The Wounded Knee Massacre and The Elections of 1892 and 1896

History Journal
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The Elections of 1892 and 1896
The Presidential elections of 1892 and 1896 are significant in the approaches used by the Democrats and the Republicans to mobilize various forms of media as campaign tools with the ultimate aim of achieving an electoral victory. The 1890s were significant years in the media industry as novel means of visual and audio media forms were innovated and deployed. Newspapers were the dominant media outlet at the beginning of the decade and were predominantly controlled by the Democrats. The Republicans came up with their platform to market their political ideologies (Miller & Ulbig, 2008). They used the stereopticon (equivalent to a restructured magic lantern) to develop the first-ever campaign documentaries. They improved their venture and started producing motion pictures, the telephone, as well as the phonograph. The innovations of the Republicans, which were primarily inspired by political motives, were astonishing and quite successful. The elections of 1892 and 1896 are significant in US history as they depict outstanding tales of political forces that resulted in the rise of populism and the emergence of modern-day media.
The Emergence of Populism in 1892
Towards the end of the 19th Century, the United States witnessed surprising changes in the political scene. Farmers and other groups across the country protested for improved farming and marketing conditions. These were triggered by a devastating season characterized by crop failure, poor harvests, and deteriorating market conditions. The farmers and other citizens were tired of their poor living and working conditions (Miller & Ulbig, 2008). These protests were met with warm reception across the states and the entire society, which led to the flourishing of the movement. This was the birth of the Populists or People’s Party.
The Populists had a considerable share of votes in the 1892 presidential elections, which indicates the broad extent of the populist movement. The populist movement was fundamentally driven by worrying agriculture conditions in the Western and Southern regions of the country. This was mainly due to falling prices and the dependence of railroads for transportation which were quite costly (Miller & Ulbig, 2008). Thus, even though the elections’ outcome didn’t go their way, the Populist movement scored wins by drawing attention to the plight of farmers across the country.
Historians and scholars alike argue that the 1896 polls represented an essential realignment of American national politics and shaped its nature from 1896 to 1912. Additionally, the 1896 polls witnessed a deviation from traditional party identities and politics. The Democratic candidate was atypical in ...