Watson, Thomas Edward (1856-1922), was one of the most important Southern leaders of the Populist Party in the United States. He was elected from Georgia to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1890. He then joined the new Populist Party, which represented the farmers (see Populism ). The Populists nominated him for vice president in 1896 and for president in 1904 and 1908. Watson later became a Democrat again. In 1920, he was elected to the Senate. He often promoted racial and religious prejudice. He opposed U.S. involvement in World War I (1914-1918) and the League of Nations, a forerunner to the United Nations. Watson was born on Sept. 5, 1856, near Thomson, Georgia. He died on Sept. 26, 1922.
