The 1890s

1
The 1890s
Boy, did they stink
2
The Harrison Administration

• President Benjamin Harrison
• the Billion Dollar Congress first time govt.
  budget over 1billion gives most money to Civil
  War veterans
• The McKinley Tariff raises tariff to highest
  levels yet causes much unrest in the South and
  Midwest

3
Labor Violence

• Eventually put down by PA state militia and US
  military
• Carnegie tainted permanently as anti-labor

• The Homestead Strike (1892) steel workers
  strike at Carnegies Homestead plant
• Pinkertons and strikers clash
• Many wounded or killed
• Pinkertons defeated

4
Growth of Populism

• Populism a political viewpoint that places the
  common man over corporations and special
  interests
• Made up of mostly farmers, with labor and
  reformers, as well

5
The Birth of the Populist Party

• 1890 Ocala, Florida made up of three groups
• Organized labor
• Farmers
• Social reformers

Tom Watson
William Peffer
Raise less corn and more H-E-double toothpicks!
Mary E. Lease
6
Early Success

• 1890 - Populists win state legislatures in
  several Midwestern states, sends five Senators
  and 12 members to the House
• 1892 James B. Weaver wins over 1 million votes
  and 22 electoral votes

7
The Omaha Platform

• No. 1 demand
• silver in the money supply at a 161 ratio to
  gold

• Platform adopted by Populist Party for 1892
  election source for many reforms to come into
  the future
• Proposals
• 8 hour working day
• govt. ownership of RRs
• term limits on politicians
• popular election of senators
• income tax

8
The Depression of 1893

• Second worst in American history
• Causes
• overproduction of manufactured goods
• repeal of limited silver in the money supply
• loss of gold reserves, causing deflation
• Growing unemployment and farm foreclosures

9
The Depression of 1893 98

• President Cleveland pursues laissez-faire
  approach violence and protests increase
• 1894 Jacob Coxey leads a march on DC thousands
  join in demands for jobs

10
The Depression of 1893 98

• 1894 Pullman Strike wages cut by 10, but rent
  and prices stay the same in company town of
  Pullman, IL
• Strike turns violent
• RRs workers
  strike in support most rail traffic stopped

11
The Depression of 1893 98

• Cleveland ends strike by sending US military
• Labor leaders arrested

Eugene V. Debs
12
The Depression of 1893 98

• 1895 - J. P. Morgan and partners lend the
  government 65 million in gold reserves to
  stabilize money supply
• Weakens Cleveland politically

13
The Election of 1896

• Republicans nominate William McKinley
• Considered safe, reliable

• Democrats enter convention with no clear
  frontrunner
• Cleveland rejected by Democratic Party for 3rd
  term

14
The Election of 1896

• William Jennings Bryan and the Cross of Gold
  speech
• You shall not press down upon the brow of labor
  this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify
  mankind upon a cross of gold.

15
The Election of 1896

• 1/3 Populists and 2/3 Democrats merged (fused)
  to recreate the Democratic Party
• More populist in ideology endorsed Omaha
  Platform
• Remainder of Populist Party eventually dissolved
  by 1908

16
The Election of 1896 The Candidates

• Democrat Bryan Republican McKinley
• 
  
  
  

Gold Democrats John Palmer
Prohibition Joshua Levering
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William Jennings Bryan

• 3 term House member from Nebraska
• Youngest man to run for president (36)
• Populist in ideology, supporter of 161
• Nominated on 5th ballot unknown outside NE
• Changed politics by campaigning personally

18
The Election of 1896

• Republican advantages
• More money
• raised by Mark Hanna
• Support from newspapers and big business
• Opposition from conservative Democrats

19
The Election of 1896

• Bryan depicted Bryan as a dangerous lunatic, or
  foolish dreamer workers threatened if they vote
  for Bryan

20
The Election of 1896

• Results McKinley wins Bryan makes it close