1. Mr. Hood U.S. History

2.  Between 1870 and 1895, farm prices plummeted. Cotton, was worth half of what it was following Reconstruction.  Prices were dropping rapidly, but to make things worse it was costing more for farmers to produce what they needed to break even. Machinery was expensive.  This led to debt.  But the problem was, the more that farmers produced the lower prices dropped. (Basic Economics)

3.  Farmers protested that big business was to blame.  They protested that railroads, as monopolies, charged whatever rates they wanted and that banks set interest rates too high.  Farmers felt as though the nation had turned its back on them.  Unlike the past, most of the nations presidents now came from industrialized states.

4.  The Grange-organized by Oliver H. Kelley, had the goals of providing education on new farming techniques and calling for the regulation of railroad and grain elevator rates.  Some states enacted laws that reflected what the Grange wanted. These were called “Grange Laws”.  Businesses fought against these laws but the Supreme Court upheld them.

5.  The Farmer’s Alliance merged with other farmer groups to form cooperatives to collectively sell their crops.  They called on the federal government to establish “sub treasuries”, to provide farmers with low-interest loans.

6.  Populist Party-or People’s party, was formed in 1892 by members of the Farmer’s Alliance.  The Populist party sought to build a new political party from the grassroots up. They ran entire slates of candidates for local, state, and national positions.  Like a fire, the Populist Party spread rapidly, putting pressure on the two major political parties.

7.  The Populists’ spilled out their views in their platform. ◦ Warned about the dangers of political corruption. ◦ An inadequate monetary supply. ◦ And an unresponsive government.  The proposed specific remedies to these problems. ◦ Coinage of silver “free silver” (unrestricted coinage). ◦ Government ownership of the railroads. ◦ Advanced the cause of women’s suffrage.

8.  The Populist Party was the party of the people, it attracted more than just farmers. Many industrial factory workers joined the party.  The Populist presidential candidate received 1 Million votes and they elected some members to congress and won many local elections.  In the South the Populist party united poor blacks and whites in order to gain a strong voter base. They cast aside race to ensure success. ◦ Critics from the Democratic Party used racist tactics to undermine the party and said populist victories would lead to “Negro Supremacy”.

9.  William Jennings Bryan earned the nickname the “boy orator” because of his ability to speak in public at a young age.  In 1896 at the Democratic National convention Bryan attacked the party and President Grover Cleveland on the subject of the Gold Standard, specifically because they opposed the coinage of silver.

11.  Bryan said he spoke for the “plain people of this country” for “our farms” and declared “we beg no longer”.  The speech was known of the “Cross of Gold” because of the line: “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!”

13.  The speech moved the Democratic party and they nominated him as their presidential candidate.  His favor of “Free Silver”, or the coinage of silver, and other Populist ideas, placed the Populists in a difficult situation.  They had to decide whether or not to elect their own candidate or throw support behind Bryan.  They chose to endorse Bryan.

14.  Bryan toured the nation and spoke directly to the people, much like Andrew Jackson.  William McKinley, Republican candidate, allowed members of the party to campaign for him while he accumulated huge money donations.  The McKinley camp portrayed Bryan as a dictator and threat to the Republic. ◦ For Example, a political cartoon cast the Democratic- Populist alliance as a collection of evil witches, who fed on the fires of sectionalism, discontent, and prejudice in order to win election.

15. RepublicanDemocrat  McKinley  Bryan

16.  McKinley won the election in 1896, and went on to win reelection over Bryan again in 1900.  Bryan’s emphasis on monetary reform, especially free silver, did not appeal to urban workers, and the Populists failed to win a state outside of the South and West.  The decision to endorse Bryan, a Democrat, weakened the party and it never recovered.

17.  Even though the party died, much that it fought for would come up again and eventually become a reality in the time period called the Progressive Era, such as;  Graduated income tax  Regulation of the railroads  More flexible monetary system  But, populism had a lasting effect on American politics in the United States:  Blacks and whites formed an alliance in Texas  Candidates campaign directly to the people  An emphasis was placed on “ordinary” Americans