8) Populism and Progressivism

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Overproduction on the Farm

Between the years of 1865-1900, there was a continually dropping percentage of farmers in the US. They no longer made up the majority of the workforce in 1880. They had become victims of their own productivity and inventiveness. e.g. the McCormick reapers invented in the 1930s dramatically reduced the amount of time it took to harvest wheat and was continually improved throughout the century. Technology solved the problem of the absence of slaves, but it also meant farmers began to suffer. The inventions were expensive and so farmers started going into debt. Between 1860-1890, land cultivation and productivity increased, but the farmers were still in debt. It also soon meant fewer farmers were required as the farms were becoming more effective.

All this led to overproduction which drives prices down. There wasn't an increasing demand for the produce so they didn't need the extra they were producing. It got worse as the people in charge started demanding for more to be produced but this put farmers into even more debt. Farmers started to become tenants on others' farms but this meant their children didn't have any land to inherit. So, they started leaving for the city.

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Farmers' Alliances

The farmers started creating alliances, like the Patrons of Husbandry, otherwise known as the Grange. It was founded in 1867 and brought farmers into contact with each other for dances etc. Membership rapidly increased and it became a political organisation. Farmers began pooling their money to buy equipment and control how their crops were being sold and marketed. They wanted to regulate the middle man as he was charging too much.

The National Farmers' Alliance was created in the north, and the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union was created in the south (this one was particularly strong). They owned newspapers, organised public lectures etc. They started taking their grain to storage facilities and were given coupons in exchange which were legal tender but could also be traded back for money once the grain was sold.

The northern alliance became involved in the free coinage of silver stating that any silver from around the house could be turned into coins and used as legal tender. This created the silver question. Silver supporters tried convincing the government that it would give the economy a boost as they believed getting more money into the system would mean there was more money around and so they could charge more for their grain. But, they started to believe the banks were the source of all problems. Gold belonged to the rich and silver to the common people. They were trying to show their superiority over the rich.

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The People's (or "Populist") Party (1892-1896)

The Farmers' Alliance created a new political party, the Populists. It was created when politicians were letting them down. James B. Weaver was nominated as the leader on the 4th July 1892. They could directly elect senators and devised a new scheme, but got little support from non-farmers, and especially little support in the south.

In 1896, the Populists made a fatal mistake. They entered into a coalition with the Democrats. William Jennings Bryan was their nominee for president who came from an agricultural state and supported free silver coinage. Despite the coalition, the Populists still wanted to maintain their independence and produced their own nominee for VP. When the elections came, though, the Republicans won. The Populists had failed to win an election in a coalition and were also no longer a third party to compete in elections. The progressives who came into power represented more urban protests.

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Progressivism

Some historians believe progressivism was a strong but inadequate step towards liberal thinking, some even believe it represented a corrupt system. The movement was a combination of Protestant moral views, capitalist competition and the democratic process.

Those within the movement tended to disagree a lot, but there were some factors they all agreed on, including:

  • They agreed with big businesses but believed they could be fairer and more effective.
  • They believed humans were essentially good and history brought progress with it. They believed the people, through government intervention, could control their history.
  • They were willing to use the government to regulate and/or coerce.
  • They shared influences like evangelical Protestantism and the sciences. But, these could also have a negative effect and they over-relied on experts.
  • They believed it was a movement of national scope.
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Who Were the Progressives?

Those within the movement were part of the post-Civil War generation. They had new professions and wanted to create a world different from their parents'. They created a new style of journalist, the investigative reporters who they used to publicise their movement and the problems of the social workers, explaining why social work was important.

Progressivism produced 3 presidents. Theodore Roosevelt served them as a national hero. He dramatised their issues and was capable of being their leader. He actually began as the VP, but took over from the President (who beat the Populists) when he got shot. Then he was elected for another term. The Republicans became the party of business rather than the pro-slavery sentiment. They believed free labour was required, and this developed into business.

William Howard Taft was chosen by Roosevelt to be his successor, but he compromised on several issues, including on the conservation of natural resources. He was also more interested in legal progressivism. His actions caused problems leading Roosevelt to try and become the leader of the party again. When this wasn't happening, he created his own party, the Bull Moose. This split the Republican vote creating a Democratic win.

Woodrow Wilson was the final progressive president and he represented the Democrats.

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