OBJECTIVE: IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS FARMERS FACED AND THEIR COOPERATIVE EFFORTS TO SOLVE THEM

Do Now: The Law of Supply and Demand Worksheet

I. FARMER’S PLIGHT

• Population needs food Farmers planted more crops

• Problems –

• supply exceeds demand (prices of crops decrease).

• RR rates same, new machine prices rise.

• Farmers buy more land & equipment- prices fall even more!

• Take out loans, lose farms!

• UNFAIR- everyone else makes money off of the farmers who work all day and are in debt!

• Merchants make money- sold farm equipment

• Bankers who lent $, make $ off of loans and mortgages

• RXR who ship make $.

• There are property taxes- not really income taxes....

Written by a Written by a Farmer at the Farmer at the End of the 19cEnd of the 19cWhen the banker says he's brokeWhen the banker says he's broke

And the merchant’s up in smoke,And the merchant’s up in smoke, They forget that it's the farmer They forget that it's the farmer who feeds them all. who feeds them all. It would put them to the testIt would put them to the test If the farmer took a rest;If the farmer took a rest; Then they'd know that it's the Then they'd know that it's the farmer farmer feeds them all. feeds them all.

Price Indexes for Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Consumer & Farm

Products: 1865-1913Products: 1865-1913

Recap of Problems

Falling Prices for Crops

Inability to repay loans

Excessive railroad prices

Objective: Explain what the farmers’ movement hoped to achieve and what weakened their efforts

Do Now: Review Plight of Farmers

II. FARMER’S ORGANIZE

• Joined local organizations to assist them in day to day struggles. Form nationwide movement

• Want: Reform RR and banking practices.

• Grange Movement- Founder Oliver Hudson Kelley

• National Grange- 1867

• Form cooperatives- groups of farmers pool their resources to buy equipment & sell goods (large amount = cheaper price). Sold products directly to big city markets.

• Main focus- state laws regulation RR freight/grain-storage rates. (Granger laws)

• 1870- Granger Laws passed. RR companies challenge these Granger laws - Wabash V. Illinois-state gov’t had no power to regulate traffic that moved across state boundaries. (interstate). So, again, no laws protecting farmers.

• So, the fed gov steps in -Interstate Commerce Act- 1887- Federal regulation of RR and interstate commerce.

• Interstate Commerce Commission- (ICC) monitor RR- but little power to enforce its rulings. Courts always rule in favor of RR.

III. The Alliance Movement

• Farmers’ Alliance- (similar to Nat’l Grange) Leader Mary Elizabeth Lease.

• Graduated income tax. Also, wanted cooperatives, low cost insurance, tougher banks regulations, gov’t ownership of RRs.

United United We We

Stand, Stand, DivideDivided We d We FallFall

In 1889 both In 1889 both the Northern andthe Northern andSouthern AlliancesSouthern Alliancesmerged into one—merged into one—the the Farmers’ Farmers’ AllianceAlliance..

Objective: Discuss why farmers supported money backed by silver and how it affects the

economyRead: Money hand out.

IV. THE MONEY QUESTION

• Issue- Want expansion of money supply. Print more greenbacks (paper $)

• Why do they want an increase in the amount of $ in circulation?- (charge more for their products, easier to pay off bank loans, easier to get a loan).

• Background- Greenbacks originally redeemable for either gold or silver coins. In 1873, Congress voted to stop coining silver and convert to the Gold Standard. Each dollar equal to & redeemable for set amount of gold. • So amount of $ in circulation, limited by the

amount of gold held in the US treasury.

• Results of government using the gold standard - decrease amount of $ in circulation, lowering of prices, harder to get loans/pay back loans. Many farmers demanded silver.

• So, Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act in 1878 -Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890 to pacify the alliance- buy silver each month, coins. But bought so little silver, didn’t add to $ supply.

• So, farmers vote/take seats in Congress and governorships, etc. Vote for anyone that supports their cause.

V. A DECADE OF POPULIST POLITICS

• Pleased by success, want to form a political party.

• The Populist Party- People’s party.

• Called for (wanted) - graduated income tax, bank regulation, gov ownership of RR & telegraph companies, free or unlimited coinage of silver. Restrictions on immigration, shorter workday, voting reforms.

The Populist The Populist (Peoples’) Party(Peoples’) Party

Founded by James B. WeaverFounded by James B. Weaverand Tom Watson.and Tom Watson.

Omaha, NE Convention in Omaha, NE Convention in July,July,1892.1892.

Got almost 1 million popularGot almost 1 million popularvotes.votes.

Several Congressional seatsSeveral Congressional seatswon.won.

James B. Weaver, James B. Weaver, Presidential Presidential CandidateCandidate

&&James G. Field, VPJames G. Field, VP

Omaha Platform of 1892Omaha Platform of 1892

• Direct election of Senators.Direct election of Senators.

