Donnelly's map of Atlantis
Donnelly's vision of 1988
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly, November 3, 1831 (Philadelphia, Penn.) – January 1, 1901 (Minneapolis, Minn.)
VP candidate for People's Party (aka Populist Party aka Middle of the Road Populists) (1900)
Running mate with nominee: Wharton Barker (1846-1921)
Popular vote: 50,989 (0.36%)
Electoral vote: 0/447
The campaign:
1900 was a McKinley-Bryan replay and once again the People's Party had to make a decision whether or not to endorse Bryan. The Great Commoner would indeed snag the endorsement of the Anti-Imperialist Party, but the Populists were not so unanimous.
The pro-fusion forces of the People's Party initially endorsed Bryan and as they did in 1896 nominated their own Vice-Presidential candidate Charles Towne. However, Towne withdrew once Bryan selected Adlai Stevenson as his Democratic running mate.
The anti-fusion faction (also known as the "Middle of the Road Populists"), which was representing an increasingly dwindling portion of the People's Party, struck out on their own nominating Barker and Donnelly.
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly is easily one of the most unusual and interesting characters profiled in this blog so far. This brief format does not really give his colorful career any justice.
The Populist platform for 1900 included support for a graduated income tax, government ownership of railroads, opposition to American imperialism in the Philippines and Puerto Rico, support limiting immigration of Japanese, Mongolian and Malayan workers, support public ownership of utilities, support direct voting, and in favor of home rule for the District of Columbia and the territories.
They were on the ballot in 27 states with their best showing in Texas at 4.95%. Their strongest region was in the Deep South. They didn't appear to be spoilers or cost Bryan any states although he lost on his own anyway. Nationally the People's Party placed a very distant 5th place and would continue to fade away as many of their issues would eventually be co-opted.
Election history:
1857 - Minnesota Territorial Senate (Republican) - defeated
1858 - Minnesota Territorial Senate (Republican) - defeated
1858 - Dakota County Commissioner (Minn.)
1860-1863 - Lt. Governor of Minnesota (Republican)
1862-1869 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Republican/Union/Republican)
1868 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Independent Republican) - defeated
1869 - Republican nomination for US Senate (Minn.) (Republican) - defeated
1870 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic) - defeated
1874-1879 - Minnesota State Senate (Anti-Monopolist Party/Greenback Party/Democratic)
1876 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Greenback Party) - defeated
1878 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic/Greenback Party) - defeated
1884 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic) - defeated
1887-1889 - Minnesota House of Representatives (Independent)
1890-1895 - Minnesota State Senate (Alliance/People's Party)
1892 - Governor of Minnesota (People's Party) - defeated
1894 - Minnesota State Senate (People's Party) - defeated
1897-1898 - Minnesota House of Representatives (People's Party)
1900 - Populist Party nomination for US President - defeated
1900 - Union Reform Party nomination for US President - defeated
Other occupations: attorney, author, novelist, poet, real estate developer, newspaper editor, Liaison officer (Dakota War of 1862)
Buried: Calvary Cemetery (Saint Paul, Minn.)
Notes:
His father was an Irish immigrant.
Left the Catholic Church in the 1850s.
Was a partner in developing the utopian community of Nininger City but it failed.
Buried in the same cemetery as Kaaren Verne, Peter Lorre's second wife.
He wrote Atlantis: The Antediluvian World in 1882, which influenced Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and
VP candidate for People's Party (aka Populist Party aka Middle of the Road Populists) (1900)
Running mate with nominee: Wharton Barker (1846-1921)
Popular vote: 50,989 (0.36%)
Electoral vote: 0/447
The campaign:
1900 was a McKinley-Bryan replay and once again the People's Party had to make a decision whether or not to endorse Bryan. The Great Commoner would indeed snag the endorsement of the Anti-Imperialist Party, but the Populists were not so unanimous.
The pro-fusion forces of the People's Party initially endorsed Bryan and as they did in 1896 nominated their own Vice-Presidential candidate Charles Towne. However, Towne withdrew once Bryan selected Adlai Stevenson as his Democratic running mate.
The anti-fusion faction (also known as the "Middle of the Road Populists"), which was representing an increasingly dwindling portion of the People's Party, struck out on their own nominating Barker and Donnelly.
