American Populism, Essay Example

American populism was a short lived political party established during the 19th century. Its overall purpose was to oppose the elite and support the overall interest of the mainstream public. There are many different views on populism. One of the more notable being, Robert C. McMath Jr. in American Populism: A Social History, 1877-1898, which addresses the political movement. There were many social and economic groups formed during this period of time, which populism had a direct role in. Many of these groups purpose were to protect the working class. The once prominent Knights of Labor and the social network of the Hull House had the success they had as a result of the groundwork that populism establish.

Jane Addam’s established the Hull House in Chicago to provide a place to address the ills of city life. This social unit provided an opportunity for women to chase their individual freedoms and achieve personal satisfaction. The Hull House was a voice for immigrants, and women. Their relationship to populism was based on the necessity for change. The upper elite establishing standards and changes that did not best serve the needs of the middle-to lower class. Their focus was not primarily labor or industrialization overtaking, but the overall rights of the individuals who had been previously overlooked.

The residents of the Hull House gradually migrated into the political arena. The common people realized that populism supported the complex problems they locally faced. These social reformers battled to end child labor, support immigrants, address working conditions, and problems of the cities. The Hull House was the center for reform. In the populism fight and in attempt to generate support for change, the Hull House would research and publish information on specific topics. They aided in social services, suffrage, politics and employment opportunity.

An economic network that was associated with populism was the prominent Knights of Labor. Industrialization’s power on corporations is the beginning of the end of populism. Populism is dependent on labor unions which were weakened by industrialization. “It began among people who possessed, as part of their birthright, cultures of protest—patterns of thought and action growing out of their own history on the land” (McMath 50). The farmers viewed themselves as an essential element for the survival of the nation, and they were determined to not be exploited. The great strike of 1877 was the formation of the Farmers’ Alliances and formed as a result of this protest. Many labor strikes took place to address urban and industrial labor. The Knights of Labor tried to address these conflicts with a reasonable approach for a solution. They fought for an eight hour work day, no child labor, and equal pay. This was a way to level the playing field for all laborers. The Populist and Knights of the Labor had their disagreements, but they were both fighting for a much needed change. The once prominent Knights of Labor and the social network of the Hull House had the success they had as a result of the groundwork that populism establish. They fought for the rights of the individuals who could easily be forgotten by the elite. Their battles for social and economic changes aided in the Populism movement during the 19^th century time period. Both of these organizations remained in tack and continued their fight will into the 1900s. American Populism, regardless of its short lived existence, made significant changes that aided the working class and established standards that are still in place to-date.

Reference

McMath, Robert. American Populism: A Social History, 1877-1898. New York: Hill and Wang, 1992.