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What are your two main political parties? Why do we have political parties?

Explore the rise of Populism in the late 1800s, focusing on farmers' challenges, the Populist Party platform, key figures like William Jennings Bryan, and symbolic elements in "The Wizard of Oz." Discover how this movement impacted American politics.

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What are your two main political parties? Why do we have political parties?

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  1. Warm Up Who did Government favor at the end of the 1800’s? Farmers, Workers, Middle Class, Big Business or the poor? What are your two main political parties? Why do we have political parties?

  2. Populism “What you farmers need to do is raise less corn and more Hell!” Mary Elizabeth Lease (1890) Populist Organizer

  3. Populism: Defined • Political movement that tried to help out the nation’s struggling farmers.

  4. Problems on the Plains… Farmers were in trouble because of... • More Debt • Mechanization • New Farm Land • Why? • Over Production • Drove prices down

  5. Populism Farmers were in trouble because of... 3. Specialization of Crops - Farmers only raise one crop (leads to trouble if that crop has problems) 4. Disasters - floods, boll-weevil, grasshoppers, drought

  6. Populism Farmers were in trouble… 5. Corporate Greed Barbed wire trust, Harvester Trust, Fertilizer Trust, Banks, and Railroads "The Iron Horse Which Eats Up The Farmers' Produce.” 1873

  7. The Grange What? • Farmer’s Union founded by Oliver Kelly (MN) • Cooperative movement - farmers pooled their money to make shared purchases of machinery, supplies, insurance, etc. How? • Worked for pro-farmer laws • Ex. Interstate Commerce Act - regulated rates of railroads

  8. “Movement of the people…” Populist Party Created in 1892 Local Granges united on national level

  9. Populist Party Platform -Secret ballot -Direct election of senators -Recall, Referendum, and Initiative -Government regulation of railroads, telegraphs, and telephones -Progressive income tax -More income=more taxes -free coinage of silver (Bimetallism)

  10. Populist Party & Free Silver • They wanted to use both silver and gold coins, thus increasing the amount of paper money in circulation. (Inflation)

  11. A Populist President? • William Jennings Bryan • Ran as a Populist President in 1896 on platform of Free Silver

  12. “Cross of Gold Speech” • Delivered at the 1896 Democratic Convention

  13. William McKinleyRepublican • Front porch campaign • thousands visit his home to hear him speak • Popular in the Northeast • Favors the gold standard

  14. And the winner is… McKinley!

  15. Fall of the Populists… • After their defeat in the Election of 1896, the party fell apart. • They did leave behind a couple of important things… • Many ideas would be enacted during the Progressive Era • Proved that the third party can be strong influence

  16. The Wizard of Oz • Written by Active Populist L. Frank Baum • Most things in the book represent something important to the populist movement

  17. The Wizard of Oz • Basic Symbols: - In the book, were actually “Silver Slippers” (magic of Free Silver) • Ruby Slippers • Yellow Brick Road - “Gold” –represented many dangers for regular people (like Dorothy) - Abbreviation for Ounce (way gold is measured) • Oz

  18. The Wizard of Oz • Characters: -Good natured American people, the common man. • Dorothy • Scarecrow - Farmers - Industrial Workers • Tin Man

  19. The Wizard of Oz • Characters: - William Jennings Bryan (a pacifist) • Lion • Wicked Witch of the West -Harsh climate and conditions on the plains. Defeated by water… • Wizard - President of the United States

  20. The Wizard of Oz - Washington D.C. (in the book, the color came from Green Glasses that everyone wore, a trick) • Places: • Emerald City -Dry, dreary mid-western plains • Kansas

  21. “Gold Bugs”-Eastern Bankers and Industrialists • -They favored keeping the “Gold Standard” • Gold Standard: All paper money is backed by gold. • Leaves fewer dollars in circulation (Deflation) • Increases the value of the dollar

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