The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz

A Parable of the Populist EraA Parable of the Populist Era

The Wonderful WizardThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozof Oz by by

L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum Book was written in Book was written in

1900 when the 1900 when the Populist movement Populist movement was a relatively was a relatively current event in current event in American politicsAmerican politics

The CharactersThe Characters

DorothyDorothy ““Every person” with Every person” with

common sensecommon sense The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow

The farmersThe farmers The Tin WoodsmanThe Tin Woodsman

Dehumanized laborDehumanized labor The Cowardly LionThe Cowardly Lion

Wm. Jennings BryanWm. Jennings Bryan

The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the West of the West The harsh The harsh

environment of the environment of the Great PlainsGreat Plains

The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the Eastof the East The eastern The eastern

industrialists and industrialists and bankers who bankers who controlled the little controlled the little people (The people (The Munchkins)Munchkins)

Toto Toto The tee totaling The tee totaling

prohibitionistsprohibitionists The Good WitchThe Good Witch

The Farmers The Farmers Alliance (The Alliance (The Grange)Grange)

Dorothy’s Ruby Red Dorothy’s Ruby Red SlippersSlippers Were actually Were actually silver silver

slippers slippers in the book in the book but in the but in the Technicolor film, red Technicolor film, red looked better than looked better than silver silver

Silver was the Silver was the Populists solution to Populists solution to the nation’s the nation’s economic problemseconomic problems

The WizardThe Wizard Represents any one Represents any one

of the Presidents of the Presidents from the Gilded Agefrom the Gilded Age

The Yellow Brick The Yellow Brick RoadRoad (With all the (With all the

dangers along the dangers along the way) represented way) represented the Gold Standardthe Gold Standard

Emerald CityEmerald City Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.

OzOz Is the abbreviation Is the abbreviation

for for ouncesounces, a , a reference to the reference to the silverites who silverites who supported free supported free silver in the ratio of silver in the ratio of 16 oz. of silver to 1 16 oz. of silver to 1 oz. of goldoz. of gold

And as any Populist would And as any Populist would know…know…

There is no place like home (steading)!There is no place like home (steading)!

Why did the Populist Party Why did the Populist Party disappear?disappear?

Major political parties adopted ideas of the Major political parties adopted ideas of the Populists – no need for a minor partyPopulists – no need for a minor party

Gold discovered in Gold discovered in AlaskaAlaska(1898) – no need for (1898) – no need for silversilver

Better economic times returned for the farmersBetter economic times returned for the farmers Famine in Europe increased demand for American Famine in Europe increased demand for American

productsproducts immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed”immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed” ““Golden Age of American Agriculture”Golden Age of American Agriculture” (1900-1914) (1900-1914)

Importance of the Populist Importance of the Populist PartyParty

Many Populist suggestions were Many Populist suggestions were eventually adopted into eventually adopted into lawlaw

Minority group can create Minority group can create change change within the system!!!within the system!!!