The Omaha Platform The Crises of the 1890s

The Crises of the 1890”s

The first primary document on ‘The “Omaha Platform” of the People’s Party (1892)’, was written by the People’s Party whereby they created a platform known as Omaha Platform. The aim of the said platform was to highlight the corruption that took place in the Gilded age in the United States, whereby there was material, political, and moral ruin. Essentially, during this age, the People’s party indicate that people were demoralized, land concentrated in the hands of capitalists, labor impoverished, homes covered in mortgages, businesses prostrated, public opinion silenced, and newspapers muzzled.

The main audience for this document happens to be the government whereby the party indicates certain policies in their Omaha platform that would help the government end corruption and decay. In addition, the party also indicated that if the power of the government was to be expanded, then poverty, injustice, and oppression would end in their land. The other audience for the document happens to be the women and men across the United States. The people’s party asks for the help from all men in determining whether they should have a republic to govern.

The second document on ‘Wealth against Commonwealth” does not have a major contributor. The author describes the good and bad effects of liberty to the American people. Essentially, the wealth that is produced from liberty also happens to be a source of liberty destruction given that it is held by a few gluttonous individuals. Despite the fact that the nature is rich, its heirs are poor in the sense that they do not have enough. This is more so the case given that the said wealth is held by syndicates. Therefore, the author hopes that the old economic system that they had inherited has matured. Bad wealth can be eliminated so as to make it a Commonwealth by ensuring that Americans are free in both industrial liberty and political liberty.

The main audience of the document happens to be the world at large and the American people specifically. The author indicates that the American people can make themselves free from corrupt and arbitrary power so as to achieve industrial liberty. This is more so the case given that the seed of industrial liberty happens to be political liberty. Therefore, if Americans liberate themselves from political power, then they can realize political and industrial independence.

The two documents relate to the historical events that took place between 1870’s and 1920’s, whereby Black Americans faced racial violence - specifically, during the 1898 state elections where organized and lynching terror campaigns were organized. During this period, Black Americans were discriminated against in terms of legal segregation, housing, and employment. In addition, Black voters were largely intimidated. These events might be considered significant to this document given that they can help in the development of understanding about how to deal with issues related to corruption which are the main problems illustrated by the People’s party. During the said period, the New South was like the old South from a sociological and economic perspective. This is more so the case given that despite the fact that there were advances on the industrialization and infrastructure fronts, the agricultural economy performed dismally. In addition, even though capital was invested, factories built, and trains brought, the New South languished in racial apartheid and poverty. The historical events that also that took place during the industrial and technological innovation period could also come in handy in efforts to better comprehend concerns described in the two documents. Essentially, government support as well as incorporation of technological innovation and industrialization led to economic development.