Why would farmers want more money in the money supply? Why did the Populists become a national party?

1. POPULISM

2. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
• During the Industrial Revolution,
farmers struggled to deal with
the prices for goods that they
need staying artificially high
because of a high tariff, a tax on
imported goods, and falling
prices for their farm products.

3. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
• Their early response was to
meet at the local grange hall,
which was originally a place
for farmers to gather socially,
but soon became a place
where farmers could talk
about their problems.

4. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
•The discussions at the
local grange halls
eventually developed into
the Populist Party, or the
People’s Party.

5. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
• In the beginning, their biggest
issue was the free coinage of
silver, believing that introducing
silver into the money supply
would cause inflation, or a rise in
prices, because people would
have more money to spend.

6. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
•That changed quickly,
however, as their leaders
tried to find other issues to
build on so that the
Populists could become a
more national party.

7. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
• Discuss the Populist Reforms
• A. free coinage of silver
• B. graduated income tax
• C. secret ballot
• D. direct election of senators
• E. initiative
• F. Referendum
• G. Recall
• H. Shorter hours and restrictions on immigration
• I. Subtreasury

8. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY
• While the Populists were only
successful on the local level
(never electing a Populist
President), their issues became
the center piece for politicians in
the future as a way to make the
people more involved with the
political process.