Bell ringer

What were (are) some struggles that immigrants experience when first arrive to their new country?

The Populist Party

The People Try to Take Charge

Was there something wrong with America?

Farmers (most of the population) felt cheated by big business.Workers in factories felt they worked too hard for too little pay.Women couldn’t vote and nobody could vote for U.S. Senators.

Populism: How it Began

Farmers in the West and South felt powerless against the Railroads and the Bankers of the EastEarly Organizations were

“The Grange” & “The Farmers’ Alliance”

Why the Railroads?

Farmers were tied to the nearest RR to ship out their crops and to get in new supplies.What-ever rates the RR’s set, the farmers had to pay.

Why Bankers?

Bankers held the Mortgages on the farms – if bad times hit, the Bankers would demand payment.

Banks

If the farmer had no money the Banker took the landtook the land.

Populists as a Political Party

Starting in 1890 and continuing into 1892, The Populists elected men to local, state and Federal offices.

Populist Leader:William Jennings Bryan

Bryan said: The People were being crucified on a “Cross of Gold.” Meaning the gold standard.

The Populist Platform

The Populist (or People's) Party platform in 1892 incorporated a host of popular reforms (change), including the following:

Populist Platform

Australian (or Secret) BallotPopular Election of U.S. Senators Banking ReformGovernment Ownership of the RailroadsFree and Unlimited Coinage of Silver.

The Cross of Gold and the Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum, who wrote the Wizard of Oz book series was supposed to have used the beliefs of Populists in the story.

Whos Who: Dorothy

Dorothy represented the average American rural citizen.A famous Populist speaker from Kansas was know as the “Kansas Tornado”

Scarecrow

Represents the American Farmer

Tinman

Represents the factory workers

Cowardly Lion

Represented the loud, but ineffective Populist leader, William Jennings Bryan.

Going to OZ

Recreated the 1894 march of “Coxey’s Army” – unemployed men who marched on Washington

The Yellow Brick Road

Represented the Gold Standard

&OZ was a shortened

form of “ounce” as in 6oz.

Gold was weighed in ounces.

The Wizard…Was Mark Hanna, President McKinley’s friend, who controlled things in Washington by pulling strings behind the scenes.

The Witches

The Wicked Witch of the West was …

The RailroadsThe Wicked Witch of the East was the …

Bankers and Industrialists

Today the fascination continues

Broadway Musicals