Personal Freedom: The Populist Party

Over time the idea of freedom and liberty has changed. Americans from the forefathers to present have had an ever evolving idea of what is personal freedom. What should the government regulate, what is the most vital right to guarantee freedom? These ideas have ranged from civil liberties to economic stability. Personal freedom also had a different meaning to Americans depending on their race, social class and gender. From birth, white Americans were born with inalienable rights. Rights that were guaranteed by the constitution. They were born with the freedom of self determination and the ability to move up the social ladder. These rights were guaranteed by law and recognized and respected by the rest of society. African Americans denied

This was so the common man could gain more rights in the workforce. One of the most notable was the Populist party. The Populists saw freedom to control your own destiny, was to have the freedom to attain prosperity without hindrance. In order to find a solution to their problem, they had to look at the cause of it. “Farmers increasingly believed that their plight derived from the high freight rates charged by railroad companies, excessive interest rates for loans from merchants and bankers, and the fiscal policies of the federal government that reduced the supply of money and helped to push down farm prices,” (Foner 639) They wanted the government to create policies and regulate the market so the small farmers and workers would not be crushed by big business and corporations. Foner describes it best, “the fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal fortunes” (Foner,

During the progressive era there were still monopolies and corruption. Americans banded together to lobby for a stronger government that would regulate businesses, ensure worker rights, help economic growth and provide economic security for not just the rich. The people believe that they should have more of a say in their future, they believed in “a democratic cooperation in determining the ideals and purposes and industrial and social institutions of a country”(Foner, 707) Americans started aligning the idea of freedom a lot more with economic stability, rather than past concepts of freedom of religion, speech and individuality. “Progressives believed that the modern era required a fundamental rethinking of the functions of political authority, whether the aim was to combat the power of the giant corporations, protect consumers, civilize the marketplace or guarantee industrial freedom at the workplace” (Foner, 706) Free enterprise would not work if left unchecked. This created the idea that in order for individuals to have more freedom, the government would need to pass more regulations and laws to protect the common man. Essentially the American people wanted “democratic self determination and individual freedom” (Foner,