Reviews for The Populist revolt

The average rating for The Populist revolt based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-12-12 00:00:00 Thomas O'finnegan This definitely isn't a casual book for the general reader, but Populist Revolt is considered the seminal work on the Populist movement, chronicling the rise and fall of the Farmer’s Alliance and the People’s Party. Hicks offers a detailed examination of the growing frustrations among the agricultural class which caused the initial formation of the Farmer’s Alliance, as well as it’s eventual transformation into an influential (if short-lived) political party. In his book, Hicks ably demonstrates the conditions that drove the movement, as well as the ability for a grassroots movement to influence both local and national politics. Farming life was difficult, and men and women scraping to make a living felt taken advantage of by banks and railroads. Their frustrations began to coalesce into a fledgling movement in which they lobbied politicians and ran for office out of the belief that the government should protect the farmers from the elites and businesses that sought to exploit them. Interestingly, though people often point to government intervention as being anti-capitalist, the movement appears to have encapsulated part of the traditional American belief in the ability to better oneself. Hicks argues that farmers simply wanted the opportunity to work, and a fair chance at making a decent living from their labors. Movements that spring from the lower classes often die out quickly or struggle to gain recognition, and the Populists were destroyed by outside economic factors as well as the internal divisions that often plague such movements. However, Populist influence showed a remarkable tenacity. The attention they brought to political and economic issues brought about changes, both during the party’s life and after (e.g. election changes, the Warehouse Act, the Federal Reserve). In all, the Populist movement fought valiantly to save agriculture from the “devouring jaws of industrial America.”

Review # 2 was written on 2012-09-10 00:00:00 Jesse Villarruel This was one of my favorite books. A correspondent in Russia dialogued with me about this book, and I finally sent him my copy. Fortunately, I found a replacement. I also bought Hicks' general history of the U.S. "The Populist Revolt" is rich in information, detailed to the point of intimidation. But it is the very details, along with the straight-forward writing style, and of course the author's perspective, that made this book such a favorite with me. Hicks covers the rise and glory of Populism, which means also the beginnings of labor parties and farmers' parties even before the Civil War (War of Southern Independence). The central time period for the peak of populist sentiments, unfortunately (or fortunately?) divided among several political parties, ranges from the 1880s to the 1990s. After reading this book in 1980, I realized that Professor Hicks had persuaded me, whether that was his intention or not, that I was a Populist at heart. (I have since then further evolved my political views.) For a person taking even a simply survey course of U.S. history, such as American colleges generally require (or, sadly, once required but today do not), this book will give such a more colorful, exciting picture of that era. I truly believe this book should be required reading in American history courses.