United States Greenback Party

From Wikinfo

The Greenback Party was an American political party that was active between 1874 and 1884. Its name referred to paper money or greenbacks, that had been issued during the American Civil War and afterward. The party advocated issuing large amounts of money, believing this would help people, especially farmers, by raising prices and making debts easier to pay.

The Greenback Party was founded at a meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1874. It was originally called the Independent National Party. In 1878 the party was able to elect 14 members of the United States Congress. In 1880 the Greenback Party broadened its platform to include supporting an income tax, an eight-hour day and allowing women the right to vote. The party's influence began to wind down and after 1884 and it was no longer a force in American politics.

Presidential Nominees

• 1876 Peter Cooper
• 1880 James B. Weaver

See also: List of political parties in the United States

References

• Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "United States Greenback Party" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Greenback_Party November 25, 2003