What Was The Populist Party

In the late 1800’s corruption was alive and well in the United States. Political machines existed and bribed people for votes, businesses were big and controlling, and the government was not looking to help the “little” man. In the 1890’s farmers, and later laborers, got together to form a party to combat these issues, calling themselves the Populist Party. The Populist Platform was centered around removing political corruption and providing economic opportunities, joining industrial and agricultural interests by forming labor unions, and demonstrating the need for the two competing interests to join forces through the government's reaction to strikes. Also called The People’s Party, this group worked to help the common American find success
This issue is similar to that of many factory workers. They worked long hours for very little pay, resulting in poor living conditions for them and their families, and often causing them to never make it out of the economic class they were in. Due to this common issue, farmers found that they could unite themselves with many in the industrial world. Similar to how farmers were being treated, industrial workers suffered from “employers [bringing] state or federal authority to … protect their own economic power or put down threats to public order” (Foner, 640). Farmers were silenced by the government ignoring their cries for help, and laborers were silenced by government authorities shutting down their protests. Groups such as the Northern and Southern Farmers Alliances, The American Railway Union, and many others were formed to fight off some of the common issues in the United States. Some fought for factory workers, some for farmers, though they all had a common goal of wanting a fair chance to be successful economically against big businesses. They staged protests and strikes, though they were mostly futile. Often times the companies they protested called the government for help, sending in police or other organizations to end the strikes, sometimes using violence and force. The addition of people to the Populist Party
Dangerous working conditions and unfair wages caused laborers to protest the companies they worked for. Many of these strikes ended with government force and brutality, providing a common argument for the Populist Party and laborers. Events like the Haymarket Riot and Homestead Strike resulted in deaths, further showing the corruption and power of the government, contributing to the common problems of industrial and agricultural workers. The use of force to end a peaceful protest motivated strikers even more, wanting to fight back harder for what they felt they deserved. The fact that these people had such little power, however, gave factory workers and farmers the idea that they needed to work together. Their best way of uniting was through the Populist Party, where they shared similar goals and found people they could relate to. The party was already started, as well, and the addition of new supporters provided a bit more power and influence. Working together now, when an economic depression hit a group of unemployed men “marched to Washington demanding economic relief,” led by Populist Jacob Coxey (Foner, 641). Though this movement was peaceful, the men did not get what they wanted and were forced to go home empty-handed when the government ignored them. Movements like this demonstrated a need for industry and agriculture to band together. If they were to have any chance against the corruptions of