The Populist and Progressive Movements were two individual groups formed at different periods in history who did not belong to any political parties. At the root of both movements, they are guided by moral and religious values. They are both for the people and for improving conditions for every man, woman, and child regardless of race. Both movements felt strongly about changing the voting system to rid the system of corrupt politicians and be able to submit issues to the ballots.
The Farmer's Alliance formed the Populist movement because they were tired of railroads charging higher rates to the farmer than to big businesses. It cost a farmer to ship his product to a nearby city double what big businesses were charged to ship it across the country. There was a lack of currency and credit for the farmers. The "banking system was rooted in the gold standard and dominated by eastern commercial banks".
"Populism was more than a set of demands and a list of economic grievances. At its heart were the emotion and the promise of a religious revival". The Populist wanted an economic democracy so they could reclaim the land that was sold to the railroad and foreign investors, government ownership of the railroads and telegraphs to halt the practice of discriminatory rates. They also wanted a cheaper currency, like silver or greenbacks. They supported eight-hour workdays and wanted an end to contract labor. They wanted to empower the common people, to have direct elections of senators and the secret ballot referendum.
The Populist won more than a million votes in the presidential election of 1892 but their representative died on the eve of the convention. They felt they would of won more votes but the movement elected a Union General and the southern Populists felt they could not vote for a Union general, which kept the voters away.
In 1896, Populist Movement met in St.