The Origins of the Populist Movement

Inaugurating the Modern World

What Was the Populist Movement?

•Midwest farmers joined together against the government because

of lack of support•Prices for growing were high and crop value was low; the drought of the 1890’s had devastated the soil•Farmers had resentment with the railroads, their loaners, grain-elevator operators, and generally everyone who they did business with•They felt generally slighted, and wanted some sort of union reduce some of their strugglesThe National Farmers Alliance and the National Colored Alliance were created to provide some relief

The City and Farm from 1865 to 1900● In addition to its Western Frontier, America had an “Urban

Frontier”-- an unexplored capacity to develop large cities● As farming techniques advanced, fewer and fewer farmers

were needed to supply food, even for a growing population● Industrialization and the jobs it offered drew farmers into

the newly developing cities● The invention of steel allowed for unparalleled growth of

buildings and contributed greatly to industrialization● Skyscrapers began to be constructed in cities, an evident

display of movement toward the modern world● Commuting from home to work became a widespread

activity, also displaying a move toward modernity

The Effects of the City● New technology such as electric trolleys and advances in

communication and building techniques contributed to the growth of cities

● “Humanity compressed”-- the previously unprecedented concentration of people in cities created new problems in the nation

● Crime and sanitation became major issues● Slums, dumbbell tenements, and flophouses provided

very cheap housing for the impoverished but had extremely poor living conditions

● Great amounts of waste disposal represented a cultural shift from the “values of thriftiness to the convenience of consumerism”

● Urbanization and the opening of department stores contributed to the growth of consumerism

Population Growth in Large Cities, 1850-1900 City 1850

Population 1900 Population

Percent growth

New York 1,200,000 3,000,000 250%

Philadelphia 560,000 1,300,000 230%

Pittsburg 67,000 450,000 670%

Chicago 30,000 1,700,000 5666%

Denver 0 134,000 ---

Minneapolis 2,500 200,000 8000%

Los Angeles 5,000 100,000 2000%

The City of 1880

Immigration● Before 1880, most immigrants were from the

British Isles, Germany, or Scandinavia, and were Protestant in religion

● In the 1880’s more diverse groups began to immigrate to America, including Italians, Croats, Slovaks, Greeks, and Poles who were Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish

● The importation of American food and the cultivation of the potato caused great booms in European population while making farming an occupation needed less and less

Immigration● Unprecedented growth in population caused poor

Europeans to seek an escape from the crowdedness

● Minority persecution, especially of Jews, caused many to flee their European homes

● Profit seekers advertised America’s famous abundance-- employers saw the opportunity for cheap labor in incoming immigrants

● Immigrants came from many countries with no democratic background and were largely illiterate and impoverished; many took factory jobs

Impact of Immigration on America● The national government rejected few immigrants and did very little to

help immigrants assimilate into the country, resulting in a very large new population in need of employment and housing

● This new population greatly increased the population of cities, intensifying the issue of sanitation and unemployment within those cities

● Groups of people such as churches and women began to alleviate the poverty of the immigrants through methods sometimes deemed as socialist. This activism prepared many to become activists in the worker’s rights movement

● Through this new influx of people, America became the racially and ethnically diverse nation we know today

● Antiforeignism, called “nativism,” became widespread throughout the nation because of discrimination against Irish, German, and Eastern Europeans

● Immigrants were accused of degrading the urban environment and of being proponents of socialism, communism, and anarchism; they were also discriminated against on the basis of religion as Jews and Catholics were antagonized

● As Chinese started to immigrate, immigration laws were enacted prohibiting “undesirable” groups such as prostitutes, alcoholics, and polygamists from moving into America.

