CHAPTER 16: POLITICS &
REFORM
1877-1896
SECTION 1: STALEMATE IN WASHINGTON
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
Rutherford B. Hayes is in
office in 1877
Tried to make some
reforms so that people got
government jobs based on
qualifications, not
political connections.
Sets up a political fight
with the party bosses

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
“stalwarts” vs.
“halfbreeds”
Hayes decides not to
run again
Election of 1880:
James Garfield and
Chester Arthur as his
VP. This formed a
mixed ticket…
 President
Rutherford B. Hayes was the
first to attempt civil service reform to end
patronage
FIGHT WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
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“Stalwarts” vs.
“Halfbreeds”
Both factions of the
Republican party
Stalwarts are allied with
the party bosses and
political machines. Had
also been angered by the
party’s end of
Reconstruction because it
allowed the Democrats to
regain the South, so they
weren’t going to support
Hayes for reelection.

Halfbreeds were the
reformers who had gained
office under Hayes but
were considered “wolves in
sheep’s clothing” who were
just in it for the jobs.
Sets up a fight within the
party going into the
Election of 1880. James
Garfield is nominated for
president and Chester
Arthur for VP and this is a
“mixed ticket” of a
“stalwart” and a
“halfbreed”
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Garfield is president
after having won the
election of 1880.
His VP is Chester
Arthur
What happened to
Garfield? Why? See p.
492
What was Guiteau’s
motivation?
What does this show
about the power of the
spoils system
(patronage)?

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Why did Garfield’s
assassin think his death
was necessary?
What does it mean that he
says he’s a “Stalwart of
stalwarts?”
The response to Garfield’s
death is the passage of the
Pendleton Act by
Congress.
Created the Civil Service
Commission
Government jobs to be
based on the merit system,
not patronage.
CHANGES IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
Where do the two
parties get their
support?
 Use the info on p. 493
to make a chart
comparing and
contrasting the
Democrats and
Republicans
 What were the
traditional voting
patterns?

How did the system in
the 1870s and 1880s
give advantages to the
parties? Which party
benefitted in the
House? In the
Senate? See p. 493494
 How does this impact
presidential elections
during this time
period? See p. 494

ELECTION OF 1884: ENTER THE
MUGWUMPS
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The candidates: Grover
Cleveland,(D) governor of
NY
Major policy position was
his stance against
Tammany Hall
James G. Blaine (R),
former House member and
party leader in Maine.

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Focused on personal
morals of the candidates
since political corruption
was the key issue in the
campaign
Was Blaine hiding his
involvement with the
Credit Moblier scandal
when he was in the House?
Some Republicans have
doubts so they split off to
nominate their own
candidate.
Called the Mugwumps,
Algonquin for “great
chiefs”
CLEVELAND’S ADMINISTRATION

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
Wins a very close election
“This dreadful…office-seeking
hangs over me and surrounds
me, and makes me feel like
resigning”
1st Democrat in office since
before the Civil War, so lots of
people expected political favors

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Main focus is economic issues
Labor unrest such as the
Haymarket Riot
Americans’ distrust of big
business (ex. rebates)
Supreme Court forces federal
attention to the issue in the
Wabash case.
Congress responds to the
decision by passing the
Interstate Commerce Act,
which creates the Interstate
Commerce Commission
This was Congress’ 1st law
aimed at regulating interstate
commerce.
In practice, this was very
difficult to enforce because it
relied on court rulings
CLEVELAND’S ADMINISTRATION
CONTINUED
Economic issues
continued:
 Tariffs are back!
 Do we still need to
protect
weak/emerging
industries? Or are
prices artificially high
and so it’s harder to
compete?
 Trade war?

Who would benefit the
most from high
tariffs?
 This becomes the key
issue in the election of
1888

ELECTION OF 1888
Republicans hope to
regain the White
House, so they
nominate Benjamin
Harrison
 Campaign
contributions pour in
from industrialists
 Focus is on high
tariffs

Grover Cleveland is
running for re-election
and says he’ll lower
tariffs.
 Popular vote and
electoral vote are
split: Harrison lost
the popular vote to
Cleveland, but won in
the electoral college.

