TOPIC 1Farmer’s

Alliances and the Populist Party

Unit 2: 2nd Industrialization and the Progressives

10th Grade Social Studies #10 Content Statement

Analyze and evaluate the success of progressive reforms during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in addressing problems associated with industrial capitalism, urbanization political corruption.

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Lesson ObjectiveAnalyze the Farmers’ Alliances and the Populist Party’s reactions to the effects of industrialization and how they created a reform agenda which contributed to the rise of Progressivism.

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1860-1896 National Economy

Industrial production increased

Agricultural production increased

Agricultural production increases=Drop in prices

Lower Crop Prices Hurt Farmers

Farmers take out long term loans because of drop in crops prices

Farmers want more money in circulation believing it will increase crop prices—want money backed by silver to increase money circulation

Bankers oppose silver standard because it would cause inflation

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1. What was a major effect of the Agricultural Revolution in the United States during the

late 1800s?

Food supplies were increased to feed urban dwellers.

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Panic 0f 1893Reading Railroad files for bankruptcy

Dependent banks/companies also collapse

Stock market crashEuropean investors pull out stocksWorsened agricultural depression

Increased political involvement of agricultural community

Severe unemployment and protest

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Farmers Revolt: Populist Movement

2. What economic factors upset farmers?

Farm crop prices steadily decline 1864 through 1890.

Railroads charged farmers high shipping rates.

Farmers mortgaged their farms to buy new farm machines

High tariffs increased prices of factory goods that farmers needed.

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3. What was the Farmers’ Alliances?

They were farmer groups designed to educate farmers about organizing and petitioning state governments for more control of railroads and obtaining low interest loans.

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railroad companies charged high rates for transporting farm products

4. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, Why did Midwestern farmers find that earning a living

was increasingly difficult?

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force the railroads to lower freight rates

5. During the 1870’s and 1880’s, what was a main goal of Farmers’ Alliances?

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an increase in the demand for government regulation

6. In the late 1800’s, what did many practices of the railroads lead to?

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Farmers wanted reasonable railroad rates. This Act was the first time the federal government passed a law to regulate an industry. It called for reasonable railroad rates.

Farmers’ Reform Movements7. Define: Interstate Commerce Act, 1887

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8. Why were the Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Antitrust Act

passed by Congress?

To protect the interests of small businesses

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9. Define: Populism

MAIN IDEA: The downtrodden and “little people” could have a say in government

They began a move toward political and social reforms (Progressive Era)

Our country was in financial crisis (1893-1896)

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10. Define: Populist Party

a political party formed in 1892 that supported free coinage of silver, work reforms, immigration restrictions, and government ownership of railroads and telegraph and telephone systems

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11. Identify reasons for the formation of the Populist Party

Farmers wanted money to be backed by silver.

Alliance members, farmers, labor leaders, and reformers wanted to impact government policies.

Railroad monopolies were charging unfair railroad rates to farmers.

Merchants, banks, and railroads were getting richer, but farmers were in debt.

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To help western farmers fight unjust economic practices

12. What was the goal of the Farmers’ Alliances and Populist movements?

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Free Silver MovementLate 1800s some Americans advocated unlimited coinage of silver.

The movement was triggered by an act of Congress in 1873 that omitted the silver dollar from the list of authorized coins.

Silver became the symbol of economic justice to many American people.

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Free Silver Movement

Paper money was originally redeemable for either gold or silver. Then in 1873 Congress put the U.S. dollar on the gold standard, meaning that a dollar could be redeemed only for gold in the U.S. Treasury.

Farmers wanted money to be backed by silver putting more money in circulation. This would cause their crop prices to rise.

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13. In the late 19th century, farmers desired money backed by silver. What did farmers believe rising prices for their crops would

accomplish?

It would enable them to pay back their loans more easily

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14. What did farmers and people in debt believe would happen if Congress

would coin silver?

Farmers believed that an expanded currency would increase the price of their crops.

Those in debt hoped it would enable them to pay their debts more easily.

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Farmers wanted currency backed by silver, so there would be more money in circulation causing their crops to go up in price.

Why did farmers want money backed by silver?

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Indebted farmers wanted to improve their economic situation.

15. Explain why farmers organized themselves in the late 1800s.

Farmers’ Reform Movements

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bank regulation, government ownership of railroads, and free coinage of silver

What were Populist Party’s goals?

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Bryan (the democratic candidate) made it a campaign issue, gaining Populist support and terrifying businessmen, who then gave money to the opposing Republican Party.

Bryan wanted the United States to use silver to back the dollar at a value that would inflate the prices farmers received for their crops, easing their debt burden. This position was known as the Free Silver Movement.

16. Explain the role free silver played in the election of 1896.

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17. Why did William McKinley win the 1896 election instead of

William Jennings Bryan?

McKinley (Republican candidate) favored the gold standard and was against the coinage of silver; therefore, big business tycoons greatly supported his campaign by giving huge campaign donations.

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18. What is the

main idea of the

political cartoon?

McKinley won because of monopolists’ contribution to his campaign; therefore, Monopolists gained even more federal political power.

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What is the main idea of the political cartoon?

Because of their 1896 presidential campaign contributions, monopolists swallowed up the democratic party.

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Farmers’ reform movements

19. How were the Farmers’ Alliances and the Populist Party reactions to the effects of industrialization?

Farmers’ Alliances and the Populist Party created a reform agenda which contributed to the rise of Progressivism.

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20. Although the Populist faded after the election, what

legacy did they leave?

The downtrodden (the poor farmers and working class) could organize and have political impact.

Many of the ideas of the Populist Party Platform became law during the first years of the 20th Century.

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21. Why is the Populist Party important in United States

history ?It proposed ideas that later became law

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