The Populist Party, otherwise known as the People’s Party was a grass-roots political party that focused on the small farmer. This brought different ethnicities and religions together, but it was not a party of “have-nots.” Farmers who owned physical property were more likely to join the movement. It also coincides with the Farmers Alliance movement.
Available Resource(s):
- John Dibbern, “Who were the Populists? A Study of Grass-Roots Alliancemen in South Dakota,” Agricultural History 56 no. 4 (Oct. 1982), 677-691 - This article gives a brief explanation of the Populist Party in South Dakota, mainly Marshall County.
- Daniel J. Elazar, “Political Culture on the Plains,” Western Historical Quarterly 11 no. 3 (July 1980), 261-283.
- Hallie Farmer, “The Economic Background of Frontier Populism,” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 10 no. 4 (March 1924), 406-427.
Image Citation:
"Weaver-Field People's Party National Convention Ribbon," (1892)