Reading the American Past: Printed Page 79

Documents from Reading the American Past

Chapter 20

Introduction to the Documents

P rofound moral conflict generated intense strife during the 1890s. Many Americans believed that the basic principles of order in the economy, in society, and in politics were immoral and unjust. Numerous others believed the opposite. Supporters of the Farmers' Alliance and the Populists voiced some of the moral doubts, while their opponents reaffirmed their faith in the conventional virtues. This conflict was more than a debate, as African Americans, labor activists, and Filipino nationalists knew. The following documents disclose the contours of the moral conflict of the 1890s and some of its many consequences.