Bell-Work: Thurs, March 14 th

Pick up handout from the front chair.

Begin reading the first excerpt

- Write a summary sentence

Homework due Monday:1.Prepare for DBQ (prompt on homework-

website)2.Complete Election of 1896 document

questions (on website) 3.Complete “Electing the President 1896”

– read article and answer questions(on website)

Complete Review questions for Unit (due Wednesday)

Key Terms: Grange Populism People’s party Mechanization

Essential Question: Why and how did the American farmer propose to curb the growing power of Big Business?

http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/modern-farm-tractors-provide-comforts#modern-farm-tractors-provide-comforts

Political Cartoon of Farmers vs. the RailroadsCartoon of a farmer fighting a train shaped like a serpent, with the caption "Which Will Win? The Farmer or the Railroad Monster?" The railroad's coils are wrapped around the dome of the U.S. Capitol.

http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/IH165409/political-cartoon-of-farmers-vs-the-railroads

o Farmers borrow money from banks to buy new machinery o Reliance on technology rather than

manual labor was known as agricultural mechanization

o Use of machines resulted in overproduction (too much agricultural products) and caused crop prices to fallo Farmers could not pay costs

(increased debt)

Agriculture was hurting after the Civil WarFalling farm

pricesUnregulated

railroadsIncreased

agricultural production in the west

$0.00$0.50$1.00$1.50$2.00$2.50$3.00$3.50$4.00$4.50

1864

1866

1868

1870

WheatPrices

• Farmers blame politicians and big businesses• Want government to regulate

railroads (said overcharging them to ship goods) • Interstate Commerce Act: created

Interstate Commerce Commission and regulated railroad rates

• Wanted gov. to provide subsidies• Gov. pay farmers money to cover their

losses due to overproduction

Supported use of greenbacks (paper money)

Wanted dollar based on silver standard and gold standard (bimetallism) Believed would put more money in hands of

consumers (increase farm prices)

Formation of agriculture organization The Grange (Patrons of Husbandry)

Goals: Promoted the economic, social and

political welfare of the farmer Fought monopolies (railroads) Supported equality for women

Song

0100000200000300000400000500000600000700000800000900000

1875 1885 1895 1905 1915

Grange Membership

The National Grange is active in the 37 purple states and DC

Populism (The People’s Party)• The concern over the farmers eventually gave rise to the Populist

Movement• Populism embraced what farmers wanted, it supported the

circulation of greenbacks (paper currency)• In 1892, under the official name of the People’s Party, the Populists

met in Omaha, Nebraska• Here they formed the Omaha Platform. Politically, Populism

appealed to the common man• It was a movement that praised agriculture as the backbone of the

country and favored farmers of the South and Wes• It also sought to break down racial divisions between white and

black farmers. Populists preached these 2 groups must unit to beat oppression of big business and corrupt politicians

Populist Platform

Supported bimetallism ($ supported by silver & goldUse of greenbacks Increased gov. regulation of business8 hour work dayGraduated income taxElection reforms

Direct election of Senators and president Secret ballot

Election of 1896• As the country approached the presidential election of 1896, it was

experiencing one of the worse economic depressions ever.• As the depression deepened in 1894, more and more people blamed

President Cleveland for the worsening condition.• Cleveland blamed the silver standard for the nation’s economic woes

and returned the US to a strict gold standard– This meant the dollar could only be backed by gold. Many people

argued it should be based on silver too. By backing money with gold & silver, money would be more plentiful

– This position supported bimetallism – Eventually populists agreed to support bimetallism and greenbacks– The silver question became a major issue of the 1896 campaign

Election of 1896

William Jennings Bryan Backed bimetallism Won the Populist vote

Democrat party vote was divided and did not win enough votes

William McKinley Won the election Marked the end

of the Populist Party

Democrats Republicans

Election 1896

• Bryan, in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech, stated you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold

• Despite his abilities as a speaker and a national campaigner, Bryan could not overcome splits in the Democratic party to win enough votes.

• Republican William McKinley won the presidential election of 1896

• Populism faded soon after

Document Analysis

Document 1- song “Farmer is the Man”

Document 2- William Jennings Bryan, “Cross of Gold”

Document 3 – Populist Party Platform

Document 4 – 1896 Populists Party Platform

http://www5.esc13.net/socialstudies/docs/era%206/populism_lesson_plan.pdf Populism lesson plan

Farmers lesson ppt http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/organizations.html

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us25.cfm data analysis - Digital HS

http://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/special_features/ext/am_hist/AmerHis-ch12.html#timeline resources (primary/secondary)

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/subtitles.cfm?titleID=30 political crisis articles

http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/popparplatsupp.html people’s party (preamble)

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap07_us_hist_frq.pdf DBQ

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=159 farmers and wizard of oz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2itQkiQUOE&feature=related Wizard of Oz clip 6/8

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=DE8A6C9A-3174-44DD-BBFC-10A957D1440C&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

Homesteading: 70 years on the Great Plains, 1862-1932 The Mid-1800s: Laying the Groundwork for

Homesteading. (01:56) The Machine Age. (03:18) "I Live Entirely on Food Made of Corn": Agriculture

on the Homestead.