Unit 8 Lesson 6: The Rise of Populism

Question 1

American farmers faced many challenges during the late 1800s. Elaborate

Answer 1

Rapidly declining farm prices, high tariffs, and foreign competition steadily eroded their standard of living.

Question 2

What lead to an overproduction of crops

Answer 2

new technologies

Question 3

What effect did new technolgies have

Answer 3

Overproduction, an unexpected result of new technologies, caused a glut of farm products that drove market prices lower and lower.

Question 4

Farmers invested in early tractors and other new machines for planting and harvesting crops. What are the causes and efffects of this action

Answer 4

These machines enabled farmers to grow increasingly large crops. However, the value of their crops decreased as the supply of farm goods increased

Question 5

How did farmers respond to the overporuction of crops

Answer 5

To hard-working farmers, the idea that producing more could cause them to earn less seemed absurd. They increased production even more in hopes of increasing their earnings, which just made matters worse.

Question 6

How did some farmers fal even more in debt

Answer 6

Farmers who had bought farm machinery and supplies and had to pay railroads to ship their goods to market began to fall deeply into debt.

Question 7

How did farming affect lakes and rievrs

Answer 7

Changes in farming also had unexpected consequences for the environment. Widespread irrigation endangered water supplies by depleting lakes and rivers.

Question 8

How did farming spread pollution into rural ares

Answer 8

mechanized farming and ever-growing herds of livestock began the spread of pollution into rural areas.

Question 9

Clear-cutting

Answer 9

Clear-cutting involves cutting down and removing every tree from an area.

Question 10

What was the result of clear-cutting

Answer 10

. The practice of clear-cutting trees to create new cropland led to a large decline in forestland.

Question 11

How did the amount of foerstland in America flunucate

Answer 11

Before the 1800s, the United States had over a million acres of forestland. In 1920, U.S. forestland shrank to its low point of 722,000 acres. Today, U.S. forestland has rebounded to about 766,000 acres.

Question 12

Did clear-cutting have an impact on topsoik?

Answer 12

Clear-cutting contributed to topsoil erosion, as did the use of machinery to plow large tracts of land.

Question 13

Why did increased farm production lead to lower prices for farm goods?

Answer 13

It caused the supply of farm goods to exceed the demand for those goods. This oversupply drove down the market value of farm goods.

Question 14

What were some of the environmental consequences of mechanized farming?

Answer 14

depleted water supplies, pollution, erosion

Question 15

Why were rising tariffs another serious problem for farmers

Answer 15

Rising tariffs made consumer goods more expensive, but there were no tariffs to boost farm prices as well. Farmers were paying inflated prices, but not earning inflated wages.

Question 16

What did farmers do to counter rising tariffs

Answer 16

To counter this, farmers supported silver-based currency. They wanted to establish a 16-to-1 ratio of silver dollars to gold dollars. Increasing the money supply at this rate would help them repay debts and make their farms profitable again.

Question 17

Did the government listen to the farmers propoasl of silverbased curreny?

Answer 17

However, the government supported a gold-based currency that favored business interests. This monetary policy debate would become a major political issue by the 1890s.

Question 18

How did tariffs affect farmers during the late 1800s?

Answer 18

Tariffs inflated the price of goods farmers needed to buy, but did not inflate farmers’ wages to match.

Question 19

Why did farmers want to adopt a 16-to-1 ratio of silver dollars to gold dollars?

Answer 19

By increasing the money supply, they hoped to repay their debts more easily.

Question 20

Why did farmers organize groups

Answer 20

Frustrated farmers soon organized into groups that were similar to early labor unions. Following the labor union model, farmers sought a collective voice to pressure political leaders for change.

Question 21

Who was Oliver Hudsonand what did he create

Answer 21

One of the first efforts to organize farmers came in 1867 with Oliver Hudson Kelley’s creation of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, more popularly known as the Grange.

Question 22

What was the grange movement

Answer 22

The Grange movement grew to over 1.5 million members in less than a decade.

Question 23

How did farmers belive they could best themselves

Answer 23

Kelley believed that farmers could best help themselves by creating farmers’ cooperatives to pool resources.

Question 24

What is a cooperative

Answer 24

A cooperative, or co-op, is a group of people who pool their money to buy or sell goods wholesale.

Question 25

What were the hopes of grangers

Answer 25

Together, they could negotiate better shipping rates and lower prices for seeds, fertilizer, and machinery. Grangers hoped to use co-ops to reduce overproduction. They also wanted to bargain for better rates from railroads and other businesses.