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly is easily one of the most unusual and interesting characters profiled in this blog so far. This brief format does not really give his colorful career any justice.
The Populist platform for 1900 included support for a graduated income tax, government ownership of railroads, opposition to American imperialism in the Philippines and Puerto Rico, support limiting immigration of Japanese, Mongolian and Malayan workers, support public ownership of utilities, support direct voting, and in favor of home rule for the District of Columbia and the territories.
They were on the ballot in 27 states with their best showing in Texas at 4.95%. Their strongest region was in the Deep South. They didn't appear to be spoilers or cost Bryan any states although he lost on his own anyway. Nationally the People's Party placed a very distant 5th place and would continue to fade away as many of their issues would eventually be co-opted.
Election history:
1857 - Minnesota Territorial Senate (Republican) - defeated
1858 - Minnesota Territorial Senate (Republican) - defeated
1858 - Dakota County Commissioner (Minn.)
1860-1863 - Lt. Governor of Minnesota (Republican)
1862-1869 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Republican/Union/Republican)
1868 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Independent Republican) - defeated
1869 - Republican nomination for US Senate (Minn.) (Republican) - defeated
1870 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic) - defeated
1874-1879 - Minnesota State Senate (Anti-Monopolist Party/Greenback Party/Democratic)
1876 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Greenback Party) - defeated
1878 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic/Greenback Party) - defeated
1884 - US House of Representatives (Minn.) (Democratic) - defeated
1887-1889 - Minnesota House of Representatives (Independent)
1890-1895 - Minnesota State Senate (Alliance/People's Party)
1892 - Governor of Minnesota (People's Party) - defeated
1894 - Minnesota State Senate (People's Party) - defeated
1897-1898 - Minnesota House of Representatives (People's Party)
1900 - Populist Party nomination for US President - defeated
1900 - Union Reform Party nomination for US President - defeated
Other occupations: attorney, author, novelist, poet, real estate developer, newspaper editor, Liaison officer (Dakota War of 1862)
Buried: Calvary Cemetery (Saint Paul, Minn.)
Notes:
His father was an Irish immigrant.
Left the Catholic Church in the 1850s.
Was a partner in developing the utopian community of Nininger City but it failed.
Buried in the same cemetery as Kaaren Verne, Peter Lorre's second wife.
He wrote Atlantis: The Antediluvian World in 1882, which influenced Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and
in turn the Nazis own mythology and Donnelly also helped spark the revival that led the modern
New Age belief that Atlantis once existed as a sophisticated civilization.
He wrote Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel in 1883, which is said to have influenced Immanuel
He wrote Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel in 1883, which is said to have influenced Immanuel
Velikovsky's Worlds in Collision (1950)
He wrote The Great Cryptogram in 1888, where he revealed himself as part of the Baconian school
He wrote The Great Cryptogram in 1888, where he revealed himself as part of the Baconian school
of thought regarding the authorship of works attributed to William Shakespeare.
Under the name "Edmund Boisgilbert, M.D." he wrote Caesar's Column: A Story of the Twentieth
Under the name "Edmund Boisgilbert, M.D." he wrote Caesar's Column: A Story of the Twentieth
Century in 1890 which is a dystopian novel set in the year 1988.
In 1857 left the Democratic Party for the Republican Party due to his aversion to slavery.
Campaigned for the Liberal Republican ticket in 1872.
If elected he would not have lived long enough to be sworn as he died of a heart attack New Year's
In 1857 left the Democratic Party for the Republican Party due to his aversion to slavery.
Campaigned for the Liberal Republican ticket in 1872.
If elected he would not have lived long enough to be sworn as he died of a heart attack New Year's
Day 1901.
When accused by Rep. Elihu Washburne (Ill.) of taking bribes from railroad corporations, Donnelly
When accused by Rep. Elihu Washburne (Ill.) of taking bribes from railroad corporations, Donnelly
gave a foul-nouthed reply on the floor of the House that essentially ended his career in Congress and
included "If there be one character which, while blotched and spotted all over, yet raves and rants
and blackguards like a prostitute; if there be one bold, bad, empty bellowing demagogue, it is the
gentleman from Illinois.”
Was known by his contemporaries as the "Sage of Nininger" and also "The Prince of Cranks."
Was known by his contemporaries as the "Sage of Nininger" and also "The Prince of Cranks."
