Populism
Granger Movement
Grangers – started as a group to provide education and as act as a social outlet for isolated
farmers however during the American ‘squeeze’ they united to combat the monopolistic
practices of railroads and business owners
860,000 members
Aimed to reduce the sectional differences farmers had with the rest of American
society
Challenged the system by getting members elected at local level and sometimes and
national level
Passed ‘granger laws’ to regulate railroad rate but the supreme court (often linked
with big businessmen) ruled them as unconstitutional
Factors that antagonised farmers:
Wheat prices declining from 1865-1890
Railroad prices were very high
Farmers had to mortgage their farms to afford the latest equipment
High tariffs increased prices on equipment
Silver
USA followed the gold standard however the silver industry and bimetallists urged the
government to use silver currency. Conservatives believed that this undermines they
economy and interfered with business and in 1896 Cleveland and congress repealed it which
angered many ordinary citizens.
William Jennings Bryan
Bryan was selected to run for the Democratic Party as a populist, he supported silver
coinage, agrarianism and improving the life of the urban working class
Modern campaigning techniques were used such as political smearing and large financing
from businessmen. Bryan chose older methods such as speeches across the states and was
600,000 votes short of McKinley.
Bryan lost the election due to multiple factors, he did not have the financial backing that
McKinley did, did not win a populous state in the North East as workers and their bosses
feared silver coinage and the economy was doing well.
, Progressive Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt (R) – 1901-09
Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – 44 antitrust suits were filed including Northern
Securities Company vs United States (1904) which saw the northern railroad monopoly
dissolved
Hepburn Act (1906) – Allowed federal government to inspect the books of railroads and
set a maximum rate to protect the public from exploitation
Department of Commerce and Labor Act (1903) – Created the Department of
Commerce which had the power to deal with any business in interstate commerce which
would be key to highlighting monopolies
Coal strike of 1902 (1902) – Acted as the arbitrator between the miners and the coal
operators, a first for any president. Workers got increased pay and a 9-hour day
o Coal operators increased their prices to pay for it, shifting the cost onto the
consumer
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) – Banned food and drugs that were impure or being
falsely labelled such as ram0pant ‘quack’ medicine creating cocaine
Meat Inspection Act (1906) – Banned misleading labels and preservatives that contained
harmful chemicals
Executive Orders – Reserved 230 million acres of land and introduced 5 national parks
initially. Created the United States Forest Service in 1905
Taft (R)– 1909-13
Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – 80 antitrust suits were filed including Standard Oil vs
United States (1911) which saw the oil monopoly dissolved
Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (1909) – Dropped in general by 5% but raised rates on iron ore
and coal, denying consumers cheaper goods
Pinchot affair (1909) – Fired Roosevelt’s Forest chief Pinchot signalling a move away
from progressivism to conservatism
Mann-Elkins Act (1910) – allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to set railroad
rates and to prevent third parties from hiking them
16th Amendment (1913) – Created the federal income tax which was deemed
unconstitutional prior to the 16th
Granger Movement
Grangers – started as a group to provide education and as act as a social outlet for isolated
farmers however during the American ‘squeeze’ they united to combat the monopolistic
practices of railroads and business owners
860,000 members
Aimed to reduce the sectional differences farmers had with the rest of American
society
Challenged the system by getting members elected at local level and sometimes and
national level
Passed ‘granger laws’ to regulate railroad rate but the supreme court (often linked
with big businessmen) ruled them as unconstitutional
Factors that antagonised farmers:
Wheat prices declining from 1865-1890
Railroad prices were very high
Farmers had to mortgage their farms to afford the latest equipment
High tariffs increased prices on equipment
Silver
USA followed the gold standard however the silver industry and bimetallists urged the
government to use silver currency. Conservatives believed that this undermines they
economy and interfered with business and in 1896 Cleveland and congress repealed it which
angered many ordinary citizens.
William Jennings Bryan
Bryan was selected to run for the Democratic Party as a populist, he supported silver
coinage, agrarianism and improving the life of the urban working class
Modern campaigning techniques were used such as political smearing and large financing
from businessmen. Bryan chose older methods such as speeches across the states and was
600,000 votes short of McKinley.
Bryan lost the election due to multiple factors, he did not have the financial backing that
McKinley did, did not win a populous state in the North East as workers and their bosses
feared silver coinage and the economy was doing well.
, Progressive Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt (R) – 1901-09
Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – 44 antitrust suits were filed including Northern
Securities Company vs United States (1904) which saw the northern railroad monopoly
dissolved
Hepburn Act (1906) – Allowed federal government to inspect the books of railroads and
set a maximum rate to protect the public from exploitation
Department of Commerce and Labor Act (1903) – Created the Department of
Commerce which had the power to deal with any business in interstate commerce which
would be key to highlighting monopolies
Coal strike of 1902 (1902) – Acted as the arbitrator between the miners and the coal
operators, a first for any president. Workers got increased pay and a 9-hour day
o Coal operators increased their prices to pay for it, shifting the cost onto the
consumer
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) – Banned food and drugs that were impure or being
falsely labelled such as ram0pant ‘quack’ medicine creating cocaine
Meat Inspection Act (1906) – Banned misleading labels and preservatives that contained
harmful chemicals
Executive Orders – Reserved 230 million acres of land and introduced 5 national parks
initially. Created the United States Forest Service in 1905
Taft (R)– 1909-13
Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – 80 antitrust suits were filed including Standard Oil vs
United States (1911) which saw the oil monopoly dissolved
Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (1909) – Dropped in general by 5% but raised rates on iron ore
and coal, denying consumers cheaper goods
Pinchot affair (1909) – Fired Roosevelt’s Forest chief Pinchot signalling a move away
from progressivism to conservatism
Mann-Elkins Act (1910) – allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to set railroad
rates and to prevent third parties from hiking them
16th Amendment (1913) – Created the federal income tax which was deemed
unconstitutional prior to the 16th