• Gov. ownership of RRs, telephone & telegraph Gov. ownership of RRs, telephone & telegraph companies.companies.

• Gov.-operated postal savings banks.Gov.-operated postal savings banks.

• Restriction of undesirable immigration.Restriction of undesirable immigration.

• 8-hr work day for government employees.8-hr work day for government employees.

• Abolition of the Pinkerton detective agency.Abolition of the Pinkerton detective agency.

• Australian secret ballot.Australian secret ballot.

• Re-monitization of silver.Re-monitization of silver.

• A single term for President & V.P.A single term for President & V.P.

Platform of Platform of LunacyLunacy

• Some Success- 1892 -elected more than 10 party members to Congress, numerous state leaders.

• Economic Depression- Many Causes but President Cleveland blamed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. Congress repealed the law.

Results of Populism Recap

New ideas that later became law

Political forum for addressing special interests

Message of hope to downtrodden

Objective: Evaluate the significance of the Populist in

the Election of 18 96 Do Now: Recall three things the Populists

wanted

VI. THE ELECTION OF 1896

• Silver central issue.

• William McKinley- Ohio gov, Republican, Gold standard.

• Split Democratic Party- nominated free silver supporter William Jennings Bryan- Populist Party nominated him too.

• McKinley wins....

Bi-Metallism IssueBi-Metallism Issue

VII. THE END OF POPULISM- Why?

• Business leaders contributed millions to Republican campaign.

• People don’t switch their parties

• Free silver too weak an issue for national campaign

• Workers and immigrants found nothing to appeal to them.

• Defeat, and conditions improve anyway.

• Democrats take some of Populist ideas as their own.

The First Modern Election- why?

Gold / Silver Bug Gold / Silver Bug Campaign PinsCampaign Pins

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)(1860-1925)

The The “Great “Great

CommoneCommoner”r”

William Jennings William Jennings BryanBryanPrairie avenger, Prairie avenger,

mountain lion, mountain lion,Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan,

Bryan, Bryan,Gigantic troubadour, Gigantic troubadour,

speaking like a speaking like a siege siege gun, gun,Smashing Plymouth Smashing Plymouth Rock Rock with his boulders with his boulders from the West. from the West.

Revivalist style of oratory.

Bryant’sBryant’s“Cross of Gold” Speech“Cross of Gold” Speech

You shall not You shall not press down press down upon the brow upon the brow of labor this of labor this crown of crown of thorns; you thorns; you shall not shall not crucify crucify mankind upon mankind upon aa cross of goldcross of gold!!

Bryan: The Farmers Bryan: The Farmers FriendFriend

(The Mint Ratio)(The Mint Ratio)

18,000 miles of campaign “whistle 18,000 miles of campaign “whistle stops.”stops.”

Dem. Dem. Party Party Taken Taken

Over by Over by the the

AgrariaAgrarian Leftn Left

Platform tariff reductions; income tax; strictercontrol of the trusts (esp. RRs); free silver.

Mark Hanna: Mark Hanna: The “Front-Porch” The “Front-Porch”

CampaignCampaign

William McKinley William McKinley (1843-1901)(1843-1901)

The The Seasoned Seasoned PoliticianPolitician

vs.vs.

The The “Young” “Young” NewcomeNewcome

rr

Into Into Which Which

Box Will Box Will the the

VoterVoterof ’96 of ’96 Place Place His His

Ballot? Ballot?

1896 Election 1896 Election ResultsResults

Gold Triumphs Gold Triumphs Over SilverOver Silver

1900 1900 GoldGoldStandard ActStandard Act

confirmed theconfirmed thenation’s nation’s commitment tocommitment tothe gold the gold standard.standard.

A victory for the A victory for the

forces offorces ofconservatism.conservatism.

Heyday of Western Heyday of Western PopulismPopulism

The The Wizard Wizard of Ozof Oz by L. by L. Frank Frank BaumBaum

1964: Henry 1964: Henry Littlefield’s Littlefield’s “Thesis”? “Thesis”?

““Parable of the Parable of the Populists”?Populists”?

Tornado Tornado ??

Dorothy Dorothy ??

Kansas Kansas ??

Wicked Witch of theWicked Witch of theEast East ??

Tin Woodsman Tin Woodsman ??

Scarecrow Scarecrow ??

Cowardly Lion Cowardly Lion ??

Yellow Brick Road Yellow Brick Road ??

Silver Slippers Silver Slippers ??

Emerald City Emerald City ??

Oz Oz ??

The Wizard The Wizard ??

Munchkins Munchkins ??

Wicked Witch of the Wicked Witch of the West West ??

Flying Monkeys Flying Monkeys ??

Slide Design and Pictures from

Ms. Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS Chappaqua,

NY