Question 26

What states did the Grange pass laws in

Answer 26

The Grange had some success in passing laws at the state level in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa.

Question 27

What did the Grange laws do

Answer 27

The Granger Laws laws regulated some railroad rates, as well as the prices charged by grain elevator operators.

Question 28

What movement did the Grange create

Answer 28

. The movement also created a political party—the Greenback Party

Question 29

What did the Greenback PArty support

Answer 29

the Greenback Party, which supported print currency (called greenbacks) not based upon a gold standard.

Question 30

How many Greenback peeps were in congress

Answer 30

. The Greenback Party won 15 seats in Congress, but otherwise had little success.

Question 31

What led tot he collapse of the Greenback party

Answer 31

In 1886, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Granger Laws setting railroad rates unconstitutional, as states had no authority to control interstate commerce. After this defeat, the Greenback Party soon collapsed.

Question 32

What is the purpose of cooperatives?

Answer 32

Cooperatives enable people to pool their resources to negotiate for better prices on the goods and services they buy and sell.

Question 33

What caused the collapse of the Greenback Party?

Answer 33

The Supreme Court ruled against Granger Laws aimed at regulating railroads.

Question 34

What emergeed in the wake of the Grange movement

Answer 34

The Farmers’ Alliance emerged in the wake of the Grange movement.

Question 35

Where was the Farmers' Alliance formed

Answer 35

he Farmers’ Alliance was formed from regional groups who represented farmers’ interests.

Question 36

Describe all the alliances that made up the Farmers' Alliance

Answer 36

In 1890, the Southern Alliance, which was based in Texas, had over 100,000 members. It joined with the Northwest Alliance and the Colored Alliance to form a national alliance. The Colored Alliance was the largest African American organization then existing in the United States. It started in Texas but quickly spread throughout the South until it had over 1 million members.

Question 37

Singinace of the colored allinace

Answer 37

The Colored Alliance was the largest African American organization then existing in the United States. It started in Texas but quickly spread throughout the South until it had over 1 million members.

Question 38

All together, gow many members did the Farmers' Alliance

Answer 38

rs. All told, the Farmers’ Alliance brought together over 2.5 million members—1.5 million white and 1 million African American.

Question 39

How many women joined the Farmers' Alliance

Answer 39

Nearly 250,000 women also joined the Farmers' Alliance movement.

Question 40

Why did women join the Farmers' Alliance

Answer 40

They shared concerns over the economic plight of farmers. They also hoped to find allies in the fight for women’s voting rights. The chance to vote and run for office within the alliance gave hope to many women who wanted the same right as men to participate in the U.S. government.

Question 41

The Farmer's Alliance movement shared many goals with the original Grange. Elaborate

Answer 41

It wanted to regulate railroad prices and use silver to create an inflationary monetary policy.

Question 42

The most ambitious goal of the Farmers’ Alliance was its push for a

Answer 42

subtreasury plan.

Question 43

What would happen under a subtreasury plan

Answer 43

Under this plan, the federal government would store farmers’ crops as collateral on loans worth 80% of the crop’s value.

Question 44

How would a subtreasury plan benfit farmers greatly

Answer 44

This would give farmers cash-on-hand to pay debts and purchase goods. Storing crops would also boost farm prices by influencing supply and demand in the market. When prices rose, farmers could withdraw their crops to sell at a higher price. Then they could repay the government loan and still make a profit

Question 45

Economists thought the plan had merit. However, the government never acted on it. Why is that

Answer 45

Some members of Congress felt that the government should not make loans to farmers. They argued that there was no guarantee that storing crops would lead to price increases.

Question 46

Why did so many women join the Farmers’ Alliance?

Answer 46

They shared concerns about the economic plight of farmers, and they sought allies in the fight for women’s voting rights.

Question 47

What were the two main goals of the subtreasury plan?

Answer 47

The subtreasury plan’s main goals were to provide farmers with cash on hand to pay debts and buy goods, and to control the price of farm goods by influencing supply and demand.

Question 48

Angry about government inaction on its policies, the Farmers’ Alliance decided to form its own political party based on the ideas of

Answer 48

populism

Question 49

What is populism

Answer 49

Populism is a belief in the rights, wisdom, and virtue of common people.

