Populism and Coxey’s Army: A Nineteenth-Century March on Washington

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This post is by Michael Lowry, a 2025-2026 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress.

In April 1894, in the wake of the economic depression of the previous year, Jacob Coxey led thousands of unemployed workers and supporters from Massillon, Ohio, toward the U. S. capital city to demand federal action, including a public works program to create jobs and improve roads. Some marchers were Civil War veterans seeking pensions or relief. A Harper’s Weekly page, “Coxey’s Army Approaching Washington, April 30th,” provides students with text and several illustrations of scenes from that protest: ‘”Marshal” Carl Browne on His Charger;’ ‘”General” Coxey Accompanied by Reporters with Bicycles;’ and ‘”General” Coxey Escorted from the Capitol.’ Studying this page can offer insights into tactics employed to bring attention to the need to remediate economic hardships.

Before offering context about the event, invite students to examine the image of Coxey accompanied by reporters. Support analysis by asking questions such as:

• What do they notice first?
• Which figures seem central?
• What questions does the image raise?

Select additional questions from the Library’s Teacher’s Guide to Analyzing Photographs and Prints as needed.

Present the other images and allow time for students to analyze one or both of them in pairs or small groups. They might jigsaw the analysis. After students have analyzed or heard classmates’ analysis of each image, present the full page and allow time for them to read the article. If time is short, they might focus on the first paragraph, describing the purpose of the march and Coxey’s intended actions. What questions does the text answer? What new questions does it prompt?

Students might consider how the artist organized the scenes. What appears to be happening before, during, and after the march reached Washington? What details suggest protest, leadership, public attention, or conflict with authority?

Ask students to consider what this page from a popular periodical might reveal about how Jacob Coxey and his followers made economic hardship visible in 1894. How might the article and illustrations have shaped readers’ views of Coxey, his followers, or their demands?

The source can also open a broader conversation about economic crisis and public action. Students might consider: When people face unemployment or hardship, what responsibilities do they believe government has? What methods do citizens use to make those claims visible? What makes a protest persuasive?

By beginning with one illustrated source, students can investigate how Americans at a particular time used public demonstration to call attention to economic suffering and demand a response from the federal government. The source invites them to look closely, ask questions, and consider how protest became part of the nation’s political language.