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MPR News Staff

Kevin Gaines speaks about the rise, fall and legacy of populism in America

Kevin Gaines, professor at the University of Virginia
Kevin Gaines, professor at the University of Virginia, spoke about the history of American populism at the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Forum.
Courtesy of Dan Addison, University of Virginia Communications

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The 1890s were a period of increasing concern about wealth and power — and about the institutions that became more and more distant from ordinary people.

There's a lot of discussion these days about populism and what it all means. Is it liberal or conservative? Is it an ideology or an organizing strategy? Is Bernie Sanders a populist? Is Donald Trump a populist?

American populism first arose in the 19th century to take on the power of corporations and banks and to wrestle with racial conflicts in the south.

Kevin Gaines, the Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the University of Virginia, spoke Jan. 25 at the Minnesota Historical Society's "History Forum" about the rise, fall, and legacy of populism in America.

Listen on the audio player above.