Populists didn’t always align with Democrats. In the South, they often aligned with Republicans, most of whom were poor black farmers. Despite electoral successes in 1894 and 1896, this so-called "Fusion" ticket was defeated by the Democrats in 1898. In this lesson, students examine a Democratic newspaper, a letter from the governor, and a political cartoon in order to explore how Democrats used race and physical intimidation to defeat the “Fusion” ticket.
Image: Political Cartoon of William Jennings Bryan by Louis Dalrymple. From the Library of Congress.