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Populism & the Election of 1896

Explore the major farming regions and challenges faced by farmers during the Gilded Age, including droughts, floods, high taxes, and the dominance of railroad corporations. Learn about the rise of populism, the Farmers Alliances, and the impact of the Panic of 1893 on the election of 1896.

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Populism & the Election of 1896

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  1. Populism & the Election of 1896

  2. Where were the major farming regions of the United States?

  3. What were some of the major problems facing farmers during the Gilded Age ??

  4. Mother Nature – droughts, floods, grasshoppers, boll weevil High Taxes Tariffs did not protect farmers from foreign competition One-Crop economy Deflation – not enough dollars to go around causes lower prices Railroad Corp. – controlled trans. of crops and the rates Debt from purchasing new equipment disorganized

  5. Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Products: 1865-1913

  6. Keeping up with the Competition Farmers had to purchase new equipment to increase production in order to compete

  7. Faced disadvantages in the shipping of farm goods • Shipping prices were high and storage prices were high. • Local monopolies controlled the grain storage elevators and the railroads. • Frank Norris’ The Octopus: The Octopus was the railroad companies that wrapped its tentacles around and smothered those that relied on it.

  8. Populism: An Agrarian Revolt That Reaches Out

  9. Founder of the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry (1867)

  10. The Grange Movement ; The Rural Modernizes • First organized in the 1870s in the Midwest, the south, and Texas. • Set up cooperative associations. • Social and educational components. • Succeeded in lobbying for “Granger Laws.” • Rapidly declined by the late 1870s.

  11. The Grange Preachesfor Change • The grange set up “posts” where meetings were held that took on a religious revival atmosphere – Used the power of Christian moralism to motivate critics of an unethical status quo • Farms were “isolated prisons” of dismal life – build associations to breakdown that lonely life

  12. Supreme Court Decisions • Munn vs. Illinois (1877) • Wabash, St. Louis, & Pacific Railroad Company vs. Illinois (1886)

  13. The Farmers Alliances • Begun in the late 1880s (Texas first  the Southern Alliance; then in the Midwest  the Northern Alliance). • Built upon the ashes of the Grange. • More political and less social than the Grange. • Racially integrated • Ran candidates for office. • Controlled 8 state legislatures & had 47representatives in Congress during the 1890s.

  14. United We Stand, Divided We Fall • In 1889 both the Northern andSouthern Alliancesmerged into one—the Farmers’ Alliance.

  15. St. Louis Convention Unites the “Victims of Conspiratory Forces” Central Credo of: “We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, political, and material ruin.” Ignatius Donnelly

  16. Platform of Lunacy

  17. The Populist (Peoples’) Party • Founded by James B. Weaverand Tom Watson. • Omaha, NE Convention in July,1892. • Got almost 1 million popularvotes. • Several Congressional seatswon. James B. Weaver, Presidential Candidate &James G. Field, VP

  18. Women Find Place to breakdown Barriers • Populists pushed for economic independence of women • Mary Lease – fiery eloquent lawyer/speaker “Raise less corn, and more Hell!” • Women used Populist Party to push for suffrage in the states

  19. Omaha Platform of 1892 System of “sub-treasuries.” (provided farmers with loans and warehouse to store goods until prices were better) Govt. ownership (Nationalizing) of RRs, telephone & telegraph companies. Re-monitization of silver. Direct Election of Senators Graduated Income tax

  20. Govt.-Owned Companies

  21. Bi-Metallism Issue 16 1 Fixing the Crime of ‘73

  22. 1892 Election

  23. The Panic of 1893

  24. Causes of the 1893 Panic • Begun 10 days after Cleveland took office. • Several major corps. went bankrupt. • Over 16,000 businesses disappeared. • Triggered a stock market crash. • Over-extended investments. • Bank failures followed causing a contractionof credit [nearly 500 banks closed]. • By 1895, unemployment reached 3 million. • Americans cried out for relief, but the Govt.continued its laissez faire policies!!

  25. Here Lies Prosperity

  26. Written by a Farmer at the End of the 19c When the banker says he's brokeAnd the merchant’s up in smoke,They forget that it's the farmer who feeds them all.It would put them to the testIf the farmer took a rest;Then they'd know that it's the farmer feeds them all.

  27. Coxey’s Army, 1894 • Jacob Coxey & his “Army of the Commonweal of Christ.” • March on Washington  “hayseed socialists!”

  28. Result of Election Returns • Populist voteincreased by40% in the bi-election year,1894. • Democratic party losses in the West werecatastrophic! • But, Republicanswon control of the House.

  29. The 1896 Election

  30. Gold / Silver Bug Campaign Pins

  31. William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) The “Great Commoner”

  32. William Jennings Bryan Prairie avenger, mountain lion, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Gigantic troubadour, speaking like a siege gun, Smashing Plymouth Rock with his boulders from the West. • Revivalist style of oratory.

  33. Bryant’s“Cross of Gold” Speech You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon across of gold!

  34. Bryan: The Farmers Friend(The Mint Ratio) 18,000 miles of campaign “whistle stops.”

  35. “The Populist and Silver Convention Will Be Friendly to Bryan.” Democratic Party Taken Over by the Agrarian Left Platform  tariff reductions; income tax; strictercontrol of the trusts (esp. RRs); free silver.

  36. William McKinley (1843-1901)

  37. Mark Hanna: The “Front-Porch” Campaign Pres. of Republican National Committee Campaign Manager Raised $16 million Trickle Down Theory “Belly Vote”

  38. The Seasoned Politician vs. The “Young” Newcomer

  39. Into Which Box Will the Voterof ’96 Place His Ballot?

  40. 1896 Election Results

  41. Why Did Bryan Loose? • His focus on silver underminedefforts to build bridges to urbanvoters. (consumers did not want inflationary policies) • He did not form alliances withother groups. • McKinley’s campaign was well-organized and highly funded.

  42. Gold Triumphs Over Silver • 1900  GoldStandard Act • confirmed thenation’s commitment tothe gold standard. • A victory for the forces ofconservatism.

  43. The Wizard of Ozby L. Frank Baum

  44. 1964: Henry Littlefield’s “Thesis”?

  45. What Are the Metaphors? • Dorothy  ? • Kansas  ? • Wicked Witch of theEast  ? • Tin Woodsman  ? • Scarecrow  ? • Cowardly Lion  ? • Yellow Brick Road  ? • Silver Slippers  ? • Emerald City  ? • Oz  ? • The Wizard  ? • Munchkins  ? • Wicked Witch of the West  ? • Flying Monkeys  ?

  46. Legacy • Federal Income Tax – 15th Amendment • Direct Election of Senators – 16th Amendment • Hepburn Act 1906 – More Federal control of the railroads and strengthens ICC • Flexible Currency – no gold standard – after Depression • Progressive push for Initiative, Referendum, and Recall

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