Omaha Platform facts for kids

The Omaha Platform was a special plan of action. It was created by the Populist Party. This party was also called the People's Party. They adopted this plan at a big meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. This meeting happened on July 4, 1892. The Omaha Platform was like a wish list for how the country should be run. It focused on helping everyday people, especially farmers and workers.

What Was the Omaha Platform?

The main ideas for the Omaha Platform came from Ignatius L. Donnelly. He wrote the introduction to the platform. Many people saw the Omaha Platform as "The Second Declaration of Independence." This is because it called for bringing back freedom for Americans.

Who Created the Ideas?

The platform combined ideas from different groups. It brought together farmers' concerns from the Farmers' Alliance. It also included money ideas from the Greenback Party. Plus, it supported the goals of the Knights of Labor. This group mostly represented workers in cities.

Donnelly's introduction said the meeting was held on America's birthday. It aimed to give the government back to the "plain people." This meant ordinary citizens.

What Did the Platform Ask For?

The Omaha Platform asked for many big changes. These changes were called social reforms. Here are some of the main ideas:

• A shorter workday for everyone.
• A "safe, sound, and flexible" national money system.
• Help for farmers to get money for their work.
• Fair payments for soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War.
• Allowing people to directly elect their Senators. Before this, state lawmakers chose Senators.
• Presidents and Vice-Presidents should serve only one term.
• A system where citizens could propose and vote on laws. This was called the "initiative and referendum."
• A secret voting system, like the one used in Australia.
• The government should own railroads, telegraphs, and telephones.
• A system where people could save money at post offices.
• A "graduated income tax." This meant richer people would pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes.
• "Free and unlimited coinage of silver." This meant the government would make more silver coins.

Senator George W. Norris later said that the wealth of very rich people should go to everyone. He believed it originally came from the people.

How Did the Populists Do in Elections?

The Populist Party had some success after the platform was adopted. They won 11 seats in the United States House of Representatives. They also elected several governors. Their party took control of the state legislatures in Kansas, Nebraska, and North Carolina.

In the 1892 presidential election, James B. Weaver was the Populist candidate. He had been a Greenbacker before. He received over a million votes from the public. He also won four states: Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, and Nevada. This gave him 22 electoral votes. Because of their wins in state legislatures, the Populists were able to elect several U.S. Senators.

The Populist Party's success was a big deal for a "third party" in the U.S. after the Civil War. It was the most successful a third party had been. However, in 1896, the Populists changed their focus. They supported Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan. They focused mainly on the idea of "free silver" instead of all the Omaha Platform goals.

What Were the Main Goals?

The Omaha Platform had several key goals aimed at helping ordinary Americans.

Money and Farmers

One main goal was to increase the amount of silver and gold coins. They wanted a ratio of 16 parts silver to 1 part gold. The platform also suggested a federal loan system. This would help farmers get the money they needed for their farms. They also wanted to get rid of private banks.

The platform proposed federal storage places for farmers' crops. The idea was to let farmers control the prices of their products. This would help them get fair prices.

Taxes and Work

The Omaha Platform suggested a special tax system. People would pay taxes based on how much money they earned. This was the "graduated income tax." They also wanted an eight-hour workday for all workers. Another important goal was the direct election of Senators. This meant people would vote for Senators directly, instead of state lawmakers choosing them.

All these main goals were focused on helping farmers and working-class people. After 1894, the Populists focused more on the demand for free silver. They talked less about other goals, like the government owning railroads.

Why Did the Party End?

The Omaha Platform did not appeal much to people in cities. These people often worked in factories. The platform's only clear attempt to reach people in the northern and eastern cities was the idea of pensions for Civil War soldiers.

The Populist Party eventually broke up before World War II. Its members could not meet for a special celebration in Omaha. Also, many of the party's ideas were adopted by other, larger political parties. This meant people no longer needed the Populist Party to push for those changes.