Issues of the Gilded Age 18771900

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Issues of the Gilded Age1877-1900

• Chapter 16, Section 3
• pp. 533-539

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Note Taking Reading Skill Identify Causes and
Effects
Reading Skill Identify Causes and Effects
NOTE TAKING
3
Farmers Face Many Problems

• Prices dropped cotton, corn, wheat, etc.
• Cost of doing business rose
• Farmers in debt by 1890s
• Big business blamed railroads, banks, etc.
  farmers claimed they were monopolies
• Dishonest merchants and landlords also a problem
  for many
• New national leaders were more urban

4
Farmers Organize and Seek Change

• Oliver H. Kelley formed the Grange million
  members provided education on farming
  techniques, called for regulation of railroad and
  grain elevator rates resulted in Grange Laws
  and the ICC
• Farmers Alliance important after the Grange
  cooperatives formed sold crops as a group for
  better prices pushed for sub-treasuries for
  better loans

5
The Populist Party Demands Reform

• Populist Party Peoples Party formed 1892
• Built party from the ground up grass roots
• Spread quickly in all levels of government
• Platform Fight against corruption, inadequate
  money supply, unresponsive government
• Pushed for coinage of free silver, government
  ownership of railroads, womens suffrage
• Reached out to all classes of people, even ran
  someone for president
• Won many votes, much support governors,
  congressmen, state legislatures
• United blacks and whites in the South

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Transparency The Populist Movement
The Populist Movement
TRANSPARENCY
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Economic Crisis and Populisms Decline

• Election of 1896 Democrats ran William Jennings
  Bryan made Populists think they could win the
  White House
• Cross of Gold speech pushed for free silver
• Populists supported Bryan rather than run their
  own candidate
• Republicans ran William McKinley accused Bryan
  of being a dictator, had many more resources to
  use against Bryant (money)

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Populisms Legacy

• McKinley wins the election of 1896, then
  reelection in 1900
• Free silver did not appeal to urban workers,
  making it hard for Bryan to win
• Populists never recover
• Gone by 1900
• Influenced other groups, however, like Democrats
  and Progressives
• Focus on groups working together on common
  political ground

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Progress Monitoring Transparency Section 3
PM TRANSPARENCY
Progress Monitoring Transparency