Populist Party’s Premature Fall into Obscurity Essay

Towards the end of the 19th Century, agricultural discontent was gro clearg among the nations recruiters. In the South, cotton that was selling for nigh 30 cents per pound after the Civil War was, at times, price under six cents in the 1890s. Wheat from the Midwest that had sold at $1.50 per bushel after the Civil War brought in 60 cents in the 1890s. The nations agricultural base was tired of getting the rough deal from politicians, and finally do their voice heard through the democrat Party. When it first stepped onto the public stage, the party was very winnerful. However, the success was relatively mulct lived. While a payoff of factors contributed to the demise of the Populist Party, the failed election of 1896 compete an integral role in its fall due to its inability to go steady a strong figurehead.The Populist Party formed from Alliances that had come from farm radicalism. Many of the Alliances were carrywide, and most formed in the late 1870s. Eventually, using the success of minor farm groups who had won elections, the Populist Party formed from Confederate and western farmers. Although there was a large group of northerners that was sympathetic to the party, it smooth tended to vote Republican.The partys first convention, held in Omaha, Nebraska, brought in a variety of groups, including the Knights of Labor. The Peoples (Populist) Party was trying to attract anyone and everyone to colligation its cause. General James B. Weaver of Iowa was nominated for President, and his running mate was a Confederate veteran. The partys platform was very widespread, and it bordered on socialistic. The platform included graduated income tax,national ownership of utilities, a subtreasury, and bimetallism. To enrapture industrial workers, the party also advocated eight hour workdays, restriction of unsuitable immigration, and it also shunned Pinkerton detectives.The partys main supporters were still, however, the farmers. In order to wind prices on agri cultural products, it back up unlimited coinage of silver grey, increasing the do of money in circulation, and also allowing the holding of agricultural products off the grocery in times of low prices.In the 1860s, the amount of silver it took to ramble on a silver dollar was actually worth more than $1, which made coining the metal unprofitable. However, with the discovery of a large number of silver deposits in 1874, it again became plausible to coin the money. However, the Coinage Act of 1873 demonetized the metal and put the U.S. on the Gold Standard. This Crime of 73 infuriated inflationists and silver miners, who demanded a return to bimetallism.In 1878, the Bland-Allison Act made for the purchase of $2-4 million of silver per month, at market value. The government always bought the minimum, however, and this did very little to the economy. In 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act required 4.5 million ounces of silver to be bought monthly, but even this was not enough to save the plummeting value of silver. As no one was happy with the compromises, Grover Cleveland repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893, which reverted the country back to a florid standard, and caused the southern and western democrats to give from the party. These issues were still present for the election of 1896.The Democratic nomination for President, William Jennings Brian, was also supported by the Populists. While they feared losing their individual identity, they had no candidate of their own that could win the election. As a matter of fact, a pure Populist campaigner would ensure McKinleys election. In an attempt to preserve the partys identity, the Populists nominated a vice-president separate from the Democrats.Although Brian managed to win the South, the Plains states, and the Rocky Mountains, McKinley pulled out the rest, and won with 271 electoral votes to Bryans 176. Brian disordered in the popular votes by few than 600,000 votes.The lost election spell ed the end of the Populist Party. In addition to the lost presidential election, the party also lost many local and state elections. The South divided again, because their support of blacks went against their white supremacy beliefs, which caused a enceinte rift. In addition, the western farmers agendas were quite different from those of the southerners, which caused another split in the already wounded party. It was just a matter of time forwards the party faded into obscurity.The Populist Party, turn short-lived, did bring a number of issues to Americas attention. The silver debates, agricultural economy, and many other arguments brought aside by the populists were still argued after their demise following the Election of 1896. Without the populists, the gold standard may have remained longer, and we may have even maintained it today. The populists challenged things everyday Americans took for granted, and taught us a valuable lesson. Things can be changed, and those changes, while hard to bring about, can be for the betterment of the entire nation.