In 1892, farmers fed up with the laissez faire attitude of the Federal Government,
             the falling prices of the goods they worked so hard to produce, and the hole of
             debt they were digging themselves into, farmers in the Midwest formed the
             Populist Party. Their main goals consisted of reducing tariffs, a graduated income
             tax, public ownership of railroads, popular election of senators, and reform of the
             nation's currency. Fueled by the depression of the 1890s, the Populist Party
             gained popularity and in the election of 1896, Populists supported Democrat
             William Jennings Bryan. Unfortunately, Bryan was defeated by Republican William
             McKinley, who supported big business and was in favor of high tariffs. During
             McKinley's presidency, little was done to better the conditions of people in
             America. Instead, he focused mostly on expanding into Latin America by
             supporting the Spanish-American War and working hard to allow America's big
             business into China to have yet another industrial outlet. He supported the big
             businessmen of the time, and they in turn supported him.
             Much like the Populists, the Progressives worked to improve the living
             conditions of the average American. While the Populists were mostly farmers, the
             Progressives were mainly middle class composed of young professionals. They
             were better off than the Populists, which meant that they had slightly more power
             as far as politics was concerned. They were not only concerned more with
             society as a whole. The Progressives were mostly urban residents who sought to
             apply the principals of medicine, law, business, and teaching to the many
             problems facing American society at the time. They believed in the ability for
             educated people to overcome their problems and progress. Progressivism arose
             in response to the large unemployment rate in America, industry's wasteful use of
             natural resources, and the many abus...