The Populist Movement The Grange and Farmers’ Alliances The People’s Party and the Omaha Platform William Jennings Bryan and the Election of 1896
What Problems Did American Farmers Face in the Late 1800s? Rising costs (new machinery, etc.) Falling Prices Expanding international production Overproduction Deflationary economy High RR rates Harsh weather DEBT!
Falling Prices for Agricultural Products: How bad was it? CORN: $0.78/bushel in 1867 $0.31/bushel in 1873 $0.23/bushel in 1889 WHEAT: $2.00/bushel in 1867 $0.70/bushel in 1889
The Grange Farmers’ social club, originally Evolved into a political organization that lobbied states for legislation favorable to farmers 800,000 members by 1875 Oliver Kelley
“Granger Laws” (1870s) State laws regulating RR rates passed at the behest of now-politically-organized farmers “The public be damned.” -- William Vanderbilt
The US Supreme Court Weighs In Munn v. Illinois (1877) In a rare victory for government regulation of business, USSC upheld Illinois’ Granger Law Wabash v. Illinois (1886) More in line with its tendency to support big business, USSC reversed itself and struck down Illinois’ Granger Law
The Federal Government Gets Involved Interstate Commerce Act (1887) Required that RR rates be “reasonable and just” To enforce this provision, it created . . . Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) America’s first federal regulatory agency Not very effective, but it was a start
Farmers’ Alliances First formed as Southern Farmers’ Alliance in the 1880s, other alliances popped up around the country until they were absorbed into the National Farmers’ Alliance around 1890. Lobbied for farmers’ interests
The People’s Party a.k.a. – Populist Party Populists sought to directly influence government by forming their own political party Took control of Kansas state legislature in 1890 James B. Weaver for president in 1892 Weaver received over 1 million votes
Populist Rhetoric Popular Populist orator Mary E. Lease famously urged farmers to “raise less corn and more hell.”
Populist Rhetoric The soaring rhetoric of Ignatius Donnelly’s Preamble to the Omaha Platform is indicative of the Populist style.
Omaha Platform Government ownership of RRs, telephone and telegraph Direct election of US Senators Graduated income tax 8-hr. industrial work day Immigration restrictions Free Silver – “Free and unlimited coinage of silver in a 16:1 ratio to gold.”
Election of 1896 The Republican nominee: McKinley had the backing of big business and spent more money than any candidate in history on his campaign. RRs brought voters to McKinley’s home town of Canton, OH free of charge. There, McKinley greeted them from his front porch.
William Jennings Bryan The “Boy Orator of the Platte” won the Democratic nomination at age 36, after giving his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the party’s convention.
Election of 1896
L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful World of Oz