Rise And Fall Of Populism Analysis

1070 Words3 Pages

The Rise and Fall of Populism was a very interesting period between the times of 1892-1896. In 1890, the Populist movement arose primarily in response to the McKinley Tariff, which is a very high tariff that particularly hurt western and southern farmers who sold their harvest on unprotected markets but were forced to buy expensive manufactured goods. To protest the tariff, these farmers helped vote Republicans out of the House of Representatives in the 1890s congressional elections. “Frances Willard chaired the first convention of the Populist Party, also called the People's Party, in 1892 in Omaha, Nebraska.” (By 1900, the Populist Party was in decline. (n.d.).) When the elections of 1892 approached, the Farmers’ Alliance joined with liberal …show more content…

In 1896, it was time for reelection and Cleveland had no chance of being reelected for a third term. No one wanted him anymore because he did so many things wrong. He barely kept the U.S Treasury stable, he angered middle-class constituents by ending the Pullman Strike with federal forces, and he didn’t keep his promise to reduce the tariff. Because of the things Cleveland did while he was in office, Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan, whom is known for his famous speech, “Cross o Gold.” In the speech, Bryan passionately proclaimed, “We will answer [the Republicans’] demands for a gold standard by saying to them: ‘You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!’ (The Gilded Age and The Progressive Era (1877-1917). (n.d.). Because the Democrats ran on a Populist-inspired platform, campaigning for free silver, the two parties joined in supporting …show more content…

Although the Populist Party failed as a viable third party, its work helped raise awareness and concern for the plight of farmers and workers. Many of the platforms advanced by the Populist Party were adopted by the Democratic Party and subsequent political movements. “The limited electoral success and heavy campaigning of the Populist Party led the national Democratic Party to adopt many populist causes, such as bimetallism, corporate regulation and workers' rights.” (What are the accomplishments of the Populist Party? (n.d.).)
References
1. THE GILDED AGE & THE PROGRESSIVE ERA (1877–1917). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/gildedage/section6.rhtml
2. Why did the Populist Party fail? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.reference.com/government-politics/did-populist-party-fail-d6ad5b480840c926
3. By 1900, the Populist Party was in decline. (n.d.). The Populist Movement - Boundless Open Textbook Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/the-gilded-age-1870-1900-20/the-agrarian-and-populist-movements-155/the-populist-movement-835-3278/ 4. Chapter 2 Western Expansion, the New South, and Industrial America, 1870–1890. (n.d.) Retrieved from

More about Rise And Fall Of Populism Analysis

Open Document