What did Populists mean by the 'free silver' or bimetallism issue?
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Correct answer: Using both silver and gold to expand the money supply
Free silver supporters wanted the government to coin silver along with gold, increasing the money supply. They believed inflation would make debts easier to repay and raise crop prices.
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More Populism and Farmers' Movements questions
- Why did many indebted farmers favor inflationary monetary policies such as free silver?
- Which statement best describes the Populist view of eastern banks and financial elites?
- What was the Omaha Platform of 1892?
- Which reform demanded by Populists later became part of the U.S. Constitution through the Seventeenth Amendment?
- Which tax reform supported by Populists later became constitutional through the Sixteenth Amendment?
- Which 1896 presidential candidate adopted the free silver cause and received Populist support?