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The Populist Movement and Progressivism: Origins, Challenges, and Political Impact (1868-1916)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw American farmers and progressive reformers fighting against economic stagnation, falling prices, and monopolistic practices. This period began with the National Grange Movement (1868), led by Oliver Kelley, which sought to empower farmers through cooperatives and lobbying. The emergence of the Populist Party highlighted grievances regarding railroads, tariffs, and banking systems, culminating in the significant political shifts of the 1896 election. With their ideals evolving into the Progressive Movement, diverse groups aimed to address social and political injustices, shaping modern American politics.

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The Populist Movement and Progressivism: Origins, Challenges, and Political Impact (1868-1916)

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  1. Farmer’s Fight

  2. Agricultural changes • Commercialized/Specialized • Falling Prices due to: • Increased production • Global Competition • Static Money Supply • Rising Costs • Trusts • Middlemen • Railroads • Elevators • Property taxes, but no income tax Problems

  3. National Grange Movement • 1868 – Oliver Kelley – Co-ops to fight elevators and railroads • Lobbied state governments for regulation • Munn vs. Illinois • State has the right to regulate business if in the public’s best interest Fighting Back

  4. Interstate Commerce Act (1886) • Railroads crossed state lines, Wabash vs. Illinois said that states couldn’t regulate interstate commerce • Required railroads to be reasonable and just, set up ICC, railroads actually helped more than farmers Fighting Back, cont’d

  5. National Alliance of Farmers • Ocala, FL • Attacked major parties as business servants • Platforms: • Direct election of senators • Lower Tariff Rates • Graduated income tax • New federal banking system • Increased money supply • Eventually becomes Populist Movement/Party • Many platforms spread to progressives Ocala Platform

  6. Omaha Platform: • Politically • direct popular election of U.S. Senators • enacting of state laws by voters through initiatives and referendums • Economically • unlimited coinage of silver • graduated income tax • Government ownership of railroads • telegraph and telephone systems owned and operated by government • loans and federal warehouses for farmers • eight hour work day. • Attempted to form a political alliance between poor whites and poor blacks Populism

  7. 1892 • Presidential candidate: James Weaver (IA) 1million votes and 22 electoral votes • Ticket failed in South Populism’s high Water Mark

  8. Bryan, Democrats, and Populists • Dems divided between gold and silver forces • Prosilver had the most support • WJB gives “Cross of Gold” speech • Coinage at 16 to 1 (market was 32 to 1 • Populists and Democrats fuse • Gold Democrats and Cleveland break away A Turning Point in American Politics: 1896

  9. McKinley and the Republicans • McKinley (OH) • Marcus Hanna runs well-funded campaign • Blamed Democrats for economic problems • Platform of high tariff and gold standard A Turning Point in American Politics: 1896

  10. Campaign • GOP early advantage • Bryan covered 18,000 miles by train giving 600 speeches • Millions of dollars from business leaders to McKinley • “Front Porch Campaign” • Death knell • Rise in wheat prices • Employers told workers they would shut factories down if WJB was elected A Turning Point in American Politics: 1896

  11. End of Gilded Age stagnation • Beginning of Republican domination • End of Populists • Many of the populist policies eventually enacted • Urban, business, conservative, upper middle class dominance • Beginning of modern politics • Campaign financing • McKinley is a warmonger Significance of 1896

  12. Roosevelt through Taft and Wilson • Attitudes • Changing country • Diverse Groups • Who were Progressives? • Middle class urban residents • Missionary spirit/social responsibility/honesty • Strong Leadership across parties • Roosevelt and Lafollette in GOP • William Jennings Bryand and Wilson in Dems Progressive Origins

  13. Reformers (Jefferson, Jackson, Populist tradition) • Revolution in thinking from Darwin • Pragmatism/Experimentation with ideas and laws • Scientific Management • Frederick W. Taylor – factories and timing workers • Government could be made more efficient Philosophy

  14. Voter Reform • Secret Ballot • Direct primaries • Direct Election of U.S. Senators (17th Amendment)] • Initiative • Referendum • Recall • Social Welfare Political Reform

  15. Municipal Reform • Public Utilities • City managers and Commissions • State Reform • Robert LaFollette (WI) – direct primary, tax reform, railroad regulation • Temperance and Prohibition • 18th Amendment Political Reform

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