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Reconstructed: the Populist Revolt As the Cornerstone of Political Development in the American South

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Reconstructed: the Populist Revolt As the Cornerstone of Political Development in the American South RECONSTRUCTED: THE POPULIST REVOLT AS THE CORNERSTONE OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH By KEITH E. LEE, JR. A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 ⃝c 2017 Keith E. Lee, Jr. To Ashley ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would not be possible without the support of my wife and children. Ashley did not fully comprehend what she was getting herself into when I decided to pursue a Ph.D., but she has been supportive throughout the process, particularly this last push to finish which included us moving to a different state and me taking on a full time teaching job with all the pressures of finishing a dissertation. Similarly, though they are not fully aware, my kids sacrificed a lot of time with dad so that he could research and write. I am also deeply indebted to the love and support given by my chair, Professor Larry Dodd. I read dozens of horror stories prior to applying to graduate school about students having a disengaged chair, but Larry was just the opposite. I could not have asked for better support, both intellectually and emotionally, than I received from Larry. His wisdom and guidance kept me focused on the task of writing and he pushed me further than I thought I could possibly go. James LaPlant, once my undergraduate mentor, has become a great friend over the last several years. His constant love, encouragement, and belief in me caused me to believe in myself, which was important as I faced a lot of self doubt throughout graduate school { especially during the dissertation phase. I have now become a professor and my hope, as I begin to mentor undergraduates and their research, is that I can do it with as much kindness and attention that he showed me when I began to work with him. I am grateful for my dissertation committee in general for their ability to work together and help me build something that I can be proud. Beth Rosenson provides the best feedback on all things written and has a knack for asking the right questions. This dissertation would not be where it is today without her probing questions and thoughtful critiques. David Hedge has also become a great friend, helping me balance work and life during this process, usually at Chipotle or Firehouse Subs during our weekly lunch visit, which we are long overdue considering we are now hours apart. Seth McKee, a professor at Texas Tech, was willing to come on board even though he is not in my department, providing great support since my 4 first semester of graduate school and reading several iterations of this dissertation in various stages. Seth, like Beth, knows the right questions to ask to make the paper stronger and was even willing to let me co-author a paper with him to help me understand the ropes of academic publishing. Finally, Bill Link in the University of Florida History department has been a great asset as I try to become a better scholar in the subfield of American Political Development. Bill asked me, during our initial meeting, what I wanted from him in regards to his role on my committee. I told him I would like to be the best historian political science could produce. Any shortcomings in this work with that regard are not his fault; he did the best with what he was given. The faculty at Valdosta State University, who I rarely see but will never forget, have also been consistently supportive. Carol Glen, Mandi Bailey, and Michael Baun have been especially generous with their time and energy throughout my academic career, consistently checking in and offering words of support. I am proud to call myself a \Doddian," a term Kevin Baron and I began using my first year of graduate school to refer to ourselves and other students studying under Larry Dodd. This group is incredibly close and we strive to make each other better, personally and professionally. My thanks to Kevin Baron, Ross Cotton, Brandon Armstrong, Alex Smith, and Stephen Phillips for their close friendship. Dissertation writing can be a sad and lonely place, and at times it was, but these guys made each day a little brighter than what it would have been without them. Likewise, I would like to thank the Doddians that I met on campus as well as those that came before me and left the University of Florida before I began. There have been plenty of non-Doddian colleagues at the University of Florida that have been there for me as well, notably Enrijeta Shino, Victoria Gorham, and Charles Dahan. Last, but certainly not least, I must acknowledge the people I have known outside of the academy who have been kindly pushing me forward. First, my Uncle Ray and Aunt Shary for their never ending love and support. They have encouraged me to be a better me while also reminding me of my goodness. They taught me to believe in myself and it is a gross 5 understatement to say that this dissertation would not have happened without their constant influence in my life. Second, my best friends Alex Lawhorne, Robin Beckman, and Sarah Hagan, who have loved me and encouraged me relentlessly and would not let me give up, even on the days when I did not think I would survive. To all of these people, and the few I unintentionally omitted, thank you. This dissertation would not have been possible without you. