Gilded Age Politics: Crash Course US History #26

Summary

This Crash Course episode delves into the Gilded Age's political landscape, highlighting the era's rampant corruption and the rise of urban political machines like Tammany Hall. It explores the infamous 'Boss' Tweed's exploits, the impact of the Credit Mobilier and Whiskey Ring scandals, and the Populist movement's push for reform. The episode also touches on the Populists' influence on later legislation and the challenges they faced, including racism and economic policy disagreements.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Gilded Age, named after Mark Twain's book, represents a period of political and economic corruption despite its glamorous facade.
• 🏙️ Urban political machines, like Tammany Hall in New York City, were organizations that won elections to exercise power, often through corrupt means.
• 💰 'Boss' Tweed exemplified the corruption of the political machines, overpricing public projects and profiting immensely from the misappropriation of funds.
• 👤 George Plunkitt of Tammany Hall wrote about the realities of machine politics, including both corruption and the provision of services to the poor and immigrants.
• 🗳️ Political machines used various tactics to secure votes, including graft, fraud, and even violence.
• 💼 The Credit Mobilier scandal and the Whiskey Ring were examples of federal-level corruption during the Gilded Age, implicating both Congress and the executive branch.
• 🕊️ Despite widespread corruption, some reform legislation was passed, such as the Civil Service Act of 1883, which aimed to reduce political favoritism in federal appointments.
• 🛠️ The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was an attempt to regulate monopolies and promote fair trade, but it was difficult to enforce and often used against labor unions.
• 🌾 The Populist movement emerged from the grievances of farmers over issues like unfair railroad rates and the economic power of banks and railroads.
• 🎓 The Populist Party's Omaha Platform of 1892 included a range of progressive reforms, such as government ownership of railroads and a graduated income tax.
• 🗳️ The Populist Party's influence peaked with the 1896 presidential campaign of William Jennings Bryan, who advocated for free coinage of silver to help farmers but ultimately lost the election.

Q & A

What is the Gilded Age and why was it named so?

The Gilded Age refers to a period in the late 19th century in the United States characterized by rapid economic growth and ostentatious displays of wealth, but also significant corruption and inequality. It was named after the book 'The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today' by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, which was published in 1873 and critiqued the state of American democracy at the time.

Who were Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, and what was their perspective on the Gilded Age?

Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner were American authors who co-wrote 'The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.' Their book was a critique of the politics and society of the time, highlighting the corruption and negative aspects of the era, rather than just focusing on the outward displays of wealth.

What is an urban political machine, and how did it function?

An urban political machine is an organization that works to win elections in order to exercise power. The most famous example is New York City's Tammany Hall, which dominated Democratic party politics in the late 19th century and was associated with corruption. These machines provided services to immigrants and the poor in exchange for votes, ensuring their continued power and control over city jobs and contracts.

What is the 'Mystery Document' mentioned in the script, and who is its author?

The 'Mystery Document' is a segment in the script where the author's identity is guessed based on the content. In this case, the document is about machine politics in New York and is written by George Plunkitt, a prominent figure in the Tammany Hall political machine.

Who was 'Boss' Tweed, and what was his role in New York City politics?

'Boss' Tweed was the leader of Tammany Hall and a major figure in New York City politics during the late 1860s and early 1870s. He was notorious for his corrupt practices, including the overpricing of public projects like the construction of the County Courthouse, from which he and his associates profited immensely.

What were the two major political scandals during President Ulysses Grant's administration?

The two major scandals were the Credit Mobilier scandal, which involved overcharging the public for construction costs and bribery of Congressmen, and the Whiskey Ring scandal, which was a tax evasion scheme involving distillers and government officials under the Grant administration.

What was the Grange movement, and how did it evolve into the Farmer's Alliance movement?

The Grange movement was formed by farmers in the 1870s to pressure state governments for fair railroad rates and warehouse charges. It evolved into the Farmer's Alliance movement, which sought economic cooperation to raise prices and later proposed the subtreasury plan to help farmers bypass banks and railroad monopolies.

What were the key components of the People's Party's platform in 1892?

The People's Party's platform in 1892 included the Sub-Treasury Plan, government ownership of railroads, a graduated income tax, government control of the currency, recognition of laborers' rights to form unions, and free coinage of silver to increase the money supply.

