Populism in the Wizard of Oz

By Taylor Morency

During this webquest, figures within the Populism movement and symbols of issues at the time in the Wizard of Oz (1939) will be identified and analyzed.

Introduction

Following industrialization and during the Progressive era, many Americans were disappointed and disillusioned with the government and societal issues. Robber barons seemed to control the government and many Americans were struggling to make money while these big capitalists had acquired most of the wealth and resources. The Populism ideology emerged during this time, founded by Midwestern and Southern farmers and some labor unions denounced a system whereby “the fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal fortunes for a few.”

At the end of this WebQuest, you will be able to identify key characters, issues, and principles from the Populism movement within the Wizard of Oz. You should also analyze how and why the symbols represent those figures and issues. Good luck, there are many!

First step:

You need to be able to define Populism, as well as read the Cross of Gold speech written by William Jennings Bryan.

Cross of Gold

Second step:

You will need to watch The Wizard of Oz (1939). Don't worry, you can watch it online!

Wizard of Oz (1939)

Third step:

As you watch the film, jot down some notes on what you notice about the characters and what they may represent. Make sure you really think about it, you will be expected to have deeply analyzed what you saw.

Fourth step:

You will be creating a presentation based on what you saw in the Wizard of Oz and its comparison to the concept of Populism! You may create a poster, PowerPoint, speech, or any other type of presentation you'd like; make sure it is well thought out, act as though the rest of the class is learning all of this for the first time! You are teaching us.

Rubric

To many people, The Wizard of Oz is just a movie; to you now, it is a symbolic representation of the Populism movement in the United States.

Credits

Thanks to MGM for creating the movie and all those who made it available for us to view.

This project aims to help students see historical movements, concepts, and figures within popular movies.