Key Points: Labor, Populists, Progressives, and the Spanish-American War

Labor and the AFL

• Workers faced harsh conditions, so they created early labor unions. By the late $1800s$, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was the main union, but it mostly organized skilled workers, leaving out many others.

The Progressive Era

• Progressives were people who wanted to fix problems caused by the rapid growth of factories and cities. They aimed to improve society and city life. This movement lasted until about $1920$. It actually started mostly with farmers in rural areas.

Farmers, Alliances, and the Populists

• Farmers faced tough times in the late $1800s$ due to economic crises (from $1873$ to $1893$). Farm crop prices dropped, banks didn't want to lend money, and railroads charged too much, especially for short trips.

• Farmers created "Alliances": these were local groups where farmers shared resources to help each other. For example, they set up their own banks for loans and built storehouses to control crop supply and keep prices stable.

• There were three main Alliances: the Northwestern Farmers' Alliance, the Southern Farmers' Alliance, and the Colored Farmers' Alliance.

• In $1890$, these Alliances formed the Populist Party, which became an important third political party pushing for change.

Populist Platform (1892)

• They wanted an $8$-hour workday and a $40$-hour work week.

• They pushed for rules to control railroads.

• They supported women's right to vote.

• They wanted the public to directly elect senators.

• They proposed replacing the gold standard with a silver standard, using a $16:1$ silver-to-gold ratio to increase money supply.

• The Populists supported policies that would help farmers and workers. Even though they didn't win the presidency, their ideas greatly influenced national policies.

Populist Elections and Legacy

• The Populists first ran for president in $1892$. They ran again in $1896$ with William Jennings Bryan, who was also the Democratic candidate that year and whose ideas were close to the Populist platform.

• Bryan's famous "Cross of Gold" speech highlighted their goals.

• Over time, the Democratic and Republican parties adopted many of the Populist ideas in the early $1900s$.

• The Populist movement showed that smaller, third parties can make major parties pay attention to new issues and and bring them into national politics.

The Wizard of Oz and Populism (a quick comparison)

• The story of The Wizard of Oz is often seen as a hidden message about Populism:

  • Kansas represents a strong area for Populists.

  • The yellow brick road stands for the gold standard.

  • The silver slippers (in the original book) suggest the silver standard.

  • Characters like the Scarecrow (farmers), Tin Man (factory workers), and Cowardly Lion (political figures like Bryan) represent different groups involved in the era's politics.

The Spanish-American War: Background

• Cuba's Struggle for Independence: Cuba, a Spanish colony, had been seeking independence for decades, leading to frequent revolts against Spanish rule. The latest major uprising began in $1895$.

• American Economic Interests: The U.S. had significant business investments in Cuba, particularly in sugar plantations. Political instability and Spanish efforts to suppress the rebellion threatened these investments.

• "Yellow Journalism": American newspapers, notably those owned by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, engaged in sensationalized reporting (yellow journalism) of Spanish atrocities in Cuba. This fueled public sympathy for Cuban rebels and incited anti-Spanish sentiment in the U.S.

• De Lôme Letter: In February $1898$, a private letter from the Spanish minister to the United States, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, was intercepted and published. It insultingly described President William McKinley as "weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd." This further inflamed American public opinion against Spain.

• USS Maine Explosion: Just a few days later, on February 15, $1898$, the American battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, killing over $260$ American sailors. Although the cause of the explosion was unclear, popular sentiment, fueled by yellow journalism, immediately blamed Spain. "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!" became a rallying cry for war.

• Declaration of War: Despite Spanish concessions, including agreeing to an armistice and ending reconcentration camps, public and political pressure for war in the U.S. was overwhelming. On April 25, $1898$, the U.S. declared war on Spain.

• Teller Amendment: Before declaring war, Congress passed the Teller Amendment, which stated that the U.S. had no intention of annexing Cuba. It promised that the U.S. would help Cuba achieve independence and then withdraw.