Week 12 APUSH

Populist Party

Offically named the People's Party, but commonly known as the Populist Party, it was founded in 1891 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wrote a platform for the 1892 election (running for president-James Weaver, vice president-James Field) in which they called for free coinage of silver and paper money; national income tax; direct election of senators; regulation of railroads; and other government reforms to help farmers. The part was split between South and West.

McKinley/Hanna

The 25th President. For high tariffs on imports. Defended the Gold Standard against Free Silver. Introduced new advertising-style campaign techniques that revolutionized campaign practices. As president, he fought the Spanish-American War; he annexed the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Hawaii. An industrialist and Republican politician from Ohio. The campaign manager of McKinley in the 1896, in what is considered the forerunner of the modern political campaign, and subsequently became one of the most powerful members of the U.S. Senate.

Coxey's Army

A march led by "General" Jacob Coxey, a wealthy quarry owner from Ohio. Starting Easter Sunday 1984, Coxey, accompanied by his wife and infant son, Legal Tender Coxey, led 500 unemployed men, women, and children from OH to Washington. Supported a public works program of road building.

Free Silver

After the discovery of silver, several disparate factions in American politics began to agitate for the feds to allow it to be minted freely at the rate of $1 per troy ounce. As the gold standard in effect at the time valued gold at the official price of $20 per troy ounce, the result of this policy would have been a considerable increase in the money supply and resultant inflation.

William Jennings Bryan/Cross of Gold

An American lawyer, statesman, and politician. He was a three-time Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States noted for his deep, commanding voice. Cross of Gold speech was a speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The speech advocated bimetallism. At the time, the Democratic Party wanted to standardize the value of the dollar to silver and opposed pegging the value of the United States dollar to a gold standard. The inflation that would result from the silver standard would make it easier for farmers and other debtors to pay off their debts by increasing their revenue dollars. It would also reverse the deflation which the U.S. experienced from 1873-1896.

Panic of 1893

Considered extreme depression; profits dwindled, businesses went bankrupt and slid into debt. Caused loss of business confidence. 20% of the workforce unemployed. Let to the Pullman strike.

Election of 1896

William McKinley-Republican, North, industry and high tariffs. Williams Bryan-Democrat, West and South, farmers and low tariffs. The main issues were the coinage of silver and protective tariffs.

Progessivism

a reform development in response to desire to improve life in the industrial age, wanted to build on existing society, making moderate political changes and social improvements through government action, shared goals of limiting big business, improving democracy, strengthening social justice

Muckrakers

people needed to be informed of the "dirty" realities of party politics and the scandalous conditions in factories and slums, middle-class readers loved to read about schemes in politics