Tom Watson & the Populist Party

Who was the leader of the Populist Party in Georgia?

• Tom Watson

• Henry Grady

• Abraham Lincoln

• Alexander Stephens

Led by Tom Watson, what was the name of the new political party that rose to challenge the Democrat Party during the New South era?

• Populist Party

• Libertarian Party

• Agrarian Party

• New South Party

Select four (4) policies of the Populist Party that were aimed at helping farmers in Georgia.

• lower taxes & lower tariffs

• banking reform

• government control of railroads

• free public education

• tax breaks for businessmen & wealthy industrialists

Tom Watson & the Populist Party worked to support the needs of _____________?

• farmers and rural people

• rich bankers & businessmen

• wealthy industrialists

• powerful railroad tycoons

Did Tom Watson support African American farmers EARLY in his political career?

• YES

• NO

What best describes Tom Watson's attitude on social issues by the END of his political carrer?

• Watson became a white supremacist.

• Watson accepted people of all races & religions.

• Watson became a politician that supported big business & industry.

• ALL answer choices.

While in Congress, Watson gained fame for his passage of the RFD bill; what does RFD stand for?

• Rural Free Delivery

• Railroad Freight Delivery

• Relief Farmers Department

• Renting, Farming, & Developing

What did the RFD bill do?

• established free mail delivery to farmers and rural families

• raised taxes on wealthy industrialists

• placed railroad companies under government control

• set low tariff rates for Georgia farmers

Select three (3) statements that explain why Tom Watson and the Populist Party OPPOSED the New South policies of the Bourbon Triumvirate and Henry Grady?

• Watson opposed the New South concept of basing Georgia's economy on business & industry.

• As a supporter of an agriculture-based economy, Watson believed Grady's New South concept would harm Georgia's farmers.

• Watson believed that the best thing for Georgia's farmers and rural families was to keep the state's economy centered on agriculture.

• Watson and the Populist Party opposed the Bourbon Triumvirate and Henry Grady over religious reasons, like the separation of church and state.

True OR False: Early in his political career, Tom Watson supported both white and black farmers; but by the end of his career, Watson became a white supremacist, even writing articles in his magazine that incited racial hatred and intolerance.

• TRUE

• FALSE