POPULISMThe movement of the people

Question… Can a small minority create large-scale

change?

Farmer’s Problems Falling prices for

crops Inflation High cost to

transport goods

Political Power To fix their

problems, farmers organized

Formed Populist Party and Farmers’ Alliances

Farmers Unite! The Grange: a

group formed to educate farmers in best practices and group ownership

Interstate Commerce Act: legislation that regulated railroads and forced fair prices

Populist Beliefs Increase the

money supply Graduated Income

tax (if you make more, you pay more)

Election of senate by popular vote (not appointed)

8 hour work day

Problems in 1893 Railroads went

bankrupt Gvmt. Ran low on

gold Stock market fell 20%

unemployment

Solutions Bimetallists:

wanted gvmt to back money with gold and silver (Populists)

Gold Bugs: wanted gvmt to back money with only gold

In the End… 1896 Election Dems: Bimmetalists

ran William Jennings Bryan

Repubs: Gold Bugs, ran William McKinley

McKinley won Collapse of Populism

In the End… Many Populist

ideas were taken up by the major political parties