POPULISM:

 

BACKGROUND:

1870 to 1900 cultivated acreage in America doubled, production around the world (South America, Ukraine, Canada) increased which lowered agricultural prices

 

THE GRANGE

            1867 Oliver H Kelley organized the Patrons of Husbandry after a tour of the South revealed

                    hardships of farmers

            Also referred to as the Grange, these farmers clubs became important for their social activities

                    (picnics and meetings) and also began to become active in local politics

            The first Grange was formed at Fredonia New York, they were successful in part because they    

                admitted women to their ranks

            Granger Laws were passed in many states to curb abuses of the railroads

            The Grange also set up cooperative ventures for farmers, most of which FAILED due to

                    individualism, overexpansion, and mismanagement

 

FARMERS ALLIANCES

 Made up of two main sectional alliances: The Northwest Alliance and The Farmer’s Alliance and Industrial

                        Union (in the South)   

            They were formed to “raise less corn and more hell”

            Sectional differences prevented the two main alliances from working together (southerners

                    preferred Democratic politics, Northwest preferred Republican politics)

            They provided social activities but focused more on political change

            Their program included strict regulation or government ownership of the railroads, inflation of

                    currency, more equitable taxation, abolishing the national bank, limited land ownership for

                    aliens

            They merged with the Populist Party from 1890 to 1892, when that failed, the people reverted to

                    old party loyalties

 

THE POPULIST (PEOPLE’S) PARTY

Started as third party movement in several states in 1890

            Comprised the “disaffected” people: Farmer’s Alliances, Greenbackers, Knights of Labor, Free-

                    Silverites who felt the two main parties had abandoned them

            In 1890, they succeeded in electing 4 Senators and over 50 Representatives to Congress

            In 1892, with James B. Weaver as the presidential candidate, they won four  states and 22

                    electoral votes, many southerners voted Democrat instead of Populist

            Their platform was decided at their first convention at Omaha, Nebraska which was a “camp

                    meeting style” convention unlike the Dems and Reps

            Platform included:

                        free/unlimited coinage of silver

                        graduated income tax

                        reclamation of lands held illegally by the railroads

                        government ownership of railroads, telephone and telegraph

                        secret ballot, direct election of Senators, initiative and referendum

                        8 hour day for laborers, restricted immigration

            They gained further support as a result of hard times caused by the 1893 Depression

 

1896 ELECTION

            Democrats faced a possible split over the silver issue,

                        Support of silver= snub of eastern elements of party but unity of silverites

                        Non-support= silverites support Populists

            Populists decided to nominate William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic

                        nominee and “The Great Commoner” the bridge between Jackson and

                        FDR

            Republicans nominated McKinley and shook down big business for campaign

                        funding, bribed workers to vote Republican

            Gold Democrats and Silver Republicans switched parties

            For the first time since the 1850’s, an election split on class and sectional lines