Learning Objective for Sources of Populism in the 1890s

The sources in this unit will increase your understanding of the ideas and circumstances that underlay the People’s Party revolt and the identities of those who supported the movement. In doing so, you will become familiar with different source types: campaign speeches, cartoons, songs, letters, newspaper editorials, party platforms, and memoirs. Through an examination of these sources you will learn how historians draw evidence from such sources and will consider what we can and cannot learn from each type of source. The unit will also invite you to consider what led some Americans to support the new party, while others continued to vote for Republicans and Democrats. On completion of the unit, you should be able to answer the central question: How did Populist leaders try to persuade others to join them, and who was attracted by their appeals?