USA 1890-1912: Populist Movement and Presidencies

• Populist Party appeared at state level


  1890
• Populists release manifesto on Omaha Platform


  1892

  - fighting corruption and reforming legal system
• Gained widespread support in midterm elections


  1894
• Populist demands


  - govt railroad ownership

  - graduated income tax

  - free silver (to end gold standard)

  - support AAs (e.g. Thomas E Watson calls 2000 white Populists to protect Black preacher)
• William Jennings Bryan


  gained national support as Democrat and had support of populists
• Mary Lease


  1895

  - claims that the govt was a 'Wall St' government and was not for the people
• 1896 Dem candidate


  Bryan

  - supported by populists

  - made 600 speeches across US

  - narrowly lost
• 1896 Rep candidate


  McKinley

  - supported by Mark Hanna

  - spent $7 mil on campaign

  - promised high protectionist tariffs and gold standard

  - won by 600,000 votes

  - progressivism now replaced populism
• Dingley Tariff Act


  1897

  - protectionist (isolationist)
• Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush


  1897-99

  - increased gold circulation

  - McKinley believed in the gold standard
• 1900 Currency Act


  maintained the gold standard
• McKinley is assasinated


  1901
• TR police commissioner


  NYC 1895

  - determined at fighting corruption
• Hepburn Act


  1906

  - higher regulation of railroads
• Pure Food and Drug Act


  1906

  - ended adultration and extended government role in food regulation
• blocked National Securities


  1902- would've been a monopoly
• acres of forest 1898 vs 1909


  20 mil vs 193 mil acres
• how many times did TR use Sherman Anit-Trust


  80
• Anthracite Coal Strike


  1902

  - mediated a settlement in favour of the strikers
• Social problems for progressives


  - 6 day, 72 hr week was common

  - no sick pay
• economic problems for progressives


  1893 panic and 12% Un
• McClure's maga


  sold 750,000 copies in 1904
• how many millionaires by 1901


  4000
• Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act


  1909

  - increased many tariffs
• Democratic Party with progressive policies do well in mid terms


  1910
• Roosevelt gets National Progressive Party nomination


  1912 (won 88 electoral votes; 27.4% of the pop.)