Populism was a movement to increase farmers’ political power and ameliorate their situation. It started as a way to help farmers socialize and get them educated so they could understand the reasons why the deflation of the time affected their economic situation. Then the political party emerged out of the cooperative ¨Farmers Alliance” and was formally organized in 1892 (source 2). This party was radical for its time because they wanted and proposed things like a graduated income tax, the secret ballot, the direct election of Senators, and the eight-hour day, things that for the time, in political and economic terms, were unimaginable. The populist party might have been the first step for achieving better working conditions and recognition …show more content…
After the civil war the people have added more debt to America (source 7), therefore prices for farmers were going up but the prices of their crops were going down, besides railroads were charging too much for the transportation of their products, the idea of the Populist Party was as William Jennings Bryan, lawyer, three times presidential candidate and one of the biggest supporters of the Populist party stated in his speech of 1896 ¨Cross Gold”: ¨"you shall not press upon the bow of labor this crown thorns, and you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold" (The Cross of Gold) meaning that government shouldn´t use just gold, but silver to backup the dollar, their objective was to get more money into circulation to cause inflation and in that way help the farmers; an idea that would have had great benefits of having worked. In addition, the Populist Party is responsible for the 17th amendment and the eight-hour workday. Also after the civil war and before the party was formally created, cooperatives against monopolies were formed, such as The Patrons of Husbandry (The Grangers), that under the leadership of Oliver Kelley fought monopolistic grain transport (Source 1) but neither of these efforts were completely effective at the
who had been seen by many Tories as a future leader of the party lost
Corporations growing was beneficial to the economy, mainly because of the costs of different things. Indexed prices between 1870-1899 are shown in Document A. The document shows the food prices and fuel and lighting prices declined a lot. It also shows how the cost of living declined only a little not as much as the food, fuel and lighting prices. Different mining and lighting technologies led to fuel and lighting prices being reduced. Mass production in general led to cost of living prices being reduced. There was improved agricultural technology which led to food prices being reduced (as shown in Document A). The prices falling for local agricultural products worried local farmers as there wouldn’t be profit for them while there’s mass production and technology advancements. Post-civil war america was controlled by big corporations of people like Rockefeller and Carnegie. Some of these people, tried to use the changes in america to benefit the poor. Document E talks about how wealthy men should be trustees for the poor (to benefit the economy), how they should make trust funds for the “most beneficial results for the community”. in docum...
...er party being formed, the populist party. This party had the belief that cities depended on farms, yet farms did not depend on cities. William Jennings Brian supported this idea in his speech, quoted on document J. In which elaborates on the opposition on gold standards and support the silver standards that would better benefit farmers.
It is true that the Civil war saw the beginning of a decline of individual economic opportunity. During an era known as "The Gilded Age" lasting from the end of the war until 1900, large corporations dominated the U. S. economy. The population went from being composed of predominantly farmers and small business owners to large business owners and shareholders. Technology began to revolutionize corporations, such as the construction of national railroads. Big business also led to monopolies, where one company would have full control over a specific area leaving others struggling. To resist big business labor unions, such as the American Federation of Labor, formed although they were usually no competition for big corporations. Between the end of the Civil war and 1900 manufacturing increased by four times leaving many farmers and small business owners moving to the city. After the stock market crash of 1929 everyone seemed to suffer an economic decline and it was no longer limi...
In response to intervention, thousands of groups of people became defiant. Laborers living off the bare minimum often assembled into organized groups to enforce their demands upon the government, making a notable push for reform (D) while educated men such as Henry Demarest Lloyd promoted virtue, not land, as the ideal focus of government (B). Dissatisfaction continued within the middle class. As new industrial machines emerged, designed for mass product...
The Whigs stood for Government controlled commercial development that incorporated what was called the American System, and wanted a high tariff that would benefit the North and its factories rather than the European competition, which meant more funds for the national governme...
In the late nineteenth century known as the Gilded Age (or the Reconstruction period) and the early twentieth century known as the Progressive era, the nation went through great economic growth and social change. Beginning from the 1870s, there was rapid growth in innovations and big businesses. This could be because there was population growth and when there is population growth, there is a high demand of products and other necessities in order to strive in society. Many immigrants from Europe, mostly from the eastern and southern Europe, and Asia moved to American cities. Additionally, farmers from rural America desired to increase economically in society and since corporations ruled and political problems occurred, they decided to move into the cities. Afterwards, the 1900s started with the dominance of progressivism which many Americans tried to improve and solve the problems that were caused or had arisen because of the industrialization of the Gilded Age. It was basically the time when progressives fought for legislations like regulation of big businesses, end of the political corruption, and protection of the rights of the people: the poor, immigrants, workers, and consumers. Thus, between the periods 1870 to 1920, big businesses had arisen and taken control of the political and economic systems through corruption and innovations. In response, American citizens reacted negatively and formed labor unions and political systems to diminish the power that large corporations had in America.