Why did the Populist Party struggle to gain widespread support among industrial workers?

The Populist Party struggled to gain support among industrial workers because their call for free coinage of silver would likely lead to inflation, particularly in food prices, which would negatively impact urban laborers.

What impact did the Populist Party have on American politics, even though they did not achieve electoral success?

Despite not achieving electoral success, the Populist Party had a lasting impact on American politics by promoting ideas that later became mainstream, such as the direct election of senators and a progressive income tax.

Who was William Jennings Bryan, and what were his political stances?

William Jennings Bryan was a Democratic nominee for president in 1896 who supported many of the Populist Party's positions, including the free coinage of silver and opposition to the gold standard. He was also known for his advocacy of progressive reforms and his famous 'Cross of Gold' speech.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to the Gilded Age and Political Corruption

John Green introduces the Gilded Age, a period of rapid economic change and political corruption in US history. He discusses the origin of the term from Mark Twain's book, which critiqued American democracy and politics of the time. Green highlights the era's ostentatious wealth alongside the negative portrayal of Congress by Twain. The video aims to explore the political science of the Gilded Age, emphasizing the intersection of history and political science, and setting the stage for a discussion on local politics and urban political machines.

05:03

🏙️ Urban Political Machines and Corruption

This paragraph delves into the concept of urban political machines, organizations designed to win elections and exercise power, with a focus on New York City's Tammany Hall. It describes how these machines, while corrupt, also provided services to immigrants and the poor, exemplified by George Plunkitt's 'honest graft.' The paragraph details the extravagant corruption of 'Boss' Tweed, who exploited the construction of the County Courthouse for personal gain. Despite the corruption, political machines also played a role in helping those in need, expecting votes in return for their support, which was crucial for their continued power and control over city jobs and contracts.

10:06

🗳️ Political Corruption Beyond Local Politics

The script moves beyond local politics to discuss corruption at the national level during the Gilded Age, particularly under President Ulysses S. Grant. It covers major scandals such as the Credit Mobilier affair, involving overpricing and bribery of Republican congressmen, and the Whiskey Ring, which involved tax evasion by distillers with the help of government officials. The paragraph also touches on the political climate of the time, with both Republicans and Democrats being pro-business but favoring different sectors. It notes some reforms that were passed, like the Civil Service Act of 1883 and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, despite their limitations and unintended consequences.

🌾 The Rise of the Populist Movement

This paragraph outlines the rise of the Populist movement, which was a response to the economic and political issues faced by farmers in the west. It discusses the Grange movement, which sought fair railroad rates, and the Farmers' Alliance, which advocated for economic cooperation. The paragraph details the Sub-Treasury Plan and the political evolution of these groups into the People's Party, or Populists. It highlights the Populists' platform from their 1892 Omaha convention, which included progressive ideas like government ownership of railroads, graduated income tax, and government control of the currency. The paragraph also discusses the challenges the Populists faced, including racism and the lack of support from industrial workers due to the potential for silver inflation to increase food prices.

🗣️ The Populist Party's Influence and Legacy

The final paragraph discusses the Populist Party's impact on American politics, despite its eventual decline. It mentions the 1896 presidential campaign of William Jennings Bryan, who, although a Democrat, championed some Populist ideas like free coinage of silver. The paragraph notes Bryan's loss to William McKinley, which marked the end of the Populist Party as a significant political force. However, it also acknowledges that many of the Populists' ideas, such as direct election of senators and a progressive income tax, became mainstream. The paragraph concludes by reflecting on the persistence of the issues the Populists addressed and the legacy of their movement.

Keywords

💡Gilded Age

The Gilded Age refers to the late 19th century in the United States, characterized by rapid economic growth and industrialization, as well as significant social and political issues such as corruption and inequality. The term is derived from Mark Twain's book, which satirized the era's superficial prosperity over its underlying problems. In the video, the Gilded Age is the central theme, exploring its political science and the negative portrayal of American democracy at the time.

💡Urban Political Machine

An urban political machine is an organization that operates to win elections and exercise power, often associated with corruption and patronage. The most famous example is New York City's Tammany Hall, which dominated local politics in the late 19th century. The video discusses how these machines worked, their corrupt practices, and the services they provided to immigrants and the poor, illustrating the complex nature of political power during the Gilded Age.

