What was the People's Party?
Q: What was the People's Party?
A: The People's Party, also known as the Populist Party, was a left-wing political party in the United States.
Q: What were some of the policies that the Populist Party wanted?
A: The Populist Party wanted direct election of senators, government ownership of railroads, telegraph and telephone systems, price support for farmers, a graduated income tax, unlimited silver coinage, an 8-hour work day and more propositions and referendums.
Q: When was the party formed?
A: The Populist Party was formed in 1891 after a series of conferences involving leaders from various agrarian organizations.
Q: Who did they nominate for President in 1892?
A: In 1892 they nominated James B. Weaver as their presidential candidate. He received 8.5% of the popular vote and won 5 states in that election.
Q: How did they separate themselves from Democrats during the 1896 election?
A: During this election they nominated Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan for president but instead chose Thomas E. Watson to be their vice-presidential candidate instead of Democrat pick Arthur Sewall to separate themselves from Democrats.
Q: Who won the 1896 presidential election?
A: Republican William McKinley won the 1896 presidential election over William Jennings Bryan who had been nominated by both Democrats and Populists.
Q: When did activity from official Populist party cease?
A: The last known activity of official Populist party was in 1913 and it disbanded in 1908.
