In a time of despair and depression, a glimmer of light shone amidst the darkness, Frank Baum's classic work of fiction, The Wizard of Oz. In 1900, The Wizard of Oz was published. The late 19th century was hard on the average American worker, especially farmers. Droughts, tariffs and deflation have plunged farmers into economic depression. They relied on the railroads to transport their goods north, so the railroad companies took advantage and raised prices. Additionally, the government imposes high taxes and customs duties on their products. Farmers lost money. Frank Baum also struggled; The Wizard of Oz was his way of escaping the dark times. He wanted to produce happier fairy tales and create a new genre for children and young adults; writing The Wizard of Oz was his way of doing it. Baum wrote the novel during a time called the Populist movement and many believe this influenced the plot. Before long, The Wizard of Oz was flying off the shelves and spreading quickly across America. The Library of Congress, the official library of the United States, recognized his achievement and for years the novel was selected for "The Books That Shaped America", a list of books selected throughout the country by the Library of Congress. Frank Baum captured the hearts of young and old with The Wizard of Oz, but what was supposed to be the new "sweet fairy tale" turned into a controversial political scandal, making it a book immensely popular, inspiring writers and young literature enthusiasts. similar works. Baum's aspiration was to create a new type of fairy tale called "Wonderful Tale"; Given that the book was published in the midst of an economic struggle, its optimism and inspiration made it stand out....... middle of paper ......The Wizard of Oz in economics. " Journal Of Economic Education 33.3 (2002): 254-264. Business Source Elite. December 7, 2013. Murphy, B. Keith. Frank Baum." Great Lives from History: The Nineteenth Century. Ed. Powell John. 4 flights. Salem Press, 2007. Salem History Web. December 7, 2013. Randall, Jessy. “The Wizard of Oz.” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast Vol. 5. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 162-164. Gale Reference Library Web. for students. Ed. Elizabeth Thomason. Flight. 13. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 309-331. Web, "Wizard of Oz". A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Flight. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 104-105 Web.. 2013.