What you will learn:

Who formed the Populist Party?

What did the Populists want?

Were they successful?

The Populists

Populism & The Wizard of OzOz:

Dorothy:

Wicked Witches:

Munchkins:

Yellow Brick Road:

Dorothy’s slippers:

Tin Man:

Scarecrow:

The Lion:

The Wizard:

DebtsOwed money forLand, machinery, seed, etc.

Hard to pay debts since

Banks and wealthy controlled $ supply

Rich want less $ printed, only backed by gold-called

“goldbugs”

Farmers want gold & silver

Used to back $ so more can be printed-called “free silverites” and

bimetallism

Railroads

Were overcharging farmers to ship crops. Had a monopoly.

Farmers want the government

to stop this and regulate them

They form a social/political organization called The Grange

founder Oliver Kelley

The Grange successfully elect local & state politicians to regulate RRs in states. Upheld by court case Munn v Illinois

But most RRs run between states and need federal oversight.

Interstate Commerce ActWill be passed, but not enforced.

Populism• Members: Farmers, factory workers, the common “little people” of society

• Wanted: Bimetallism, limited hours of work, gov’t regulation of RRs

• Nominate: William Jennings Bryan to run for president

Bryan’s Cross of Gold Speech

Republicans

Members: Many are wealthy powerful business interests

McKinley poster

Populism & The Wizard of OzOz:

Dorothy:

Wicked Witches:

Munchkins:

Yellow Brick Road:

Dorothy’s slippers:

Tin Man:

Scarecrow:

The Lion:

The Wizard:

Populism & The Wizard of OzOz: ounces

Dorothy: common people

Wicked Witches: East-Banks, West-RRs

Munchkins: farmers, miners, etc

Yellow Brick Road: gold standard

Dorothy’s slippers: silver

Tin Man: factory workers

Scarecrow: farmers

The Lion: William Jennings Bryan

The Wizard: President of US