💡Tammany Hall

Tammany Hall was the name of the organization that controlled the Democratic Party in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is infamous for its association with political corruption. The video script mentions Tammany Hall as an example of a political machine, detailing its influence and the fraudulent practices it engaged in to maintain power and profit.

💡Boss Tweed

Boss Tweed, or William M. Tweed, was a leader of Tammany Hall and a symbol of political corruption in the Gilded Age. He was known for his influence over New York City politics and for the financial scandals that surrounded him. The script uses Boss Tweed as an example of the corruption within the political machines, particularly highlighting the overpricing of public projects for personal gain.

💡Honest Graft

Honest graft, as described in the script, refers to the practice within political machines where politicians would profit from their positions by buying land or assets that they knew would increase in value due to political decisions. This term is used in the video to illustrate the nuanced view of corruption within these organizations, where some forms of profiteering were seen as acceptable.

💡Credit Mobilier Scandal

The Credit Mobilier scandal was a major financial scandal in the United States involving the Union Pacific Railroad and members of Congress. It involved overcharging the public for construction costs and the bribery of politicians. The video mentions this scandal as an example of the corruption that extended beyond local politics to the national level during the Gilded Age.

💡Whiskey Ring

The Whiskey Ring was a tax evasion scheme involving distillers in St. Louis who, with the help of government officials, underreported the amount of alcohol they produced to avoid paying excise taxes. The video script describes this as another example of the widespread corruption during the Gilded Age, this time implicating the executive branch under President Ulysses S. Grant.

💡Populism

Populism in the context of the video refers to the People's Party, a political movement in the late 19th century that advocated for the interests of farmers and laborers against the power of banks and railroads. The Populists are highlighted in the script for their reform-minded agenda, which included proposals for a subtreasury plan, government ownership of railroads, and a progressive income tax.

💡Free Silver

Free silver was a political movement advocating for the unlimited coinage of silver to increase the money supply, which was believed to help farmers by raising prices for their goods and easing debt repayment. The video discusses how this policy was a key part of the Populist platform and William Jennings Bryan's presidential campaign, but also how it was divisive due to its potential to cause inflation.

💡Muckrakers

Muckrakers were investigative journalists in the Progressive Era who exposed corruption, fraud, and other social injustices. The term is used in the video to describe the journalists who brought attention to the problems of the Gilded Age, contributing to the push for reform and the eventual decline of the era's political and social conditions.

💡Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. Named after a popular minstrel show character, these laws were a significant part of the racial oppression faced by African Americans after the Reconstruction period. The video script mentions these laws as an example of the social injustices that persisted during and beyond the Gilded Age.

Highlights

Introduction to the Gilded Age's political science and its connection to Mark Twain's book, 'The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today'.

Mark Twain's critical view of American democracy and Congress during the Gilded Age.

The urban political machine's role in the Gilded Age, exemplified by New York City's Tammany Hall.

George Plunkitt's perspective on machine politics and 'honest graft'.

Boss Tweed's influence and corruption within New York City's political machine.

The Tammany Hall's kickback system and its impact on contractors and taxpayers.

Political machines' provision of services to immigrants and the poor in exchange for votes.

Tammany Hall's fraudulent voting practices and use of violence and intimidation.

Corruption in the U.S. Congress and executive branch during President Ulysses Grant's administration.

The Credit Mobilier scandal and its implications for public trust in government.

The Whiskey Ring scandal and its effect on the Grant administration's reputation.

The political landscape of the Gilded Age with one-term presidents and party stances on tariffs and finance.

Reform legislation in the Gilded Age, including the Civil Service Act of 1883 and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

The expansion of state governments' responsibilities in public health and welfare during the Gilded Age.

The Grange and Farmer’s Alliance movements' efforts to establish fair railroad rates and economic cooperation.

The Populist Party's 1892 Omaha Platform and its progressive reform proposals.

The impact of Populist ideas on U.S. politics and the challenges faced by the party due to racism and economic policies.

The significance of William Jennings Bryan's presidential campaign and the influence of business donations on elections.

The end of the Populist Party and the rise of Muckrakers exposing government corruption.

The legacy of Populist ideas and their integration into mainstream politics.

Transcripts

Hi, I’m John Green, this is Crash Course: US History, and today we’re going to continue

our look at the Gilded Age by focusing on political science.

