What does Populism What does Populism have to do with have to do with

??

The Land of Oz

The Gold Standard

• The value of money is linked to the money supply. Up until and after the Civil War, all dollars issued in the U.S. could only be backed by, and could only be redeemed for, gold.

What might represent gold?

Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard, a road that looks hopeful, but leads nowhere.

““Oz” represents “oz.”

or the abbreviation for ounce, the standard measure for gold.

Farmers• Faced low crop prices,

high machinery prices, and high tariffs.

• Midwestern farmers were very pro-Populist. They wanted to increase money supply by backing dollars with silver.

• A silver standard would increase inflation and raise crop prices.

Represented the struggling Midwestern farmer at the turn of the century

In Baum’s version,

Scarecrow rules Emerald City after Oz is dethroned.

Baum predicted that

farmers would gain political power.

Industrial Workers Eastern industrial

workers were anti-Populist because they didn’t want their wages cut due to inflation.

Baum viewed these

workers as victims who had become mechanized and dehumanized.

Who represents the industrial workers?

Represented the urban industrial worker who was enslaved to heartless industries

In making the Tin

Man rule the West, Baum predicted that industry would move west.

William Jennings Bryan

Congressman from Nebraska who ran for President from the Populist party in 1896.

A skilled orator--gave the Cross of Gold speech

Advocated heavily for a bi-metalic standard.

Who represents Bryan?

Represented William Jennings Bryan

Described as having a loud roar, but little else--Bryan lost to McKinley by 95 electoral votes

In having the Lion protect

smaller beasts in a “small old forest,” Baum predicted that Bryan would return to Congress.

President William McKinley

The Republican candidate in the 1896 race for Presidency—

anti-Populist. Baum viewed

McKinley as not being as powerful or wise as the façade that he put forth.

Who represents McKinley?

The Wizard promises The Wizard promises Dorothy that he will be Dorothy that he will be able to bring her back to able to bring her back to Kansas with a balloon Kansas with a balloon filled with a lot of "hot filled with a lot of "hot air." Instead, it is the air." Instead, it is the silver slippers, which silver slippers, which Dorothy had all the time, Dorothy had all the time, that took her home. The that took her home. The Wizard's gifts of Wizard's gifts of courage, brains and a courage, brains and a heart are deceptions. heart are deceptions.

When Dorothy walked on the Yellow Brick Road, it represented gold and silver coming together to increase America’s money supply.

In the book, her silver slippers are lost, representing the silver issue being lost.

The Oppressed

Baum saw these people as ‘slaves’ of the eastern banking and industrial interests.

They were anti-Populist because they didn’t want their wages to decline in value due to inflation.. Who represented these

oppressed people?

Represent the common people, controlled by the Wicked Witch of the East (who represented the Eastern Industrialists and Bankers).

Symbolizes large industrial corporations that Baum thought oppressed “the little guy”

is ultimately destroyed by water (representing pure nature, a removal of machines).

Represents everyman. She is an innocent Midwest girl who is able to see what is really going on in Oz.

Represented the Prohibitionist Party.

They were pro-Populist.

“Toto” is a play on the term “T-Totalers,” or people who drank no alcohol.

Thought to represent Washington, D.C. and the color of green American dollars.

Was the Good Witch of the North, a pro-Populist region.

Showed Baum’s sympathy for the plight of Native Americans

“Once . . . We were a free people living happily in the great forest . . . This was many years ago before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land.”