TH1/31-F2/1/13; M1/9/12; F1/7/11; M1/11/10; W
1/14/09
Politics in Late 19th Century
(Ch. 21.1-21.3; pp. 585-605)
Q: What were the most important political
issues of the late 19th Century?
Q: How were the issues dealt with?
I.
Political Trends
A. Democrats
• Dem support
– “solid South”
– urban areas
• political machines (Jim Pendergast, KC; Boss Tweed NYC)
• some exceptions - George Cox - Cin (Rep.)
B. Republicans
• Rep. support
– rural, small-town NE, MW
– Nativists, businessmen, C.W. veterans (GAR)
– “waving the bloody shirt” - C.W. reminder
I.
Political Trends (cont.)
C. General Trends
• often focused on swing states - CT, NJ, NY, IN, IL
• high voter turnout – why?
– often 80% (compare to today)
• focused on local issues rather than national
• little national legislation - Why?
– laissez-faire
• people looked local, state rather than national
I.
Political Trends (cont.)
D. National Elections
• close Presidential elections
• many Rep. Presidents, but most were close
– only Dem was Cleveland - 1884, 1892
• Congress split
– Reps usually controlled Senate
– HofR split by parties
II. Major Issues
• Overview
• several main issues:
– money
– spoils system/civil service reform
– tariffs
– pensions
– farmers
II. Major Issues (cont.)
A. Money (cont.)
• paper vs. specie
• Greenback Party
• mostly popular among farmers
– wanted more money to lessen debt (despite inflation)
• silver as secondary gold standard - bimetallism
– Bland-Allison Act (1878)
– Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)
• increased money supply but not as much as
hoped
II. Major Issues (cont.)
A. Money (cont.)
• gold standard supported by corporate
interests and wealthy
– wanted to ensure money values
• Gold Standard Act of 1900
– confirms gold as basis of currency
– $150M in gold reserves
– worried about future panics
II. Major Issues (cont.)
B. Spoils System/Civil Service Reform
• Republican split
– Stalwarts (Roscoe Conkling, Grant, Arthur) vs.
– Half Breeds (Garfield, James G. Blaine)
• Mugwumps supported Cleveland in 1884
• Civil Service Reform League - 1881
• culminated in Pendleton Civil Service Act
II. Major Issues (cont.)
C. Tariffs
•
•
•
•
•
generally high protective tariff
source of federal income (pre-income tax)
favored by corporations
many farmers wanted lower tariffs
support generally depended on district
II. Major Issues (cont.)
D. Pensions
•
•
•
•
GAR pensions
many were not legitimate
few wanted to tackle veteran support (esp. Reps)
Cleveland tried to reform
– vetoed bill for all disabilities
– restricted to disabilities due to war injuries
• Pension Act of 1890
– liberal pension plan passed under Harrison
II. Major Issues (cont.)
E. Farmers
• Grange Movement
– informal began in MW – 1867
– social as well as political
– fueled by Panic of 1873
• Farmer’s Alliance - 1873
– major concerns?
– RR, silver, money, tariff
• culminated in Populist Party
• earlier supported Greenback Party
II. Major Issues (cont.)
F. Segregation/Jim Crow
• Dem Redemption gov’t
• confirmed by Plessy v. Ferguson
– “separate but equal”
– de jure segregation
• voting restrictions
– poll tax
– literacy tests
– grandfather clause
III. Panic of 1893
• overspeculation of RR
– collapse of Phi. & Reading RR
• lack of credit, not enough money available
– currency under $100M
• devastating depression set in, 1893-97
• unemployment hits 20% (highest to date)
• Close: How would people respond to issues &
concerns?
– Rise of Populists to act on agrarian discontent
F2/1/13; T1/10/12; H1/15/09
Populist Movement & Election
of 1896
Ch. 21.4; pp. 605-607
I. Rise of Populists
Intro/Overview
– agrarian discontent
– RR’s, tariffs, currency (silver, paper)
A.
Earlier Movements
1. Grange - 1867
• social as well as political & economic
• informal, regional
• state level success, not nat’l
A. Earlier Movements (cont.)
2. Farmer’s Alliance - 1873
• MW to S.
• S. was segregated: White (Farmers All.); Black
(Colored Farmers All.)
3. Populists
• Tom Watson (GA) briefly integrated
B. Farmer’s Concerns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
more silver coinage
income tax
gov’t ownership of telephone, telegraph, RR
8-hour work day
direct election of U.S. Senators
1-term limit for Pres.
initiative & referendum (more democratic)
limits on immigration
little action taken at time, but most would
happen under Prog.
C. Coxey’s Army
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jacob Coxey - OH businessman & Populist
wants gov’t to fund public works
threatens march on DC
Coxey’s Army grew (several 1000 men)
arrested on Capitol grounds
many programs used under New Deal
D. Election of 1892
• Cleveland (Dem.) defeats Benjamin Harrison
(Rep.)
• Significant 3rd party
• James B. Weaver - Populist candidate
• Over 1M votes (8.5%) and 22 electoral votes mostly in MW (KN)
II. Election of 1896
• William McKinley (“Front Porch” campaign) (Rep.)
• Mark Hanna – campaign manager
• William Jennings Bryan “Gold Tongued Orator of
the Platte” (Dem – Neb.)
• “Cross of Gold” Speech
• nominated by Dems & Populists
• McKinley wins 271-176 electoral (51-48 pop.)
• WJB: 3-time loser (1896, 1900, 1908)
• Wizard of Oz comparison & discussion