Mr. Green, Mr. Green, so it’s another history class where we don’t actually talk about

history? Oh, Me From the Past, your insistence on trying

to place academic exploration into little boxes creates a little box that you yourself

will live in for the rest of your life if you don’t put your interdisciplinary party

hat on. So the Gilded Age takes its name from a book

by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that was called The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.

It was published in 1873 and it was not that successful, but while The Gilded Age conjures

up visions of fancy parties and ostentatious displays of wealth, the book itself was about

politics, and it gives a very negative appraisal of the state of American democracy at the

time. Which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise

coming from Twain, whose comments about Congress included, “Suppose you were an idiot. And

suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

And also, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly

Native American criminal class except Congress.” So when faced with the significant changes

taking place in the American economy after the Civil War, America’s political system

both nationally and locally dealt with these problems in the best way possible: by becoming

incredibly corrupt. intro

Stan says I have to take off my party hat. Rrrr rrrr rrrrr....

So House Speaker Tip O’Neill once famously said that all politics is local and although

that’s not actually true, I am going to start with local politics today, specifically

with one of America’s greatest inventions, the urban political machine.

So a political machine is basically an organization that works to win elections so that it can

exercise power. The most famous political machine was New York City’s Tammany Hall,

which dominated Democratic party politics in the late 19th century, survived until the

20th, and is keenly associated with corruption. Oh, it’s already time for the Mystery Document?

This is highly unorthodox, Stan. Well, the rules here are simple.

I guess the author of the Mystery Document. I’m usually wrong and I get shocked with

the shock pen. Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.

“My party’s in power in the city, and it’s going to undertake a lot of public

improvements. Well, I’m tipped off, say, that they’re going to lay out a new park

at a certain place and I buy up all the land I can in the neighborhood. Then the board

of this or that makes its plan public, and there is a rush to get my land, which nobody

cared particular for before. Ain’t it perfectly honest to charge a good price and make a profit

on my investment and foresight. Of course it is. That’s honest graft.”

Stan, I know this one. It’s about machine politics. It’s from New York. It doesn’t

say it’s from New York, but it is because it is George Plunkitt. Yes! How do you like

them apples? Oh, you wanna know the name of the book? It’s

“Plunkitt of Tammany Hall.” Stan, transition me back to the desk with a Libertage, please.

Plunkitt became famous for writing a book describing the way that New York City’s

government actually worked, but he was a small fish compared with the most famous shark-like

machine politician of the day, William “Boss” Tweed, seen here with a head made of money.

“Boss” Tweed basically ran New York in the late 1860s and early 1870s, and his greatest

feat of swindling helps explain how the machine system worked.

It revolved around the then-new County Courthouse that now houses the New York City Department

of Education. Building the courthouse was initially estimated

to cost around $250,000, but ended up costing $13 million by the time it was finished in

1871. Included in that cost was a bill of $180,000

for three tables and forty chairs, $1.5 million for lighting fixtures, and $41,000 for brooms

and cleaning supplies. A plasterer received $500,000 for his initial

job and then $1 million to repair his shoddy work.

The standard kickback in these situations was that Tammany Hall received two dollars

for every one dollar received by the contractor. That may seem like a bad deal for contractors,

but remember: That plasterer still got to keep half a million dollars, which is worth

about $9 million in today’s money. Now of course that makes it sound like political

machines were pure evil, especially if you were a taxpayer footing the bill for that

courthouse. But machines also provided valuable services

to immigrants and other poor people in cities. As Plunkitt explained, Tammany could help

families in need: “I don’t ask whether they are Republicans

or Democrats, and I don’t refer them to the Charity Organization Society, which would

investigate their case in a month or two and decide they were worthy of help about the

time they are dead from starvation. I just get quarters for them, buy clothes for them

if their clothes were burned up, and fix them up until they get things running again.”

In return for this help, Tammany expected votes so that they could stay in power. Staying

in power meant control of city jobs as well as city contracts. Plunkitt claimed to know

“every big employer in the district – and in the whole city, for that matter --- and

they ain’t in the habit of saying no to me when I ask them for a job.”

