The 1890s: Challenges to the System

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The 1890s Challenges to the System

• Efforts to Ameliorate Poverty
• Workers Protests
• Populism
• The Critical Election of 1896

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Efforts to fight poverty
English class for immigrants, Minneapolis YMCA,
1890s
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The Settlement House Movement
Jane Addams reading to children
Hull House
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The Depression of 1893-97
20-25 of industrial workers unemployed 20
drop in farm prices Gold reserve drain
Jacob Coxey arrested for trespassing on the
Capitol lawn, 1894
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Labor Strikes Back

• 1881-1905 36,757 strikes 6 million workers

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Labor Strikes

• Homestead 1892
• Pullman 1894

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Homestead State militia encampment viewed from
union headquarters
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The Perspective of Farmers
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The Predicament of Farmers

• natural disasters
• Conditions on the Great Plains
• Debt
• Falling prices
• Dependence on railroads, middlemen

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Farm Income and Consumer Prices
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The Peoples Party Platform Democracy

• secret ballot
• initiative and referendum
• term limits
• direct election of Senators

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The Peoples Party Platform Government and the
Economy

• free coinage of silver and increase in money
  supply
• government ownership and operation of railroads,
  telegraph and telephone systems
• land redistributed to actual settlers
• no corporate subsidies
• graduated income tax

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The Peoples Party Platform An Alliance with
Workers

• restriction of undesirable immigration
• abolition of Pinkerton men
• an 8-hour day

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Populists in 1892 Elections
Populists elected 3 governors, 10 Congressmen, 5
senators won, more than 1 million votes (8.5 of
total) and 22 electoral college votes
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The Election of 1896
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The Election of 1896
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The Demise of Populism