The Rise of Populism

1. The Rise of Populism

2. 1860s • Life wasn’t just hard in the cities—people working in agriculture struggled, too • “Grange” organizations developed • local farmers got together to discuss issues that affected all of them • sponsored social gatherings • served to connect farmers in an area to each other • By the 1870s they became a political force, but didn’t accomplish what they wanted because they didn’t focus on the real issue: overproduction, which led to falling prices

3. 1880s • There was a drought in the plains that hurt the wheat crop • Also, cotton prices fell • Result: many farmers were deep in debt • Remember, farming relies on borrowing money and only works if your crop succeeds and you can pay it back • Result of all of that: • an economic depression (felt by the cities, too, in the 1890s) • formation of “farmer’s alliances” • like labor unions, but for farmers • built to protect the common interests of farmers

4. Populist Party • During this time, the Populist party started to get popular in the South and West • Claimed to represent the interests of the ‘common people’ • Wanted government policies to protect farmers • Were against monopolies and wanted the government to regulate them • Wanted the government to use silver to back up the nation’s money instead of just gold, which would mean the government could print more money

5. Election of 1896 • 1896: the main issue in the presidential election was currency • The economy was unstable • Previously, money issued by the government was backed by gold (ideally, every bit of money printed had its equal value in gold stored away, which gave it its worth) • For a bit, silver was also used to back money (bimetallism) …but then the government switched to just gold • Populists thought that the economic problems would be solved if silver was used again to back the government’s money • Populists became very closely identified with the silver issue…that was their main selling point • Urban workers didn’t support this idea • Populists were strong enough to have a real shot at getting a Populist elected as president • William Jennings Bryan was their candidate for president (Democrats had him as their candidate, too, but with a different VP candidate) • Many in the “farm belt” supported Populists but it wasn’t enough… Republicans won the election…tried and failed again in 1900…and again and again, but party was dead by 1908

6. Famous “Cross of Gold” Speech William Jennings Bryan’s speech before the Democratic convention concluded with the following: Therefore, we care not upon what lines the battle is fought. If they say bimetallism is good, but that we cannot have it until other nations help us, we reply that, instead of having a gold standard because England has, we will restore bimetallism, and then let England have bimetallism because the United States has it. If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we will fight them to the uttermost. Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

8. The Wizard of Oz? • Wizard of Oz characters may reflect the politics of this time: • Frank L. Baum (author) was very politically active and NOT a supporter of Populism or using silver as a standard • Wrote an intro to the book that says, emphatically, that the book was just a fairy tale—methinks he doth protest too much? • Many of the characters resembled characters used in political cartoons of the time—so the moderately educated reader of the time would have seen the allegory allegedly hidden in the book • Oz = abbreviation for ounce, which is how gold and silver are measured • Dorothy = naïve, young, needing direction… American people • Tornado = political upheaval • Tin Man = dehumanized and mistreated industrial worker • Scarecrow = Farmers • Munchkins = ordinary people • Green (Emerald city) = government-issued money (In the book, you have to wear the glasses to see the green… can the money be trusted or is it an illusion?) • Yellow brick road = Gold to back money • Silver slippers = using silver as a standard • Oil… ‘In the 1902 stage adaptation the Tin Woodman wonders what he would do if he ran out of oil. "You wouldn't be as badly off as John D. Rockefeller," the Scarecrow responds, "He'd lose six thousand dollars a minute if that happened."