But with all the corruption, sometimes even that wasn’t enough. Fortunately Tammany

politicians could always fall back on fraud. Tammany found bearded men to vote, then took

them to the barber to shave off the beard, but left the moustache, so that they could

vote a second time. And then, they would shave off the ‘stache so they could vote for a

third. And then of course, there was always violence

and intimidation. By the end of the century a Tammany regular lamented the good old days

when, “It was wonderful to see my men slug the opposition to preserve the sanctity of

the ballot.” But, corruption wasn’t limited to big cities

like New York and Chicago. Some of the biggest boondoggles involved the United States Congress

and the executive branch under president Ulysses Grant.

The first big scandal, dubbed the “King of Frauds” by the New York Sun, involved

Credit Mobilier, the construction company that did most of the road building for the

Union Pacific Railroad. This two pronged accusation involved, first:

overcharging the public for construction costs and siphoning off profits to Credit Mobilier,

and second: bribery of Congressmen. Now, this second charge was, of course, much

juicier and also more partisan because only Republican congressmen, including the Speaker

of the House, were implicated in it. Eventually Massachusetts Congressman Oakes

Ames was found guilty of giving bribes, but no one was ever found guilty of receiving

those bribes. As you can imagine, that did wonders for the reputation of Congress.

The second major scandal involved the so-called Whiskey Ring, which was a group of distillers

in St. Louis who decided that they didn’t like paying excise taxes on their product,

perhaps a slightly more noble cause than that of the 2009 Bling Ring, who just wanted to

dress like Paris Hilton. John McDonald, a Grant administration official,

helped distillers reduce their taxes by intentionally undercounting the number of kegs of booze.

But then in 1875, the tax evasion grew out of control. And McDonald eventually confessed

and was convicted, thereby tainting the presidency with corruption just as Credit Mobilier had

tainted Congress. That leaves the Supreme Court untainted, but

don’t worry, the Dred Scott decision is worth at least, like, eighty years of tainting.

So with all this distrust in government, after Grant served two terms, presidential elections

featured a series of one-termers: Hayes, Garfield (whose term was filled out by Chester Arthur

after Garfield was assassinated), Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and then Cleveland again.

McKinley, who was elected twice, but then he was assassinated.

As for their parties, Gilded Age Republicans favored high tariffs, low government spending,

paying off national debt and reducing the amount of paper money – or greenbacks – in

circulation. Democrats opposed the tariffs and were often linked to New York bankers

and financiers. In short, both parties were pro-business,

but they were pro-different-businesses. Despite that and the widespread corruption,

some national reform legislation actually did get passed in the Gilded Age.

The Civil Service Act of 1883 – prompted by Garfield’s assassination by a disgruntled

office seeker – created a merit system for 10% of federal employees, who were chosen

by competitive examination rather than political favoritism.

But, this had an unintended effect. It made American politicians much more dependent on

donations from big business rather than small donations from grateful political appointees,

but, you know, nice idea. And then in 1890 the Sherman Anti-Trust act

forbade combinations and practices that restrained trade, but again it was almost impossible

to enforce this against the monopolies like U.S. Steel.

More often it was used against labor unions, which were seen to restrain trade in their

radical lobbying for, like, health insurance and hard hats.

But all in all the national Congress was pretty dysfunctional at the end of the 19th century,

stop me if that sounds familiar. So state governments expanded their responsibility

for public health and welfare. Cities invested in public works, like transportation, and

gas, and later, electricity, and the movement to provide public education continued.

Some northern states even passed laws limiting the workday to 8 hours. “What is this, France?”

is what courts would often say when striking those laws down.

Reform legislation was less developed in the South, but they were busy rolling back reconstruction

and creating laws that limited the civil rights of African Americans, known as Jim Crow Laws.

In the west, farmers became politically motivated over the issue of freight rates. Wait, are

we talking about railroads? Let’s go to the ThoughtBubble.

In the 1870s, farmers formed the Grange movement to put pressure on state governments to establish

fair railroad rates and warehouse charges. Railroads in particular tended to be pretty

monopolistic: They owned the track going through town, after all, so it was hard for farmers

to negotiate fair shipping prices. The Grange Movement eventually became the Farmer’s

Alliance movement, which also pushed for economic cooperation to raise prices, but was split

into Northern and Southern wings that could never really get it together. The biggest

idea to come out of the Farmers Alliance was the subtreasury plan. Under this plan, farmers

would store grain in government warehouses and get low-rate government loans to buy seed

and equipment, using the stored grain as collateral. This would allow farmers to bypass the banks

who increasingly came to be seen, along with the railroads, as the source of all the farmers’

troubles. Eventually these politically motivated farmers

and their supporters grew into a political party, the People’s Party or Populists.

