Additional Assignments

  1. Locate three additional historical sources related to Populist campaigns in the 1890s: for example, political cartoons, songs, and speeches. (You may want to pay particular attention to the South since the movement was strong there, but the documents in this unit focus more attention on Populism in the Midwest.) In a short paper, analyze the new sources you have found and explain how they complicate our view of the People’s Party and its ideas.
  2. Compare the Democratic national platform of 1896 (the “Chicago platform”) to the Populist Omaha platform of 1892 discussed in this unit. Based on this evidence, write a brief essay that examines the extent to which the Democrats adopted — or did not adopt — the measures proposed by the Populists. What does this suggest about the effectiveness of third-party organizing as a strategy for pressuring the major parties to take up new ideas?