The Last

Stand
of the

Agraria
Agrarian
Politics,
ns
Populism,
and the 1896 Presidential
Election

USHC
4.4
Explain the impact of
industrial growth and
business cycles on
farmers, workers,
immigrants, labor
unions, and the
Populist movement and
the ways that these
groups and the

Urban / Rural Shifts

Source: http://
www.census.gov/population/censusdata/table-4.pdf

http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A
MpZ0TGjbWE

The American Labor

Puck Magazine, 188
Force
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0

After me comes one who is more powerful

than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to
carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor,
gathering his wheat into the barn and
burning upThe
the chaff
unquenchable
Biblewith
was
directed to an
fire.

audience of farmers.

-- John the Baptist (Matthew 3)

After me comes one who is more powerful

than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to
carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor,
gathering his wheat into the barn and
burning up the chaff with unquenchable
fire.
-- John the Baptist (Matthew 3)

Say
WHAT
?

SomerightsreservedbyDoodleDeMoon

This is...
A Threshing
Floor

SomeRightsReservedbyStanZurek

Eighteen centuries
changed
very little about
farming...

Mechanize
d Farming

Mechanical Threshing
Machine

The McCormick Reaper

Every McCormick
Reaper freed

five men

to fight for the Union.

Somerightsreservedbydfbphotos

Not that
they all

wanted to

Somerightsreservedbyfrankpierson

Technology & Economic Growth

Better Technology = Increased Production

Agricultur
al
Productio
n

Political
From Puck Magazine
Cartoons
(Democratic Publication)

AN OLD GAME.
The Crafty Priests of the Protectionist Temple Receive the

The Tariff Cow. The Farmer Feeds Her The

Monopolist Gets the Milk.

Division of Labor.

What are you

carrying that
bloated oldfashioned thing
around for?
To protect
myself.
Protect
yourself
against
what?

Against
TRADE!

A Peculiar Case of Protracted Infancy.

Chartby:
PaweZdziarski

Overproducti
on
and its
Consequences

Agricult
ural
Producti

Trade
(Distribut
ion)

Domestic
Consump
tion

SURPL
US
Somerightsreservedbyquinet

LOW
PRICES
Somerightsreservedbyquinet

SUCKS
TO BE

YO
SomerightsreservedbyUnitedSoybeanBoard

The American Labor

Puck Magazine, 188
Force
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0

MONOP
OLISTS
[Trusts]
Governm
ent Policy

LABORE
RS
[UNIONS]

COMBINAT
IONS
FARM
ERS?
Although the farmers still made
up the plurality of the work
force in the late 19th century,
they were the last to organize
as an interest group.

Farmers
Unite!

Social The Grange

Economi
Farmers Alliance
c
Populist Party
Political

Patrons of
Husbandry

AKA The

Grang
ers

Photo Credit: BillyHathor

Farmers
Alliances

Economi
c

Farmers
Alliances

The
Peoples
Party

AKA
POPULIS

Photo of People's Party convention at Columbus, Nebraska, 1890

WHO
?
Southern
and
Photo of People's Party convention at Columbus, Nebraska, 1890

THIRD
Party
Photo of People's Party convention at Columbus, Nebraska, 1890

The Populist
Platform

Political

Economic

Reform Proposals

Reform Proposals

Direct Election
of Senators

Graduated

Ballot
Initiatives
Secret Ballot

[Progressive]

Income Tax
Unlimited Coinage
of Silver
Nationalization
of Railroads

A Jeffersonian
Movement?

The Populist
Platform

Political

Economic

Reform Proposals

Reform Proposals

Direct Election
of Senators

Graduated
Income Tax

Ballot
Initiatives
Secret Ballot

Unlimited Coinage
of Silver
Nationalization
of Railroads

THE
MONEY
SUPPLY
Somerightsreservedbydanielmoyle

Chartby:
PaweZdziarski

The
Gold
Standar
SOUND
d
MONEY
Store of Value
Inflation

Bimetallis
m
Somerightsreservedbydigitalmoneyworld

2
Forms of
Currency

Somerightsreservedbydigitalmoneyworld

16:1
Somerightsreservedbysirqitous

Election of 1892

189

189

190

Panic of
1893
Economy
= BAD

SomerightsreservedbyLendingMemo

Election of
1896

vs.
William Jennings
Bryan
(D-NE)

William
McKinley
(R-OH)

Cross of Gold
Speech

1896
Democratic
National
Convention

If protection has
slain its
thousands the
gold standard
has slain its tens
of thousands.
-- W.J. Bryan
Cartoon from Judge
Magazine, 1896

Cross of Gold
Speech

1896
Democratic
National
Convention

You shall not

press down upon
the brow of labor
this crown of
thorns! You shall
not crucify
mankind upon a
cross of gold!
-- W.J. Bryan

Cartoon from Judge

Magazine, 1896

Populists
Endorse
Bryan

Bryan

A
Republica
n

Political
Cartoon

The Train vs. the

Porch

Bryans Campaign Tour

http://www.authentichistory.com/1865-1897/progressive/mckinley/WJB_Campaign_Maps_F

Bryans Campaign Tour

http://www.authentichistory.com/1865-1897/progressive/mckinley/WJB_Campaign_Maps_F

McKinleys Front Porch Campaign

Mark
Hanna
Monopolist
turned
campaign
manager

The
Keys
to Political Victory

Mon
ey

Fear

I am confident the workingmen are with us.

An Easy
Choice

Election of 1896

189

189

190

The
Sound
Money
Scare

BOTTOM
LINE:
We all want
more money,
but we also

Sound
Money
WINS!
but so do
the
monopolis
ts.

The Rematch

189

189

190