People's Party (United States) facts for kids

The People's Party (also known as the Populist Party) was a left-wing political party in the United States. It was active in the late 1800s. This party worked to help farmers and regular workers. They wanted the government to make big changes to help ordinary people.

What Did the People's Party Want?

The Populists had many ideas to make life better for Americans. They wanted:

• People to directly elect senators. Before, state lawmakers chose senators.
• The government to own and run railroads, telegraph, and telephone systems. They believed this would make these services fairer and cheaper.
• Price support for farmers. This would help farmers get fair prices for their crops.
• A graduated income tax. This means people who earn more money would pay a higher percentage in taxes.
• Unlimited silver coinage. This idea was about increasing the amount of money in circulation to help farmers pay off debts.
• An 8-hour workday. This would improve working conditions for many laborers.
• More ways for citizens to vote directly on laws, like propositions and referendums.

How the Party Started

The People's Party was formed in 1891. It grew from several groups of farmers who were unhappy with how things were going. These groups, like the Farmers' Alliance, held meetings and decided to create a new political party. They wanted a voice for farmers and working people in government.

Early Success and Elections

The Populists became very popular, especially among farmers in the southwest and Great Plains. These farmers faced hard times and felt ignored by the main political parties.

In the 1892 election, the party chose James B. Weaver as their candidate for president. He did quite well, getting 8.5% of the votes and winning five states.

By the 1896 presidential election, many Populist ideas were also supported by the Democrats. The Populists decided to support the Democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan, for president. However, to keep some independence, they chose their own vice-presidential candidate, Thomas E. Watson, instead of the Democrat's choice. During this election, the Populist Party slowly started to join with the Democratic Party. Bryan lost the election to the Republican candidate, William McKinley.

After 1896, the Populist Party's support began to fade. Many of their followers started voting for Democrats or Republicans. Some also joined the new Socialist Party led by Eugene V. Debs.

The party also had some success in elections for the House of Representatives. They won seats in Congress in several elections, showing they had a real impact for a time. For example, they won 22 seats in 1896.

The Party Ends

The People's Party officially ended in 1908. The last known activity of the party was in 1913. Even though the party didn't last long, many of its ideas, like the graduated income tax and direct election of senators, later became law.

Images for kids

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  Economist Edward Kellogg was an early supporter of fiat money.

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  Charles W. Macune, one of the leaders of the Farmers' Alliance

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  People's Party candidate nominating convention held at Columbus, Nebraska, July 15, 1890

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  1892 People's Party campaign poster promoting James Weaver for President of the United States

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  In 1896, the 36-year-old William Jennings Bryan was the chosen candidate resulting from the fusion of the Democrats and the People's Party.

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  People's Party campaign poster from 1904 touting the candidacy of Thomas E. Watson

See also

In Spanish: Partido del Pueblo (Estados Unidos) para niños