Coxey’s March on Washington Was a Wizard of Oz Moment
Dorothy’s march along the yellow brick road is one of the most iconic moments in art. The quest of her, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow, resonate because of the hope that drives them to the Wizard. In 1894, less than a decade before the book’s publication, a hopeful group set out on their own quest to talk to powerful people in their country’s Emerald City, Washington D.C. This would blossom into one of the biggest news stories of the Gilded Age. L. Frank Baum, an inquisitive reporter, was likely one of the many following the populist marches across the USA.
Dust in the air
Panic gripped the USA in 1893. An economic bubble had burst, which drove unemployment rates up, close to 20 percent at one point. More and more destitute people wandered the streets without hope.
There were few safety nets to catch people during the late 19th century. Often, society laid the blame at the feet of the unemployed person — a reflection of the socio-Darwinism ideals of the time. They were in their grim predicament because they were deficient, according to this line of thinking.
Wealth inequality reached record levels in the 1890s. Elites of the Gilded Age did not see why any of this was their concern. Jacob Selcher Coxey, a rich owner of quarries and horse stables, believed it was imperative that someone had to ease the pain, though. For that, his fellow tycoons branded him a crank.
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