1. By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie, TX
SE: US 3A

2. Farmers Struggle
During the 1880s,
new inventions
greatly increased But greater
farm production production led to
lower prices for
farm goods

3. Farmers Struggle
A economic
depression hit the
nation and many
farmers went bankrupt.
They believed the only
way to convince the
government to help
them was to organize.

4. The Grange
The first national farm
organization was the
Patrons of Husbandry, also
known as The Grange
Many farmers joined the
Grange to get help during
the difficult economic times The Grangers pressured
railroads to reduce their rates
to haul their goods to market.
Grangers created cooperatives,
which were marketing
organizations that worked for
the benefit of their members

5. Farmers’ Alliance
By the late 1880s, a new organization known as the
Farmers Alliance began to form
Farmers Alliances were created throughout the south
and west but alliance failed help the farmers enough

6. Populism
The struggle of the farmers led to a rise of a belief
known as Populism
Populism was the movement to increase farmers’
political power to work to pass laws in their interest

7. Populist Demands
1) unlimited coinage of silver
2) federal ownership of railroads
3) a graduated income tax
4) direct election of U.S. Senators

8. The_Birth_of_the_Populist_Party

9. America’s Coining unlimited
currency should be silver would solve
based on Gold the nations
economic crisis

10. Election of 1896
When farmers found that the Democratic Party would
not meet their demands, many broke away and created
the People’s Party, also known as the Populists
In the Election of 1896, a
major issue was improving
the U.S. economy
Democrats nominated
William Jennings Bryan,
a supporter of unlimited
silver, drawing most
Populists back to the
William Jennings Bryan Democratic Party William McKinley

11. Bryan: The Farmers Friend
18,000 miles of campaign “whistle stops.”

12. Was backed by people in the South and West,
especially farmers
 Silverite, was opposed to the “gold standard”
 “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

13. “Cross of Gold” Speech
William Jennings Bryan’s speech denouncing the
gold standard and calling for the U.S. to use silver,
which would lower the value of the dollar, thus
leading to an increase in the value of goods

15. William Jennings Bryan
The Democratic Party became split because of
Bryan’s support for many Populist beliefs

17. William McKinley
Governor of Ohio who was supported by the industrial
part of the nation (Northeast and Midwest)

18. McKinley supported the gold standard which would
strengthen the value of the dollar and big business

19. Election of 1896
Because many “Gold Democrats” would not vote for
Bryan, McKinley won the election. The Populists lost
most of its following and Populism died out.

20. The_Populists

21. Gold Triumphs Over Silver
 1900  Gold
Standard Act
 confirmed the nation’s
commitment to
the gold standard.
 A victory for the
forces of
conservatism.
 Republicans would
dominate politics the
next decade

22.  The depression ends during the
McKinley administration
 Objections to the gold standard
lessen
 The Gold Standard is adopted
when Congress passed the Gold
Standard Act in 1900

23. Wizard of Oz connection

24. “Parable of the Populists”?
 Tornado  ?  Silver Slippers  ?
 Dorothy  ?  Emerald City  ?
 Kansas  ?  Oz  ?
 Wicked Witch of the  The Wizard  ?
East  ?
 Munchkins  ?
 Tin Woodsman  ?
 Wicked Witch of the
 Scarecrow  ? West  ?
 Cowardly Lion  ?  Flying Monkeys  ?
 Yellow Brick Road  ?

25.  The United States stays on the Gold
Standard until the 1970s
 Third Parties can cause major parties
to change agendas
 Depressions cause panic in the
moment but are soon forgotten once
prosperity begins
 Many of the beliefs of the Populists
were the root of Progressives

26. The Fight
for Civil
Rights
during the
Gilded Age
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS SE: US 3C