Immigrants

Silver vs Gold

● After the Civil War, backing currency with precious metal became a question and issue

● Republicans sought to draw back paper money, called Greenbacks, issued during the Civil War until all money was metal based, while Democrats saw these actions as only withdrawing money circulation and good economy from the people

● The unlimited use of silver as money was called “free silver,” and its proponents, called silverists, saw it as the solution to end the nation’s monetary and economic troubles

● Its opponents, mainly Republicans, predicted that free silver would not help the nation’s economy in the long term, would cause inflation, and would raise the value of silver over the value of gold

● This issue was key in the elections of 1892 and 1896

Anti Silverist Propaganda

Election of 1892

● Grover Cleveland (Democrat) v Benjamin Harrison (Republican, Incumbent)

● Another important candidate was James B. Weaver of the Populist Party, appealing to the miners and farmers of America through promises of unlimited coinage of silver and government ownership of railroads

● Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats had a unified party as the West and the South called for silver programs

● Weaver registered electoral votes● Cleveland was voted into office after gaining

votes from Republicans unhappy with Harrison

Coxey’s Army

● A group of unemployed workers who in 1894 marched to Washington D.C. to protest unemployment

● Led by Jacob Coxey, an Ohio politician● First significant popular protest march on

Washington● Response to the Panic of 1893 which caused

large amounts of unemployment● Called for the government to create jobs by

building roads and other public works and to pay the workers in paper currency to expand the currency in circulation

Coxey’s Army

Election of 1896

•Republican William McKinley v. Democrat William J. Bryan

•Considered a realigning election because it began the Fourth Party System

•Had very high turnout- in some areas turnout surpassed 90% of eligible voters

•Money issues, including silver, gold, tariffs, and taxes were highly discussed because the nation was in its deepest depression to the date

•McKinley was the champion with 271 electoral votes (51% of popular vote)

William McKinley (R)•Born January 29, 1843 in Ohio

•Heavily represented profitable farmers,

factory workers, and businessmen

•Was strongly supported in the Northeast,

Pacific Northwest, and the Upper Midwest

•Used a new form of campaigning that is still very prevalent and effective today

William J Bryan (D)•Born March 19, 1860, home state Nebraska

•Candidate with ideas most in alignment with the populist party

•Campaigned with a goal of liberating the working man from under the

rich man

•Emphasized changing the currency to be backed in silver rather than

gold to relieve some of the economic depression

•Strongest supporters lived in the South, farming Midwest, and Rocky Mountain area

Democratic nominees, 1896

Culture in the Late 1800’s•The “middle class lifestyle” gained its footing during this time

•It opened the doors for more equality among people- clothes and lifestyles became very similar no matter the class, creating a “mass culture”

•Medical improvements were made that increased the average life expectancy and helped treat common illnesses

•Urbanization and increased transportation methods helped families to move outside of cities

•Women began taking some jobs as more women’s colleges were opened

Amusement in the Late 1800’s•Children began going to school for longer- all the way into high school because of industrialization

•Literacy rates increased and reading of newspapers and

magazines became a part of daily life

•Art and literature either glorified the good of the time or

exaggerated the bad

•The rise of amusement parks and traveling “circuses”

occurred

•“Movies” (moving pictures with no sound) began being produced at this time

•Ragtime music experienced an explosion of popularity

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz● The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in

1900 by L. Frank Baum● People have attempted to pin real political/social

figures on the fictional characters● It is commonly agreed that the “yellow brick

road” represents the gold standard, and Dorothy’s silver shoes are symbolic of the populist push for a silver-backed system

● Glinda the Good Witch of the South represents William Jennings Bryan

● The Wicked Witch represents JD Rockefeller and William McKinley who was oppressing the farming and working class

The Wizard of OzThe 1939 film Based on Baum’s novel

“Maple Leaf Rag”

Intellectuals •Mark Twain wrote a book entitled The Gilded Age referring to something

rotten on the inside but gold coated on the outside

•This phrase was later accepted by historians as an accurate way to classify this time period

•Darwinism was experiencing a rise after being published in 1859

•Many psychologists began to attempt to treat people with nervousness, anxiety,

depression, and other mental illnesses

–For women they attempted methods of isolation, berets, a high-meat diet, and

massage

–Men were sent west to cattle and ranch because doctors thought that these symptoms

were the result of overstimulation of the brain

•The Populist movement was generally pro-average man, and therefore thought of the educated as

“elitists” and viewed them as a part of the problem and not necessarily part of the solution

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