Reconstruction and Populism in the United States

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Reconstruction and Populism
Political coalitions supporting changes
The US experienced tremendous growth in industrialization in the 1800s. National wealth skyrocketed with some Americans like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie amassing wealth. Despite the industrial growth, millions of Americans were living in abject poverty. Among the Americans suffering from poverty were farmers. They believed that they remained poor because of the low prices they got from their produce. The farmers did not understand that they had overproduced because of the more efficient means of production, hence leading to low demand for their produce. The farmers decided to organize themselves so that they could have a voice in the national arena. The Populist Party came out of the agrarian economy to protest the prevailing political situation. Similarly, during the Reconstruction, the freed slaves wanted to attain equal rights as citizens. Pushing their agenda through the Republican Party was necessary to get political support needed.
Populism policies promoted
The Populist Party advocated that the government discontinue its laissez-faire policy and undertake some little responsibility for the social wellness of the American people (Calléja). The party further demanded that the government address the issue of unemployment by hiring more laborers to construct roads and bridges. In essence, the Populist Party wanted the government to increase its expenditure to address some of the common challenges facing ordinary Americans, especially farmers.
The constituencies Populists benefitted
Although the Populist Party did not win office, it considerably impacted the American political system. Some of the demands from the party that appeared to be radicle were enacted later. The Populists prepared the way for a better America.
How Democrats defeated the Populists
The Democratic Party defeated the Populists by adopting one of their top demands on the free coinage of silver. The Democrats tried to attract Populist support by nominating William Jennings on a free silver ticket (Eichengreen et al. 3). The move countered Populist support, but the Democrats did not implement othe...