BOURBONS, POPULISTS, & PROGRESSIVES K. Skibitsky BOURBON TRIUMVIRATE Pronounced “Tri-um-vuh-reyt” Name given to (3) democratic Georgia political leaders who controlled Georgia politics from 1876-1890 John B. Gordon  1873-1880 & 1891-1897 served as a US senator  Believed to have been a major leader of the Ku Klux Klan  In 1880, he resigned from the senate and took a position w/ the Western & Atlantic railroad  1886-1890 Governor of Georgia  Served for the Confederacy & was injured five times (Antietam & Gettysburg) Joseph E. Brown Georgia’s Civil War governor US senator 1880-1891 Strong believer in state’s rights ALFRED H. COLQUITT 1877-1882 Georgia governor US senator 1883-1894 THE NEW SOUTH HENRY GRADY EDITOR OF ATLANTA CONSTITUTION • COINED PHRASE “NEW SOUTH” • DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL LEADER • PROMOTED INVESTMENT, INDUSTRY, WHITE SUPREMACY, COTTON EXPOSITIONS, HELPED CREATE GT GRADY HIGH SCHOOL IN ATLANTA, GA IS NAMED AFTER HIM AS WELL AS THE GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AT UGA (GO DAWGS!!) COTTON EXPOSITIONS  Used as way to market ATL/GA  • 3 held (1881, 1887, 1895)  Important for recovery & development in Georgia 1906 Race Riots  • Racial tension between whites/blacks  • Push for prohibition of alcohol  • Typical of violence for this time  Extra, extra! Race riots started in the Five Points area of Atlanta which is now Woodruff Park COUNTY UNIT SYSTEM In the late 1890’s , candidates were picked for primaries not by popular vote but by “unit” votes of each county in GA. Counties were split into rural, urban, & towns. For each GA General Assembly representative, each county got 2 votes. This was to make sure that the “right” democrats stayed in power & kept Georgia as a mainly one-party state. Therefore, rural counties had political control of GA • Officially in use from 1917-1960’s • Votes allotted by county, not popular vote Tom Watson  Supported farmer/working class  Leading spokesman for Populist party in GA  Sponsored law creating Rural Free Delivery (mail delivered to rural areas for free. Imagine that. )  However- later in life Watson turned against the minorities he had once supported & became fanatical. POPULISM/PEOPLE’S PARTY • Started as Farmer’s Alliancepolitical party formed by farmers & labor organizations, faded following the 1893 economic downturn • Caused Democratic Party split • Wanted graduated income tax, gov’t ownership of industries, better credit system for farmers, & a shorter workday for factory workers Rebecca Latimer Felton  Led GA in the fight for women’s suffrage (Fun fact…In 1918 the US passed the 19th amendment, which allowed women to vote!)  Views/Accomplishments  Supported prohibition, education for girls, etc.  Woo! 1st Woman to serve as U.S. Senator at age 87 (appointed as interim senator by the GA governor, & served once until a new senator was found)