HIST 2112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Gilded Age, Hard Currency, Money Supply
Document Summary
Gilded age industrialism=bad times for small farmers. Technology is expensive and drives up means to produce. Grass roots movement to unite the poor, the oppressed. Most prominent in kansas and texas (west and south) Proto-dorian bond: an understanding that united southern whites and was designed to take money from freed blacks. Both parties wanted to scare americans into believing populists are malcontents, lunatics, and a threat. Populist party grows in 1890"s due to: Monetary policy: growing demand for greenbacks and silver. Novel published in 1900, believed to support populist party. Characters, objects, places believed to be represented in story. Silver slippers and yellow brick road= gold/silver standards, dorothy=common man, etc. William mckinley (rep. ) vs. william jennings bryan (pop. /dem. ) Corporations/ middle class vs. farmers/ unskillled laborers. Mark hanna and big money sleeping giant. Populist party loses; dissolves and integrates into democrats. Big government begins to flex its muscles .