In 1892 they held a convention in Omaha and put forth a remarkably reform minded plan,

particularly given that this was put forth in Omaha, which included:

The Sub-Treasury Plan, (which didn’t exactly happen, although the deal farmers ended up

with was probably better for them) Government Ownership of Railroads (which sort of happened,

if you count Amtrak) Graduated Income Tax (which did happen, after

the passage of the 16th amendment) Government Control of the Currency (which

happened with the creation of the Federal Reserve System)

Recognition of the Rights of Laborers to Form Unions (which happened both at the state and

federal level) and Free Coinage of Silver to produce more

money, which we’ll get to in a second The People’s Party attempted to appeal to

a broad coalition of “producing classes” especially miners and industrial workers,

and it was particularly successful with those groups in Colorado and Idaho. As the preamble

to the party platform put it:

“Corruption dominates the ballot box, the Legislatures, the congress and touches even

the ermine of the bench … From the same prolific womb of governmental injustice we

breed the two great classes – tramps and millionaires.”

Thanks, Thought Bubble. So, some western states were so Populist, they even granted women

the right to vote in the 1890s, which added tremendously to the Populist’s electoral

power. But most American voters stuck with the two

main parties. Industrial workers never really joined in large numbers because the Populist

calls for free coinage of silver would lead to inflation, especially in food prices, and

that would hurt urban laborers. But if it hadn’t been for that threat of

silver inflation, we might have three major political parties in the U.S. today. Or at

least two different ones. Stupid inflation, always ruining everything.

Populist leaders also struggled to unify because racism.

Some Populist leaders, like Tom Watson, argued that black and white poor farmers were in

the same boat, but Southern populists were not inclined to take up the fight against

segregation, and even Watson himself later began spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric.

But, in the halcyon Populist days of 1892, their presidential candidate, James Weaver,

gained 1 million votes as a third party candidate. He carried 5 western states and got 22 electoral

votes, which is better than Mondale did. But the best known Populist candidate was

actually the Democratic nominee for president in 1896, William Jennings Bryan.

Bryan, who once spoke of America as being crucified on a cross of gold, firmly supported

free coinage of silver in the hopes that increasing the amount of money in circulation would raise

prices for farmers and make it easier for people to pay off their debts.

Williams Jennings Bryan is probably better known for the anti-evolution stance he took

in the famous Scopes “Monkey Trial,” where he was up against none other than Clarence

Darrow. But he did almost become president. So, the

Populists were really wary of Bryan as a Democrat, because they feared that their ideas would

be reduced to simply “free silver,” but they voted for him anyway.

But Bryan still lost the 1896 election to William McKinley in what has become known

as the first modern political campaign, because the business classes gave McKinley’s campaign

an unprecedented $10 million. Which these days will buy you nine ads in

Iowa. But back then, it won you an entire presidential election. He won the electoral

college in a landslide 271-176. Bryan’s defeat in 1896 effectively put an

end to the Populist Party. The corruption in government, both federal and local, continued,

and new journalists called Muckrakers began exposing it in the press.

Even though they were defeated at the polls, Populist ideas, especially direct election

of senators and a progressive income tax, quickly became mainstream.

Now, these days we don’t necessarily associate those ideas with Populists, which suggests

that maybe they were right to worry about hitching their wagon to Bryan’s star.

But in the end, would you rather have your name survive or see your ideas enacted?

But of course many of the problems that the Populists were concerned with persisted, as

did the scourge of Jim Crow. We’ll discuss those next week when we look at the Progressive

Era. Thanks for watching. Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan

Muller. Our script supervisor is Meredith Danko. The associate producer is Danica Johnson.

The show is written by my high school history teacher, Raoul Meyer, Rosianna Rojas, and

myself. And our graphics team is Thought Café. Okay, I’ll make the transition, but I think

you’ll want to keep filming this. Every week there’s a new caption for the Libertage.

If you’d like to suggest one in comments, you can do so where you can also ask questions

about today’s video that will be answered by our team of historians.

Thank you for watching Crash Course and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome.