review what were political machines? how did they operate and what did they seek to accomplish? what...
TRANSCRIPT
Review
• What were political machines? How did they operate and what did they seek to accomplish?
• What was the most infamous Political Machine of the Gilded Age and who was its boss?
The Populists
Manifest Destiny
• The idea that it is America’s God-given destiny to stretch from cost-to-coast.
Farming in the South and West after the Civil War
• With Manifest Destiny, more farming was happening in the U.S. than ever before.
• More machines were being used in farming then ever before.
• Eventually, more crops were being grown than could be consumed.
• This led to crop prices falling and many farmers needing to borrow money.
• Thus many farmers went into debt and some lost their farms.
Declining Status of Farmers
• Status of farmers falling as giant corporations rise.
• Farmers blamed their problems on East Coast Bankers and the Railroads.
• (RR’s charged smaller farmers more than big corporations.)
Crises of 1890s (#9)
• Severe Depression in 1893.
• Worst in US up to then.
• Also time of great labor unrest—Pullman Strike (1894) Homestead (1892).
Coxey’s Army
• Jacob Coxey
• March of unemployed men from. Ohio to D.C.
• Demand govt. to enact public works projects to provide jobs.
• Only 500 marchers.
• Coxey is arrested and little accomplished.
The farmers begin to organize
• The farmers realized that if they banded together, they would have more power in addressing their concerns.
• 1st attempt is “The Grange.”• Then comes the “Farmers Alliance.
• These groups wanted the government to regulate railroad shipping costs.
• They also started cooperatives—pooling their products and sharing supplies and profits.
The Populist Party
• A political party, mainly of Western and Southern farmers.
• They believed that farmers and workers should be freed from the exploitive practices of the banks, railroads, and merchants of the East coast.
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Who are the Populists?
• Economically and culturally marginal people—geographically isolated.
• Rural white Protestants farmers.
• Blame RR’s, Eastern bankers, and middlemen for their plight.
• Anti-Semitism.
review
• Overproduction led to a “glut” which resulted in falling prices which resulted in debt and foreclosures.
• Farmers blaimed others.
• Hung up on an idealized version of a mythical american past in which the self-sufficient farmers was the heart of America.
What they Want:
• 1. Restricted Immigration.
• 2. Free coinage of silver —this would cause inflation and drive up the price of their crops.
• 3. Graduated Income Tax.
• 4. Direct Election of Senators.
• 5. Government ownership (or at least regulation) of utilities—railroads, telephones, telegraphs, etc.
Pops. Also want “Subtresuries”
• Subtresuries =govt. owned wharehouses where farmers would store their crops and get low interest loans against the crops and then sell them when the price rose.
• All Populists demands were in the Omaha platform of 1892
The problem of the Railroads
• Often charge small farmers more to ship goods than big business men such as Rockefeller.
• “Short Haul vs. Long Haul”
• Grain Elevators
Issue of Silver
• Govt. had stopped using silver in 1873 (“Crime of 73).
• Farmers (and western miners) want coinage of silver at 16:1 ratio to create currency inflation.
“Coin’s Financial School”
• Fictional book written in 1894 by William Harvey.
• One of the best-sellers of the age.
• Was about how the coinage of silver would solve all of the U.S. financial plans.
Some Big Name Populists:• Tom Watson of
Georgia
• “Sockless” Jerry Simpson.
• Mary E. Lease “Raise less corn and more hell”
Populist Presidential Candidates
• 1892—James B. Weaver (won 6 states and received more than 1 million votes).
• William Jennings Bryan in 1896.
The issue of “Fusion.” (#11)
• Some Populists want to unite with the Democrats to be more powerful.
• (race in South)
• They are for “Fusion.”
• Others against.
Election of 1896
• Republicans nominate William McKinley of Ohio. Conservative—for tariff, against coinage of silver.
• Democrats are divided on silver issue, but nominate William Jennings Bryan (who is Pro-Silver).
• Gives “Cross of Gold Speech.”
William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech
• Gold Standard is crucifying Mankind
McKinley wins
• Bryan wins only parts of South and West.
• Loss signaled the practical end of Populist Party.
The Failures of Populism
• In the South, the issue of race divided poor farmers.
• Many Populist leaders wanted to include blacks but many whites resisted and thus continued to vote for Democrats.
• Americans in general like the 2-party system (Democrats and Republicans).
• Democrats begin to use Populists’ ideas.