The Parties Transformed

The Farmer’s RevoltLike industrial workers, farmers faced serious problems in the late 1800s. New farm machinery increased output, but demand did not rise with supply; so prices fell. To compete, farmers had to buy machinery but had to borrow the money to do it. Meanwhile, railroads consolidated into monopolies, enabling them to charge whatever they wanted to ship farmers’ products to markets. Costs increased as prices fell, putting farmers into a debt spiral that jeopardized their livelihood.

Populism, the Peoples’ Party: Political movement uniting Farmers and Labor.

Meeting in Nebraska, in 1892, it created “the Omaha Platform,” calling for legal protection for industrial workers; nationalization of railroads to set shipping rates; unlimited coinage of silver and going off the gold standard to inflate the economy (bimetalism); more direct democracy; and government control of telephone and telegraph industries.

Populists nominated James B. Weaver for president in 1892. Weaver took 15 percent of the vote. Democrat Grover Cleveland won the election.

The Rise and Fall of Populism

Leading Democrat at the turn of the century.

At the 1896 Democratic Convention, he gave the “Cross of Gold” Speech, calling for bimetalism.

He was nominated by the Democrats and the Populists. He carried the South, the farm states, and mountain states, but lost to William McKinley.

He was Democratic candidate two more times.

"You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."

William Jennings Bryan:

Progressivism (1890s-1920) :

The merging of reform movements designed to increase democratic participation, to clean up government, to increase the standard of living of the poor, to improve industrial output and working conditions, and to make the U.S. a more moral and healthful nation. The policies began the transformation of federalism in America.

It included reform of voting practices: direct election of Senators (17th Amendment); suffrage for women (19th Amendment); direct primaries, the Australian ballot, referenda, initiatives, and recall to end corrupt power of political machines.

Social reforms included: Prohibition, banning the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages (18th Amendment); government aid to the poor; public works, such as sewers and water treatment, to improve health and hygiene in cities.

Economic and business reforms included: assembly lines; banking reform (Federal Reserve System); breaking up of monopolies--trust-busting; child labor and workmen's compensation laws; the Federal Trade Commission (1913); the Meat Inspection Act of 1906; the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906; and a federal income tax (16th Amendment)

Theodore Roosevelt: When William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, TR became POTUS.

He advanced a conservative Progressive domestic agenda and an aggressive, “imperialistic” foreign policy, enlarging the powers of the office.

TR is considered a top five POTUS – his face is on Mt. Rushmore.

New Nationalism: TR’s reform agenda for the Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party) in 1912.

•Calls for expanded government regulatory role to prompt business and industry to work for the national interest rather than merely for profit

•Understands that corporations and even trusts were needed in some industries (the idea of “economies of scale”)

•Supports legislation to protect children and women in the labor force

•Supports worker’s compensation laws

New Freedom: Woodrow Wilson’s reform agenda, offered in 1912

•Calls for expanded role for the courts, to break up business monopolies

•Calls for open competition in all industries, rejecting the concept of “economies of scale”

•Returns some regulatory power to the states

Woodrow Wilson: Democratic POTUS from 1913-1921. He was the first southerner to become POTUS since before the Civil War.

He advanced a liberal Progressive domestic agenda and a “moralistic” foreign policy.

He lowered tariffs, replacing revenue with a federal income tax; strengthened anti-trust law; and oversaw banking reform and child labor prohibitions.

He helped write the treaty ending World War One.

On the downside, he held a latent racism against blacks and racially segregated government offices.

“Return to Normalcy”: Republican Warren G. Harding’s winning slogan in the 1920 presidential election: it refers to the idea that the U.S. should return to the ways of before the Progressive Era. He called for neutrality and avoiding permanent alliances, and argued that the government should take a less active role in regulating the economy--returning to a laissez-faire approach to business.

“Black Tuesday”: October 29, 1929, the day of the great stock market crash that signaled the beginning of the Depression. The crash did not cause the Depression—a combination of over-production, high consumer debt, and foreign debt caused it—but it made bad problems worse.

The Great Depression

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR: POTUS 1933-1945. He promised to give Americans a “New Deal”. The plan provided relief for those hurt by the Depression; and recovery for the economy through Keynesian theory: government deficit spending.

In FDR’s “First Hundred Days,” Congress created many new government agencies in the “alphabetocracy.”

FDR’s determination rubbed off on the people and they came to view him as a caring parent, personalizing the presidency.

Democratic Party Hegemony I: The New Deal

New Deal Coalition: Voting bloc for the Democratic Party created in the landslide 1936 election. It included labor, farmers, progressive elites in the Northeast, conservatives in the South, Jews, and blacks. Southerners began leaving the coalition in 1948. As they left, blacks joined in greater numbers. The turmoil of the 1960s wounded it as a political force.

Axis Powers: The world-wide depression caused many nations to turn to more radical solutions than the U.S. did.

Germany (Hitler) Nazism: “National Socialism” advocates extreme nationalism, militarism, and control of industry by the State under dictatorship, believes in superiority of “Aryan race”Italy (Mussolini) Fascism: Advocates extreme nationalism and socialism under dictatorship, a militarist police state, named for the fasces—Roman symbol of authorityJapan (Hirohito) Militarism: Advocates extreme nationalism, values military virtues, selflessness, and dedication to the emperor (who is viewed as a god)Soviet Union (Stalin) Communism: “Command Economy” controlled by the State, no private property, one-party regime dictated by premier and close advisors, does not tolerate dissent

V-J Day, August 15, 1945