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THE WIZARD OF OZ |
Populism and the 1896 Election |
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In 1964, a high school history teacher in upstate New York named Henry Littlefield published an article in American Quarterly suggesting that The Wizard of Oz was a "parable on Populism," a rural political movement in the late-19th century. To understand Littlefield's interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, it is necessary to understand a little about Populism and the key issues of the 1896 election. The Populist Party grew out of the Farmers' Alliances in the late-19th century. Farmers faced considerable economic hardship and they believed that monetary policy was determined by eastern bankers and industrial interests. The Farmers' Alliances wanted greater government regulation of railroads, tax reform and the free coinage of silver to increase the money supply. The rapid growth of the Farmers' Alliances and frustration with the two major parties led to the formation of the Populist party, which proved to be a serious challenge to the two major parties. In the election of 1892, James B. Weaver, the Populist candidate for President, received over 1,000,000 votes, and Populist congressional candidates received over 1,400,000 votes in the 1894 elections. The Populists enjoyed the greatest support on the Great Plains but they did not have much support among industrial workers, most of whom were in the east and Great Lakes regions. The Populists were faced with a choice of either running their own candidate for president in 1896 or casting their lot with the Democratic Party. The Populists chose "fusion" with the Democratic Party by nominating the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan, as their candidate.
Bryan embraced the issue of free coinage of silver in the 1896 campaign. In his acceptance speech at the Democratic national convention, Bryan claimed that farmers being unfairly burdened by a monetary policy that relied solely on the gold standard. With religious fervor he argued that farmers were being crucified on a "cross of gold." For farmers to maintain their livelihood, Bryan argued that the money supply needed to be increased by concurrently employing the gold and silver standards, or "bi-metallism." Bi-metallism was one of the main priorities of the Populists, but was not popular with industrial workers because it would cause inflation. Because of this, the Populists were not able to create a national movement. Bryan lost the election and the Populists would never again be a major force in American politics. |
Littlefield's Interpretation  |
What Is The Wizard of Oz Really About? |
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