Question 50

Why was the populist party formed

Answer 50

If politicians would not respond to farmers’ needs, then populists felt it was time to elect someone who would

Question 51

What did the populist party stand for

Answer 51

In 1891, the alliance formed the Populist Party, also known as the People’s Party, to represent the interests of farmers and other working-class Americans.

Question 52

where did the populist party find succeess

Answer 52

The Populist Party soon had some successes. In Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, it elected several state legislators. It also elected one governor and a handful of congressional representatives.

Question 53

What did the populist party do as the election of 1892 apporached

Answer 53

As the election of 1892 approached, the Populists chose to model themselves after the major parties in the hope that they could earn a third-party victory

Question 54

Who was nominated to run for predient in the poplist party

Answer 54

At their convention that summer in Omaha, Nebraska, they nominated James B. Weaver to run for president.

Question 55

What was the Omaha Platform of 1892

Answer 55

They also wrote the Omaha Platform of 1892 as a statement of their grievances, or complaints, and their agenda, or plan, for reform.

Question 56

The goals of the Omaha Platform included the following planks:

Answer 56

* adoption of the subtreasury plan * 16-to-1 silver-to-gold currency ratio * reduction of tariffs * government control of railroads * an end to the national bank system * creation of a federal income tax * direct election of U.S. senators * eight-hour workdays

Question 57

What was the elction of 1892 like

Answer 57

The election of 1892 was a rematch of the 1888 election.

Question 58

In the elcetion of 1888 who were the candiates for the democrats and republicans

Answer 58

Just as in the election of 1888, the Democrats chose former president Grover Cleveland as their candidate, while the Republicans went with current president Benjamin Harrison.

Question 59

Who won the election of 1892

Answer 59

This time, Cleveland won in a close popular vote, becoming the first U.S. president to be elected to nonconsecutive terms.

Question 60

How did the Populist party do in the presidential election

Answer 60

Populist candidate Weaver finished third, but earned a credible one million votes. Populists felt they had done well for such a young party. If other groups of working-class people such as industrial workers took up their cause, the Populist Party believed it could win the election of 1896.

Question 61

Whose interests did the Populist Party represent?

Answer 61

The Populist Party represented the interests of farmers and other working-class Americans.

Question 62

One notable example of the government’s failure to help working-class people during the Depression of 1893 was the case of

Answer 62

Coxey’s Army.

Question 63

What was the **coxey's Amry**

Answer 63

Coxey’s Army was the unofficial name of a group called the Army of the Commonwealth in Christ.

Question 64

Who was Jacob Coxey

Answer 64

In the spring of 1894, a business leader named Jacob Coxey led the group on a march from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. This was the first popular protest to march on the nation’s capital.

Question 65

Who were the marchers in Coxey's Army

Answer 65

The marchers were workers who had lost their jobs because of the Depression of 1893.

Question 66

What were the protestors in the Coxey'sAmry marching for

Answer 66

The leaders of the march urged Congress to pass public works legislation for the federal government. They wanted the government to hire unemployed workers to build roads and other public projects.

Question 67

How amny joined the Coxey;s Army purpose

Answer 67

The original 100 protesters grew to 500 as they traveled.

Question 68

What happened when the Coxey Army reached Washington D.C

Answer 68

However, when they reached Washington, D.C., their pleas for federal relief were ignored. Instead of receiving help, Coxey and several other marchers were arrested for trespassing outside the U.S. Capitol.

Question 69

How did the Coxey Army benift to Populist PArty

Answer 69

Frustration over this event led many angry workers to support the Populist Party in future elections.

Question 70

What was the purpose of the march of Coxey’s Army?

Answer 70

Its purpose was to pressure the federal government to help people who had become unemployed as a result of the Depression of 1893.

Question 71

What was the outcome of the march of Coxey’s Army?

Answer 71

The federal government took no action to help the unemployed marchers, and some of them were arrested for trespassing.

Question 72

During the election of 1896 which party did many think would win

Answer 72

As the election of 1896 approached, all signs pointed to a possible Populist victory. The ongoing economic Depression of 1893 had convinced many working-class Americans—farmers and factory workers alike—that it was time for a change.

Question 73

THe republicans during the election of 1896

Answer 73

The Republicans stood by their gold-based currency and high tariff policies. They turned to William McKinley as their candidate

Question 74

Who did the Democrats make their caidate

Answer 74

**William Jennings Bryan**

Question 75

Whowas Willliam Jennings Bryan

Answer 75

William Jennings Bryan—a member of Congress from Nebraska who had defended a silver-based monetary system.

