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The '''Populist Party''', formally the '''Peoples Party''' was a radical left coalition party that was important 1890-1896, at the end of the [[Gilded Age]]. It was a coalition of poor farmers in the cotton belt of the South and wheat belt of the Midwest, with considerable support among silver miners, coal miners, and some labor unions. It opposed banks and industry generally, called for government ownership of railroads, and demanded federal financial support to keep up farm prices. As a political movement it peaked in the 1892 presidential election, when its presidential candidate won one million votes and carried four states. Its candidates were badly defeated in 1894 by the resurgent Republicans. In 1896 the remnants endorsed the Democratic candidate [[William Jennings Bryan]] (who was never a Populist).

The '''Populist Party''', formally the '''[[People's Party (United States)|People's Party]]''' was a radical left coalition party that was important 1890-1896, at the end of the [[Gilded Age]]. It was a coalition of poor farmers in the cotton belt of the South and wheat belt of the Midwest, with considerable support among silver miners, coal miners, and some labor unions. It opposed banks and industry generally, called for government ownership of railroads, and demanded federal financial support to keep up farm prices. As a political movement it peaked in the 1892 presidential election, when its presidential candidate won one million votes and carried four states. Its candidates were badly defeated in 1894 by the resurgent Republicans. In 1896 the remnants endorsed the Democratic candidate [[William Jennings Bryan]] (who was never a Populist).

"[[Populism]]" more generally means a political movement highly hostile to elites and calling for power to the common people; it can be either conservative or liberal.

"[[Populism]]" more generally means a political movement highly hostile to elites and calling for power to the common people; it can be either conservative or liberal.