1. How does the Populist Movement plan to rescue America?

2. $2.00 68¢ Farming Problems Crop prices fall (weather, bad methods)
Single crop bonanza farms start hurting small farmers
68¢
2. Farmer’s debt increases
-Less printed money means causes dollar to rise!

3. 3. Railroad shipping rates
RR co’s have monopoly, “gouging” the farmers, especially for short hauls
Farmers decide to organize, form the Grangers, Oliver Hudson Kelley is leader – some success with Munn v. Illinois

4. 3) Reaper (cuts crops when ripe)
Problems for Farmers
Morrill Act will help farmers by giving states money to start agricultural college – new technology develops, more crops in less time
2) barbed wire
1) steel tipped plow
4) steel windmill
3) Reaper (cuts crops when ripe)

5. Farmers’ Alliances
Grangers, other farmers and other groups form Farmer’s Alliance
FA sent lecturers from town to town, topics: banks, government, the railroad
Great speakers like Mary Elizabeth Lease get message spread

6. Populism
New political party out to help farmers & workers – want drastic changes to government, led by William Jennings Bryan
Bryan saw his Populist cause as “righteous” (Cross of Gold)
“We seek to restore the government of the Republic to the hands of the ‘plain people’…We assert our purposes to be identical with the purposes of the National Constitution.” –People’s Party platform

7. Populist Party Platform
1) Increase in money supply – raises prices farmers make more $
2) Graduated income tax – those who make more pay more
3) Senators directly elected by people
4) President/VP serve one term
5) Eight hour work day
6) Paper money backed by gold OR silver (bilmetalism)

8. Populist results in their 1st election
-10% of popular vote -5 senators
-3 governors -1,500 state legislators

9. Panic of 1893 Causes: 1)Industry over-expansion, especially railroads
2)Shrinking federal gold reserve

10. BANKRUPT COLLAPSED LOST Depression of 1893:
- Panic of 1893, leads to a depression
Results:
BANKRUPT
1)Six major railroads
2) 500 banks
COLLAPSED
3) 3 million jobs
LOST

11. Presidential Election 1896
-Republicans back gold standard
Candidate: William McKinley
-Democrats back bimetallism Candidate: William Jennings Bryan
-Populists back also support bimetallism Like William Jennings Bryan but not his VP, so they nominate their own candidate
Result: McKinley wins, Why? Dems & Populists split vote