The Wizard of Oz

as political allegory, and why this theory is far from fact

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       L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900 as a fantasy novel for children.  Today, however, it is widely viewed as a political allegory about the Populist Movement of the late nineteenth century.  What few people know is that this theory did not arise until 1964 when Henry M. Littlefield authored an article entitled, "The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism."  Today, people have found so much "evidence" supporting this theory that most people accept it.  One article that reads like so many others begins, "Almost all Americans know the characters from 'The Wizard of Oz.'  But few are aware that the story was originally written as a political allegory." (Drier).  Even work sheets from a Prentice Hall American History book teach this theory as if it were fact (CT57).  It is the goal of this site to illustrate these theories, then tell why the theory is far from being fact.