Review

• What were political machines? How did they operate and what did they seek to accomplish?

• What was the most infamous Political Machine of the Gilded Age and who was its boss?

The Populists

Manifest Destiny

• The idea that it is America’s God-given destiny to stretch from cost-to-coast.

Farming in the South and West after the Civil War

• With Manifest Destiny, more farming was happening in the U.S. than ever before.

• More machines were being used in farming then ever before.

• Eventually, more crops were being grown than could be consumed.

• This led to crop prices falling and many farmers needing to borrow money.

• Thus many farmers went into debt and some lost their farms.

Declining Status of Farmers

• Status of farmers falling as giant corporations rise.

• Farmers blamed their problems on East Coast Bankers and the Railroads.

• (RR’s charged smaller farmers more than big corporations.)

Crises of 1890s (#9)

• Severe Depression in 1893.

• Worst in US up to then.

• Also time of great labor unrest—Pullman Strike (1894) Homestead (1892).

Coxey’s Army

• Jacob Coxey

• March of unemployed men from. Ohio to D.C.

• Demand govt. to enact public works projects to provide jobs.

• Only 500 marchers.

• Coxey is arrested and little accomplished.

The farmers begin to organize

• The farmers realized that if they banded together, they would have more power in addressing their concerns.

• 1st attempt is “The Grange.”• Then comes the “Farmers Alliance.

• These groups wanted the government to regulate railroad shipping costs.

• They also started cooperatives—pooling their products and sharing supplies and profits.

The Populist Party

• A political party, mainly of Western and Southern farmers.

• They believed that farmers and workers should be freed from the exploitive practices of the banks, railroads, and merchants of the East coast.

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Who are the Populists?

• Economically and culturally marginal people—geographically isolated.

• Rural white Protestants farmers.

• Blame RR’s, Eastern bankers, and middlemen for their plight.

• Anti-Semitism.

review

• Overproduction led to a “glut” which resulted in falling prices which resulted in debt and foreclosures.

• Farmers blaimed others.

• Hung up on an idealized version of a mythical american past in which the self-sufficient farmers was the heart of America.

What they Want:

• 1. Restricted Immigration.

• 2. Free coinage of silver —this would cause inflation and drive up the price of their crops.

• 3. Graduated Income Tax.

• 4. Direct Election of Senators.

• 5. Government ownership (or at least regulation) of utilities—railroads, telephones, telegraphs, etc.

Pops. Also want “Subtresuries”

• Subtresuries =govt. owned wharehouses where farmers would store their crops and get low interest loans against the crops and then sell them when the price rose.

• All Populists demands were in the Omaha platform of 1892

The problem of the Railroads

• Often charge small farmers more to ship goods than big business men such as Rockefeller.

• “Short Haul vs. Long Haul”

• Grain Elevators

Issue of Silver

• Govt. had stopped using silver in 1873 (“Crime of 73).

• Farmers (and western miners) want coinage of silver at 16:1 ratio to create currency inflation.

“Coin’s Financial School”

• Fictional book written in 1894 by William Harvey.

• One of the best-sellers of the age.

• Was about how the coinage of silver would solve all of the U.S. financial plans.

The Wizard of Oz

• Populist Parable

Some Big Name Populists:• Tom Watson of

Georgia

• “Sockless” Jerry Simpson.

• Mary E. Lease “Raise less corn and more hell”

Populist Presidential Candidates

• 1892—James B. Weaver (won 6 states and received more than 1 million votes).

• William Jennings Bryan in 1896.

The issue of “Fusion.” (#11)

• Some Populists want to unite with the Democrats to be more powerful.

• (race in South)

• They are for “Fusion.”

• Others against.

Election of 1896

• Republicans nominate William McKinley of Ohio. Conservative—for tariff, against coinage of silver.

• Democrats are divided on silver issue, but nominate William Jennings Bryan (who is Pro-Silver).

• Gives “Cross of Gold Speech.”

William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech

• Gold Standard is crucifying Mankind

McKinley wins

• Bryan wins only parts of South and West.

• Loss signaled the practical end of Populist Party.

The Failures of Populism

• In the South, the issue of race divided poor farmers.

• Many Populist leaders wanted to include blacks but many whites resisted and thus continued to vote for Democrats.

• Americans in general like the 2-party system (Democrats and Republicans).

• Democrats begin to use Populists’ ideas.