The decade of the 1910s was tumultuous and a time of great change. There was World War I (also known as the Great War), the influenza pandemic (often referred to by the "Spanish Flu" misnomer), the rise of progressivism, and the women's suffrage movement.
For the state of North Dakota, it was a fluctuating time politically. In 1915, the Nonpartisan League (NPL), led by the charismatic A. C. Townley, was formed. The NPL had a progressive platform calling for many reforms, including state-run programs and institutions, which would directly challenge the "Big Business" stranglehold on banking, mills and elevators, railroads, etc. The NPL was not a political party. It was a political organization, and both Republicans and Democrats were members and sought the NPL's endorsement.
The NPL had great appeal to many residents of North Dakota, especially farmers, and its membership and influence grew quickly.
In 1916, the NPL began sweeping into state office. Lynn J. Frazier, a farmer from Hoople and a political unknown, was elected Governor of North Dakota in a landslide on the endorsement of the NPL. The NPL also gained majority control of the state's House of Representatives.
In 1916, other candidates elected or re-elected to state offices on the NPL's endorsement included:
A political cartoon published in the January 6, 1919, issue of the "Nonpartisan Leader" (vol. 8, no. 1), the official publication of the Nonpartisan League (NPL). The cartoon, drawn by John M. Baer, depicts a woman (labeled as "Democracy") pointing to North Dakota on a large map. A seated man (presumably "Uncle Sam") looks at the map. The caption reads "Don't become discouraged - There is one bright spot where the people rule and we have real democracy in America - Your day is coming!"
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