Greenback Party
Who were they against?
The Greenbacks only opposed the idea of relying on gold and silver as currency. Therefore they opposed the Republican Party the most. Ironically, they had members in both the Democratic and Republican Parties. The Greenbacks were a third party so as a whole they opposed all other parties.
What were their domestic goals?
The Greenbacks had an anti-monopoly ideology. They believed that they were not needed as the middle working class and small businesses were the backbone of America's economy. they also condemned the use of militias and secret police to quell union strikes. They believed that government control of the monetary system would allow it to keep more currency in circulation, as it had in the war. This would better foster business and assist farmers by raising prices and making debts easier to pay.
The Greenbacks opposed the shift from paper money back to a coin-based monetary system. This system believed that privately owned banks and corporations would then reacquire the power to define the value of products and labor. They also pledged to fight the Specie Resumption Act of 1875. This was the overtaking of the paper money by the hard coined money.
Contributing Figures
Thomas Ewing Jr
Stewart L. Woodford