1. The Rise and Fall of the Populist Party

2. Westward Expansion
The building of the railroad helped bring in a flood of people to the Great Plains and the West.
Charlie Brown
The Homestead Act and wars with Native American opened up more land for settlement.

4. Farmers’ Problems Crop prices fell
Farmers had no cash, went further into debt, and their lenders foreclosed on their mortgages
The railroad companies charged outrageous prices to ship crops (no regulation!)

5. Boon Times
When people first moved to the Great Plains, the climate and weather supported the growth and development of farmsteads.
People who worked hard and had luck could build a good life for themselves and their families.

6. Times Change
Towards the end of the century, however, weather conditions changed and farmers began to struggle.
Anger rose against unregulated railroad rates that hurt farmers.
People began to band together to fight for change.

7. Farmers’ Demands
Regulate the railroad companies (Stop them from charging such high rates)
Make cash more available (back the dollar with silver, not gold, so dollar would be worth less)
Constitutional demands: single term for President and Vice-President, secret ballot, popular election of Senators; graduated income tax.
To get industrial workers to support them: 8-hour workday, restrict immigration

8. Different Groups Representing Farmers’ Interests
1867: The Grange (The Patrons of Husbandry)
1880s: Farmers’ Alliance and Colored Farmers’ National Alliance
1892: Populist, or People’s Party

9. 1892 Presidential Election: Populist candidate won over a million votes!

10. 1896 Election Democrats – 1890s Republicans – 1890s Southerners
Wealthy farmers
Supported low tariffs (wanted other countries to buy their crops)
Northerners
Wealthy business men (connected to the railroad)
Southern African Americans (poor farmers)
Supported high tariffs (didn’t want to compete with other countries’ products)

11. 1896 Election
Populists decide to improve their chances by supporting the Democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan, who agreed to support the silver-backed dollar.

12. The Election of 1896 and “The Wizard of Oz”: Political Allegory?

13. 1896 Presidential Election: Bryan loses but carries most of the South and West

14. Populism’s Impact
Populism never wins a seat in the White House, but it has an impact.
Progressives take many of the ideas of the Populist Party and make them their own.
Many Progressive Reforms are originally Populist Party platform ideas.

15. Central Historical Questions
Why did the Populist Party attract millions of supporters?
Was the farmer’s revolt of the 1890s justified?