Introduction

Central Question: How did farmers respond to the many problems they faced during the late 1800s?

Did you know that the story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz actually has many Populist movement allegoriesa story in which the characters and events symbolize or reveal hidden meanings about ideas of a moral or political nature ? The author, L. Frank Baum, was heavily influenced by the movement and included many elements in the book. For instance, the characters all go to the Emerald City (Washington) in hopes of influencing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (President). In this lesson, you will learn more about the Gilded Age, which was the time period when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written.

Roll over the green markers in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz cartoon to learn what each character or symbol represents.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz cartoon text version | Open The Wonderful Wizard of Oz cartoon in a new tab

 

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Identify the circumstances that encouraged farmers to organize politically during the late 1800s.
  • Describe the origins of the Populist Party and the effect it had on society.
  • Discuss the major political developments at the presidential and congressional level during the late 1800s.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: US History 11 Objectives: 1.2 & 2.1.

This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standards: R1, R2, R7, W4, W8 & W9.

Cartoon Citation:

"Dorothy meets the Cowardly Lion, from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first edition". Library of Congress LC Control No.: 03032405

 

 

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