The Feltons

Hook

• Based on what you have learned about the Bourbon Triumvirate, on what issues that they stood for do you think others might disagree?

• Let’s talk about it.

The Feltons

• Who were the Felton’s?– Independent

Democrats– William Felton– Rebecca Latimer

Felton

The Feltons• William Felton

– doctor– farmer– Methodist Preacher– public speaker

• Rebecca Latimer Felton– supported her

husband’s political causes

– his campaign leader

Rebecca Latimer Felton• Leader in the…• Suffrage Movement

– working to get women the right to vote

• Temperance Movement– anti-alcohol movement

• editorialist in the Atlanta

Journal

The Feltons

• used their newspaper The Cartersville Courant to attack the Bourbons

• wanted to help…– poor– lower middle class– HATED the convict

lease system

The Feltons

• The Convict Lease System– Prisoners were leased

(hired out) to people who provided them with housing and food in exchange for labor.

– first used prisoners for Public Works

The Feltons: Convict Lease System

• The Bourbon’s owned companies where the convicts were forced to work.

• The companies paid the state just a little bit of money for the use of all these prisoners.

• The prisoners were treated very poorly and often denied basic necessities.

The Feltons: Convict Lease System

• Georgian’s were hurt by this system because they could not find jobs!

• The number of poor increased in the state.

• In 1867 laws were changed and state run farms were built for prisoners.

• The Felton’s WON!

The Feltons: Political Life

• 1874• Dr. William Felton

was elected to Congress and served until 1880.

• In 1880, he became a member of the Georgia General Assembly.

The Feltons: Political Life• Dr. William Felton

pushed for improvements in

-education -prison reform -limits on alcohol• He and his wife

planted the roots of what would become the Populist Party.

Summarizing

• Read the lyrics to “Chain Gang” as you listen to the song.

• Create a list of seven feelings the writer of the song has about chain gangs.

• Let’s discuss them.• A more modern versio

n of “Chain Gang”