Farmer’s discontent during the period 1870 – 1900 had an impact on their attitudes and actions towards politics. During this period manufacturing had a growth spurt and agricultural started to decline. This made it harder for the farmers to make a decent living. For example in document G it shows how much manufacturing increased between the 50 years. America could no longer dream to be a nation of small freehold farms. Manufacturers and people living in big cities depended on farmers to supply everything. Many people didn’t realize how much of an affect farmers had on their lives. If somebody was to take farms away, everything would have completely crashed.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, the economy was booming, new technology flourished. The rapid industrialization brought achievement to the United States, however, it also caused several social problems. Wealth and power were concentrated in the hands of a few, and poverty and political corruption were widespread. As people became aware of these problems, a new reform group was created. Unlike populism, which had been a group of farmers grown desperate as the economy submerged into depression, the new reform movement arose from the educated middle class. These people were known as the progressives. The Progressive Movement was a movement that aimed at solving political, economic, and social problems. The Progressives were people from the middle class who had confidence that they could achieve social progress through political reform. The Progressives sought after changes and improvements in the society through laws and other federal actions.
In all the history of America one thing has been made clear, historians can’t agree on much. It is valid seeing as none of them can travel back in time to actually experience the important events and even distinguish what has value and what doesn’t. Therefore all historians must make a leap and interpret the facts as best they can. The populist movement does not escape this paradox. Two views are widely accepted yet vastly different, the views of Richard Hofstadter and Lawrence Goodwyn. They disagree on whether populists were “isolated and paranoid bigots” or “sophisticated, empathetic egalitarians”; whether their leaders were “opportunists who victimized them” or “visionary economic theorists who liberated them”; whether their beliefs were rooted in the free silver campaign of the 1890s or the cooperative movement of the 1880s; and finally whether their ideal society was in the “agrarian past” or “the promise of a cooperative future”. They could not agree on anything, over all Richard Hofstadter seems to have a better idea of the truth of populism.
The Populist movement was established in 1891. It grew mainly from the agrarian sector of the economy and was mostly based among white farmers.
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891 during the Populist movement. It was most important in 1892-96, and then rapidly faded away. Based among poor, white cotton farmers in the South and hard-pressed wheat farmers in the plain states, it represented a radical crusading form of agrarianism and hostility to banks, railroads, and elites generally. It sometimes formed coalitions with labor unions, and in 1896, the Democrats endorsed their presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan. The terms "populist" and "populism" are commonly used for anti-elitist appeals in opposition to established interests and mainstream parties. Though the party did not win much of anything it did however shape the United States we know today.
The movement was led by newspaper editors. Chester Rowell of Fresno Republican and Edward Dickson of Los Angeles Express, both of the editors were veterans of the local reform in politics. They both viewed the Sacramento corruption while it was happening. In 1907 they established the Lincoln-Roosevelt league to eliminate California Republican Party Bill Herrin and the Southern California Pacific Railroad from office. They choose Hiram M. Johnson of San Francisco to be the next candidate for governor. Johnson made his reputation during the Ruef Schmitz regime trials by helping to put them out of business. Johnson won the general election and remained in office until his death in 1945. This time helped create many reforms that we see today. Some of the achievements include the Labor legislation which created workers compensation, helping to find work for those unemployed, abolish child labor and created an 8 hour workday for women. I believe that the primary movements’ legacy was to remove the corruption of private companies offering their patronage to influence public policies for their own
...hey lacked the followers that would enable them to push their ideas further, so in the end the Populists slowly died out but the ideas remained which became a driving force during the progressive era. The Populists can be seen as the stepping stone which it gathered and helped people to realize that a change was needed, without this would the progressive era still have the drive that brought people together?
- The pent-up demand for cotton following the war brought high prices through the late 1860s - More and more farmers turned to cotton growing as the only way to obtain credit, expanding production depressed prices - By 1880, nearly 40 percent of all southern farms were operated by tenants and sharecroppers - Elite ideals rested on the belief that womanhood and manhood rested on moral character and individual choice. - Lincoln liked to cite his own rise as proof of the superiority of the northern system of “free labor” over