Question 76

What did Bryan belive

Answer 76

He urged the government to coin more silver. Bryan was from farm country, so he knew the farmers’ plight. He even saw some merit in the subtreasury system. In short, Bryan could have been the ideal Populist candidate, but the Democrats got to him first.

Question 77

How did the populist people react to Bryan

Answer 77

The Populist Party decided to endorse Bryan instead of nominating its own candidate. They hoped that this choice would give them a real chance to win the White House.

Question 78

What was William Jennings Bryan known for

Answer 78

William Jennings Bryan was a famous speaker who was well-known for arguing in favor of a bimetallic or silver standard.

Question 79

At the Democratic Convention of 1896, Bryan gave his famous **“Cross of Gold” speech** . What was the speech all about

Answer 79

In this speech, he argued against Republicans who claimed that the gold standard was the only way to ensure America’s economic stability and prosperity.

Question 80

What was the outcome of Bryans speech

Answer 80

Bryan also won over his listeners by claiming that working-class Americans were just as important to the country’s prosperity as bankers and business leaders. Bryan’s speech helped convince the Populist Party to support his candidacy instead of nominating its own candidate.

Question 81

How won the election of 1896

Answer 81

The result finally saw a U.S. president win a convincing popular vote majority. McKinley defeated Bryan by a popular vote of 7.1 million to 6.5 million.

Question 82

What histort did Bryan make in the elction of 1896

Answer 82

Even the losing candidate, Bryan, had earned more total popular votes than any other presidential candidate in American history to that date. For example, Bryan earned a million more votes than Grover Cleveland had earned in 1892.

Question 83

Why did Bryan lose the election

Answer 83

Bryan's loss was probably ultimately attributed to how his campaign had split the Democratic vote. Some Democratic Party members remained convinced of the value of the gold standard and supported Republican McKinley in the election instead of their own candidate.

Question 84

What happened to the populist party after the deaft of Bryan

Answer 84

After the election of 1896, it seemed as if Bryan’s defeat had ended the rise of the Populist Party. Populists began supported Democrats who shared similar ideas. By choosing principle over party, they were drawn into the growing two-party system.

Question 85

How did the decline of the populist party influcned to deomcratic party

Answer 85

As the Populist Party declined, the Democratic Party absorbed many of its policies and voters. People began to view the Democrats as being on the side of farmers and working-class voters.

Question 86

What was the REpuliban party asscoaited with after the election of 1896

Answer 86

The Republican Party’s image also changed. By supporting the gold standard and high tariffs and opposing populist reforms, Republicans came to be associated with big business and wealthy elites.

Question 87

How did the gold rush of 1896-1899 contribute to the decline of populism

Answer 87

First, vast gold deposits were discovered in Alaska. This triggered the Klondike gold rush of 1896–1899 (also known as the Yukon gold rush). The gold rush shored up the nation’s weak economy, and swelling gold reserves made the gold standard more viable.

Question 88

How did the Spansih-American War contribute to the decline of populsim

Answer 88

Second, the Spanish-American War began in 1898. The war boosted the economy and increased demand for American farm products.

Question 89

What happened as the econmoy improved

Answer 89

As the economy improved, the Depression of 1893 ended. Along with it, populism’s political strength began to fade.

Question 90

Which goals set forth in the Omaha Platform are actual laws today?

Answer 90

direct election of U.S. senators, federal income tax, eight-hour workdays

Question 91

Why did the Populist Party decline after the election of 1896?

Answer 91

The Democratic Party absorbed many populist policies and voters, and the economy improved.

Question 92

What two events boosted the U.S. economy near the end of the 1800s?

Answer 92

the Klondike (or Yukon) gold rush and the Spanish-American War

Question 93

The Wizard of Oz and popuilist dieas?

Answer 93

Some historians suspect that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz might be a populist allegory inspired by Baum’s sympathy for the struggles of farmers and factory workers.

Question 94

What is an allegory

Answer 94

. An allegory is a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for truths about human life.

Question 95

How were farmer’s groups and labor unions similar?

Answer 95

Both used collective bargaining to pressure business and political leaders for change.

Question 96

How did populism affect political participation in the U.S. during the late 1800s?

Answer 96

Populism led to increased political participation because it inspired farmers and other working-class people to become actively involved in politics.