The Populist Movement 1880s – 1890s. The Presidents in the 1890s. Benjamin Harrison (1833 – 1901) 23 rd 1889 - 1893. Grover Cleveland (1837 – 1908) 24 th 1893 - 1897. William McKinley (1843 – 1901) 25 th 1897 - 1901. The Nature of the 1890s The “Gay 90s”.
The Populist Movement 1880s – 1890s
Benjamin Harrison (1833 – 1901)
23rd 1889 - 1893
Grover Cleveland (1837 – 1908)
24th 1893 - 1897
William McKinley (1843 – 1901)
25th 1897 - 1901
The 90s were neither lighthearted nor frivolous
Tensions of the 90s were predicated on economic outcomes, even on the debate for war, i.e. how would war affect the economy?
The decade experienced the worst and longest economic depression to that time
Almost all groups were affected by economic problems
There were labor problems: Homestead Strike, 1892 and Pullman Strike, 1894
There was a money crisis as gold in the treasury dwindled causing fear for the future
There was political protest: The Populist Party was led by angry farmers; the party threatened to upset the two-party system
There was a war which divided the nation on the debate for empire
Tensions of the 90s were predicated on economic outcomes. Even on the debate for empire, i.e. how would empire effect the economy?
Populist Party candidate, election of 1892
Graduated income tax
Public ownership of railroads, telegraphs and telephones
8 hour workday
Direct election of senators
Populists were not folk heroes
The were coming up with new ideas to return America to its agrarian past (negative reform)
Populism represented a class movement that was based on racism, anti-Semitism and sectionalism, but not nationalism
They turned to the city only for labor support
Dorothy represents the American people
The Scarecrow represents the western farmers
The Tin Woodsman represents the eastern workers, victims of mechanization
The Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryan (1860 – 1925):
Bryan, a Democrat, ran for the presidency in 1896 and lost to
William McKinley; thus Bryan had a load roar, but no power.
Bryan favored bimetallism
Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech, Recording
“If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”
Represents the eastern banking interests
William McKinley (1843 – 1901)
25th President of the United States
(1897 – 1901)
Marcus A. Hanna (1837 – 1904)
The abbreviation for an ounce of gold or silver
16 oz. of silver is equal to 1 oz of gold
This has fluctuated over the years, but the standard remains between 14:1 and16:1
Only with a proper coalition of industrial and agrarian interests,
but it never happened
2-20: The Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company went bankrupt.
5-5: The National Cordage Company went bankrupt.
The bankruptcies of these two companies due to rash stock market speculation caused the collapse of the entire stock market.
Poster for a melodrama, presented at the Chestnut St. Opera House, Philadelphia, 1895
Jacob S. Coxey (1854 – 1951), Ohio businessman led a march on Washington in 1894 to urge the government to provide assistance. The government was unresponsive, Coxey was arrested and the marchers disbanded.
Congress passed a high protective tariff and the Gold Standard Act in 1897
Recovery began before passage of either act
Increase in European demand on wheat: European wheat crop was reduced by 1/3 for 1897. . . U.S. exported more wheat; farmers were assuaged
European money flowing into U.S. stopped the drain on gold, and new discoveries of gold in ’96 helped ease the gold problem
Europe recovered from the depression before the U.S.
European industries could not keep up with product demand
U.S. began to export goods – this meant more work for U.S. industries and workers
By 1900 prosperity was back