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................... 4 LIST OF TABLES ...................................... 10 LIST OF FIGURES ..................................... 11 ABSTRACT ......................................... 13 CHAPTER 1 A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION ........................... 15 1.1 Why I Study Southern Politics .......................... 16 1.2 A Review of the Literature ............................ 21 1.2.1 Southern Exceptionalism Reconsidered .................. 25 1.2.2 The Southern Voter and Political Culture ................ 28 1.3 Outline of the Dissertation ............................ 32 2 THEORY, METHODS, AND EXPECTATIONS .................... 36 2.1 Theory ...................................... 38 2.1.1 Regional Factions ............................. 38 2.1.2 Boundary Control ............................. 42 2.1.3 Economic Sectionalism .......................... 45 2.1.4 Discussion ................................ 48 2.2 Methods ..................................... 49 2.2.1 Process Tracing and Constructivist Institutionalism ........... 51 2.2.2 Qualitative Content Analysis ....................... 53 2.2.3 Case Selection .............................. 55 2.2.4 The Role of Congress .......................... 56 2.3 Expectations ................................... 58 3 THE RISE OF POPULISM: 1885-1891 ........................ 60 3.1 The 49th Congress ................................ 61 3.1.1 Oleomargarine .............................. 64 3.1.2 Labor, Silver, and the Department of Agriculture ............ 66 3.1.3 Discussion ................................ 68 3.2 The 50th Congress ................................ 69 3.2.1 The Tariff ................................. 70 3.2.2 The Department of Agriculture ..................... 73 3.2.3 Labor ................................... 75 3.2.4 Discussion ................................ 77 3.3 The 51st Congress ................................ 78 3.3.1 Federal Election Law ........................... 79 7 3.3.2 Silver Coinage .............................. 84 3.3.3 The Tariff and Cotton Seed Oil ..................... 86 3.3.4 Discussion ................................ 87 3.4 Conclusion .................................... 88 4 POPULISM IN POWER: 1891-1897 .......................... 90 4.1 The 52nd Congress ............................... 90 4.1.1 The Tariff ................................. 91 4.1.2 Silver ................................... 96 4.1.3 The \Colored Race," Agriculture, and the Subtreasury ......... 98 4.1.4 Discussion ................................ 101 4.2 The 53rd Congress ................................ 101 4.2.1 Silver ................................... 102 4.2.2 Tariff ................................... 106 4.2.3 Election Laws ............................... 108 4.2.4 Discussion ................................ 109 4.3 The 54th Congress ................................ 110 4.3.1 Silver and Populist Fusion ........................ 111 4.3.2 Discussion ................................ 116 4.4 Conclusion .................................... 116 5 THE DEFEAT OF POPULISM: 1897-1901 ...................... 118 5.1 The 55th Congress ................................ 118 5.1.1 Tariff ................................... 120 5.1.2 War .................................... 126 5.1.3 Bankruptcy Law ............................. 129 5.1.4 Voting Rights ............................... 131 5.1.5 Discussion ................................ 131 5.2 The 56th Congress ................................ 132 5.2.1 Currency ................................. 132 5.2.2 Election Laws ............................... 135 5.2.3 Trusts ................................... 136 5.2.4 Discussion ................................ 139 5.3 Conclusion .................................... 139 6 THE AFTERMATH AND LEGACY OF THE POPULIST MOVEMENT ....... 140 6.1 Revisiting Key, Bensel, and Gibson ....................... 141 6.1.1 Boundary Control and Southern Solidarity ................ 141 6.1.2 The Role of the Black Belt ........................ 143 6.1.3 The Role of Economics .......................... 145 6.2 Threshold Effects and Causal Chains ...................... 147 6.2.1 Force Bill ................................
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