REPUBLICANS REGAIN CONTROL

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Take back the White
House with the election
(sort of) of Harrison
Also win majorities in
both the House and
Senate
Congress passes the
McKinley Tariff to make
good on campaign
promises.
Who gains and who
loses? See p. 497

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Veterans’ pensions are
also increased
These two together lead
to a loss of revenue and
the US starts running a
deficit.
Key piece of legislation
under Harrison’s
administration is the
Sherman Antitrust Act
SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT

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The courts are slow to
implement the law, so
this act, like the ICC,is
more about setting
precedent than making
immediate changes.
What’s a trust again?


So has the federal
government really
solved any of the key
political issues in this
time period?
Can the Republicans
and Democrats offer any
solutions? If not, what’s
an alternative?
SECTION 2: POPULISM


Populism is most closely
associated with farmers
in this period, but it had
other supporters also.
Farmers were angry
about:
Dropping crop prices
 Deflation & inflation
 The money supply

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Why is deflation particularly
bad for farmers?
In response, Oliver H Kelley
founded the Patrons of
Husbandry, AKA the Grange
Grangers had some specific
goals. What were they? See
p. 502
Three things…
WAS THE GRANGE SUCCESSFUL?
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Create a chart that shows
what they tried to do and if it
worked or not. See p. 502
Farmers don’t just give up.
Creation of the Farmers’
Alliance
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Key strategy for the
alliance was to create
cooperatives called
exchanges
How did these work? Did
they have an impact on
farmers’ problems? See p.
503
What other two strategies
did the Farmers’ Alliance
try?
SEC 2 POPULISM
 Populism
was a
political movement in
the 1890’s that helped
farmers and to push for
Bimetallism
THE RISE OF POPULISM
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The Ocala Demands
Issued by the Farmers’
Alliance as a kind of
voters’ guide to help
farmers choose
candidates in the 1890
elections.
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The demands included:
Putting the subtreasury
plan into effect if elected
Free coinage of silver
End tariffs
End the national bank
(Bank of the United
States)
Tighter regulation of the
railroads
Direct election of
senators by the people
and not state
legislatures (17th
amendment)
POPULISM CONTINUED
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Many Democrats were
elected, especially in the
South by agreeing to the
Ocala Demands, but
once in office they didn’t
follow through
Those voters who
supported the Farmers’
Alliance lose faith in the
Democratic Party and
decide to support the
People’s Party
ELECTION OF 1896

Democrats nominate
William Jennings
Bryan
Also supported by
the People’s Party
 Supports free silver
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Republicans choose
William McKinley as
their candidate
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Promised a “full dinner
pail”
Supported by the
country’s business
leaders
Opposes free silver as
bad for the economy
More gold and silver
discovered in Alaska
and the Yukon
territory, ending the
money supply shortage
MCKINLEY WINS!
No real reason for the
People’s Party to
continue.
 Still exists today but
this was its high point
in being an influence
on national politics.

SECTION 3: THE RISE OF SEGREGATION
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Many AfricanAmericans in the South
had become
sharecroppers after the
Civil War.
Remember debt
peonage?
Many chose to leave the
South in search of better
opportunities

“Benjamin “Pap”
Singleton and the
Exodusters went to
Kansas

Formation of the
Colored Farmers’
National Alliance
Set up cooperatives
 Voted for and supported
the Populist Party
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Democrats in the south
were threatened by this
rise in political power
and appealed to poor
white racism
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Poll taxes
Literacy tests
LEGALIZING SEGREGATION
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Segregation existed in
both the North and the
South but was codified
in law in the South
Known as Jim Crow
laws
Supreme Court struck
down the Civil Rights
Act of 1875
Southern states passed
laws enforcing
segregation in public
places


Plessy v. Ferguson
upheld segregation by
creating the doctrine of
“separate but equal”
Became the legal
justification for
segregation for 50+
years until it is struck
down later by Brown v.
Board of Education
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN
RESPONSE

Ida B. Wells

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Led a movement against
lynching
Wrote a book and newspaper
articles

Booker T. Washington

Urged a focus on achieving economic
goals rather than focusing on legal or
political goals

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Legal and political/social goals will be
achieved when they earn the respect of
whites.
Explained his reasoning in a famous
speech called the Atlanta Compromise
Was challenged by other African
American leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois

Argued that African Americans should
demand their rights and respect of
whites