A party of patches

-

This political cartoon drawn by Bernard Gilliam was copied from the satirical magazine Judge presents the Republican perception of the People's (Populist) Party. The artist depicts the People's Party as a hot air balloon made up of a patchwork of pieces, with each piece labeled with the name of the political organization or party that has been subsumed under the banner of the Populists. Some of the more recognizable "patches" include the Prohibition Party, the Greenback Party, the Farmer's Alliance, and the Knights of Labor Party. Inside the balloon's basket are two leading Populists from Kansas, William Peffer and "Sockless" Jerry Simpson.

Creator: Judge Magazine
Date: June 6, 1891

This cartoon can be used to illustrate how the People's Party was able to combine several organizations that shared the same beliefs about reform. It would work well as an introduction to the rise of the third-party system. This cartoon also appears in the textbook Kansas Journey.

KS:7th:4.2:Populism (2005)

Item Number: 210800
Call Number: Oversize B P348 v. 2, Peffer Cartoon Scrapbook
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210800

Kansas Memory

Kansas Historical Society

A party of patches

Login

Bookbag

Share