the white house, & Populists fade away “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold” -- W.J. Bryan
Who are they really???? Populists were not folk heroes The were coming up with new ideas to return America to its agrarian past (negative reform) Populism represented a class movement that was based on racism, anti-Semitism and sectionalism, but not nationalism They turned to the city only for labor support
The Wizard of Oz Written by Active Populist L. Frank Baum Most things in the book represent something important to the populist movement
The Wizard of Oz Basic Symbols: Ruby Slippers Yellow Brick Road Oz - In the book, were actually “Silver Slippers” (magic of Free Silver) Yellow Brick Road - “Gold” many dangers for regular people (like Dorothy) Oz - Abbreviation for Ounce (way gold is measured)
The Wizard of Oz Characters: Dorothy Scarecrow Tin Man - Everyman - Farmers Tin Man - Industrial Workers
The Wizard of Oz Characters: Lion Toto Wizard - William Jennings Byran (a pacifist) Toto Temperance Activists (allies of the Populists) Wizard - President of the United States
Good Witches of North & South The Wizard of Oz Places: Emerald City - Washington D.C. (in the book, the color came from Green Glasses that everyone wore, a trick) Good Witches of North & South - Directions where Populists had friends (Midwest and South)