Political Realignment in the 1890s

1
Political Realignment in the 1890s

• 1877-1900

2
Regulating the Money Supply
3
Agricultural Protest

• Falling crop prices and rising debt
• Bad weather and overproduction
• Sought remedies elsewhere
• Apparent Railroad discrimination
• Tariff favoritism
• Restrictive financial system
• Indifferent political parties

4
Farmers Alliance

• Originated in Texas spread throughout South and
  Great Plains
• By 1890 grew to 1.2 million members
• Other Alliance organization
• Colored Farmers Alliance
• Committed to economic and political reform

5
Farmers Alliance Political Agenda

• Attempted to establishes Co-ops
• Credit using crops and land as security
• Political Agenda
• Free silver
• Government control of railroads
• Banking reform

6
The Peoples Party

• Farmers Alliance, Knights of Labor, the Grange,
  and Greenback party united to form Peoples Party
  or Populist Party
• Gained control of legislature in Kansas and
  Nebraska won some congressional seats
• Enacted reform legislation on state level
• Economic regulated banks and railroads,
  protected unions
• Womens suffrage
• Southern Democrats frustrated reform

7
Omaha Platform

• Repudiated laissez-faire and demanded economic
  and political reforms to aid distressed farmers
  and workers

8
The Challenge of the Depression

• Depression worsens condition of Farmers and most
  other Americans
• Rejected incumbent Republicans elected Democrat
  Grover Cleveland
• Championed doctrine of laissez-faire and rejected
  government action to solve social or economic
  problems
• 20 of labor force became unemployed

9
Coxeys Army

• Protest march of unemployed workers demanding
  inflation and a public works program during the
  depression of the 1890s.
• Men disbanded by military once they reached
  Washington

10
The Battle of the Standards and the Election of
1896

• Depression and unpopularity of Cleveland
• Democrats suffer huge defeat
• Populists increase their vote
• Republicans gain control of Congress
• Silver issue overshadows everything Democrats
  adopt populist issues Populist Party fades away
• Republican platform of higher tariffs and gold
  standard

11
McKinleys Program

• McKinley wins in close election Democrats recede
  into a sectional party
• Tariff protection
• Sound Money
• Overseas Expansion