The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz

A Parable of the Populist EraA Parable of the Populist Era

The Wonderful WizardThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozof Oz by by

L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum Book was written in 1900 when the Book was written in 1900 when the

Populist movement was a relatively Populist movement was a relatively “current event” in American politics“current event” in American politics

The CharactersThe Characters

DorothyDorothy ““Every person” with Every person” with

common sensecommon sense The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow

The farmersThe farmers The Tin WoodsmanThe Tin Woodsman

Dehumanized laborDehumanized labor The Cowardly LionThe Cowardly Lion

Wm. Jennings BryanWm. Jennings Bryan

The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the West of the West The harsh The harsh

environment of the environment of the Great PlainsGreat Plains

Destroyed by Destroyed by water,water, which is which is what the Plains what the Plains need in order to need in order to prosper!!!prosper!!!

The Wicked Witch The Wicked Witch of the Eastof the East The eastern The eastern

industrialists and industrialists and bankers who bankers who controlled the little controlled the little people (The people (The Munchkins)Munchkins)

Toto Toto The tee totaling The tee totaling

prohibitionistsprohibitionists The Good WitchThe Good Witch

The Farmers The Farmers AllianceAlliance

Political lobby for the Political lobby for the farmersfarmers

Dorothy’s Ruby Red Dorothy’s Ruby Red SlippersSlippers Were actually Were actually silver silver

slippers slippers in the book in the book but in the but in the Technicolor film, red Technicolor film, red looked better than looked better than silver silver

Silver was the Silver was the Populists solution to Populists solution to the nation’s the nation’s economic problemseconomic problems

The WizardThe Wizard The bumbling old man The bumbling old man

who hides behind the who hides behind the smoke and curtains smoke and curtains represents any one of represents any one of the Presidents from the the Presidents from the Gilded AgeGilded Age

Hayes (1876-1880)Hayes (1876-1880) Garfield (1881)Garfield (1881) Arthur (1881-85)Arthur (1881-85) Cleveland (1885-Cleveland (1885-

89;1893-1897)89;1893-1897) Harrison (1889-93)Harrison (1889-93) McKinley (1897-01)McKinley (1897-01)

The Yellow Brick The Yellow Brick RoadRoad With all the dangers With all the dangers

along the way along the way represented the represented the GoldGold Standard and Standard and the the GILDED AGEGILDED AGE

Emerald CityEmerald City Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.

OzOz Is the abbreviation Is the abbreviation

for ounces, a for ounces, a reference to the reference to the silveritessilverites who who supported free supported free silver in the ratio of silver in the ratio of 16 oz. of silver to 1 16 oz. of silver to 1 oz. of goldoz. of gold

And as any Populist would And as any Populist would know…know…

There is no place like home!There is no place like home!

Why did the Populist Party Why did the Populist Party disappear?disappear?

Major political parties adopted ideas of the Major political parties adopted ideas of the Populists – no need for a minor partyPopulists – no need for a minor party

Gold discovered in Alaska(1898) – no need Gold discovered in Alaska(1898) – no need for silverfor silver

Better economic times returned for the Better economic times returned for the farmersfarmers Famine in Europe increased demand for American Famine in Europe increased demand for American

productsproducts immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed”immigration to US meant more “mouths to feed” ““Golden Age of American Agriculture (1900-1914)Golden Age of American Agriculture (1900-1914)

Importance of the Populist Importance of the Populist PartyParty

Many Populist suggestions were Many Populist suggestions were eventually adopted into laweventually adopted into law

Minority group can create change Minority group can create change within the systemwithin the system

TODAY… “Tea Party” Movement TODAY… “Tea Party” Movement role????role????