ELECTION OF 1868 The Candidates: Republicans: U.S. Grant Civil War HERO Democrats: Horatio Seymour Governor of New York The Campaign The Republicans promised continued radical reconstruction in the South, while the Democrats promised swifter reintegration of the South. The Democrats attacked the Republicans for reconstruction and attacked Grant for being a drunkard. The Republican claimed the Democrats were going to give up all that was accomplished in the Civil War (wave the bloody shirt). Ultimately, it was Grant's personal popularity that determined the election. The Results of the Election 1868 GRANT SEYMOUR Electoral vote 214 80 States carried 26 8 3,013,650 2,708,744 52.7% 47.3% Popular vote Percentage ELECTION OF 1872 The Candidates: Republican: Ulysses S. Grant Running For Re-Election Liberal Republican & Democrat: Horace Greeley Newspaper Editor from New York The Campaign of 1872 The Republican platform (Grant) condemned racial and religious discrimination and called for granting women greater rights. Horace Greely had at various time been a supporter of spiritualism, prohibition, vegetarianism and socialism, and thus an easy target of Republican attacks.. Greeley’s (Democrat & Liberal Republican) campaign primarily on the theme of "more honest government“ He wished to protest the corruption of the Grant administration. He also campaigned for and end of radical reconstruction. Greeley received support from most of the South, while Grant received support from most Northerners and most business interests. Most Americans still found Grant popular, and were convinced that he was not responsible for the corruption in his administration. Thus, Grant was re-elected!!! The Results of the Election of 1872 GRANT GREELEY Electoral vote 286 66 (pledged before death) States carried 31 6 3,598,235 2,834,761 55.6% 43.8% Popular vote Percentage PRESIDENT GRANT Term: 18th President of the United States (1869-1877) Born: April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio Nickname: "Hero of Appomattox“ “Sam or Uncle Sam” Physical Description: 5’7” muscular Personality: Very prudish, superstitious, very serious soldier, hated dirty jokes, hated hunting, could not stomach animal blood, a streak of feminine, it was like he was ½ woman… Childhood: loved horses…Hated working at fathers tannery Recreation: loved to smoke cigars & loved to race horses Education: U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York (graduated 1843) Religion: Methodist Marriage: August 22, 1848, to Julia Boggs Dent (18261902) Children: 4 (3 boys and 1 girl) Career: Soldier.. Mexican War, stationed at Detroit, San Francisco, Vancouver, Oregon Terr. & Civil War Political Party: Republican President Grant’s Administration RECONSTRUCTION: Continues Federal occupation of the South (Stays with Radical Republican Plan), 1872: Dismantles the Freeman’s Bureau. Congress gives him power in the Force Bill… He threatens to use Armed Force against states that denied blacks the right to vote. Against KKK, Supports the Civil Rights Act of 1875: It gave blacks “Full & Equal” rights… (declared unconstitutional in 1883) TREATY OF WASHINGTON: Between the United States and Great Britain, damages paid to USA for Union ships sunk during Civil War by Confederate ships make in Britain…$15,500,000 paid to USA PANIC OF 1873: Failure of the Jay Cooke & Company in September of 1873 caused a financial panic and led to a 5 year Depression. Also contributing to the Depression: over extension of the railroads, Chicago Fire of 1871 (hurt insurance companies) and a depression in Europe… RESULTS: 3 million people unemployed Business failure totaled $500,000,000 PASSING OF THE 15TH AMENDMENT: Universal Manhood Suffrage SCANDALS Even though Grant was incorruptible his administration had 5 major scandals… JAM,ES FISK 1. BLACK FRIDAY: Speculators James Fisk and Jay Gould will try to corner the gold market. To help their cause and to keep the government out of their plans they hire the Presidents brother-inlaw (who pledges that Grant would not ruin their scheme), and arrange to be seen with the President. Fisk & Gould start buying up all the gold driving up the prices… Grant figures it out and orders $4 million in Federal gold sold, this drops price of gold way down…it will end the crisis HOWEVER… it will ruin many people and businesses on Black Friday, September 24, 1869 JAY GOULD JAMES FISK 2. CREDIT MOBILIER: Representative Oakes Ames of Massachusetts and Thomas C. Durant were prominent stockholders in the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1867 the two cooperated in forming Crédit Mobilier, a dummy construction company fobbed off as responsible for completing the transcontinental railway's last 600 miles. In the process, U.P. stockholders and the federal government were bilked out of millions of dollars. When it appeared that an investigation was going to be launched, Ames bribed influential congressmen and was able to head off scrutiny. Nevertheless, the fraud was exposed in 1872. It was apparent that Vice president Schuyler Colfax had been bribed with stock. House Speaker James A. Garfield was linked to the dealings, but his participation was never proven. Despite the loss of $20 million (a huge sum in the 1870s), no prosecutions ever occurred. 3. DELINQUENT TAX CORRUPTION: Treasury Secretary William Richardson hired John Sanborn as a special agent in charge of collecting delinquent taxes… Sanborn was allowed to keep 50% of all revenue collected. A House investigation in 1874 revealed Sanborn collected over $400,000 and kept ½ of it… Treasury Secretary Richardson was forced to resign… WILLIAM RICHARDSON 4. WHISKEY RING: In the years following the Civil War, federal liquor taxes were raised to extremely high rates to help pay off the cost of the fighting. In order to avoid the high tax, many of the nation’s distillers bribed officials in the Department of the Treasury, receiving tax stamps at a fraction of their face value. Treasury Secretary Benjamin H. Bristow eventually caught wind of the dishonesty and launched a massive investigation in 1875. In the end, more than 100 officials were convicted. Grant, much to his discredit, successfully shielded his private secretary, Orville E. Babcock. 5. BELKNAP BRIBERY: In 1876 it was revealed that War Secretary W. W. Belknap had been taking annual kickbacks from traders at Indian post… In the beginning Belknap’s wife received the payments, But when she died, he continued to receive the payments… He was Impeached by the House of Representatives but will be acquitted because he will resign before the trial. PRESIDENT GRANT’S RETIREMENT The Ex-President and his wife will take a world tour… Grant is treated like a HERO!!! In 1880 almost gets nominated to run for President In 1884, Grant goes bankrupt with his company, Grant & Ward… Grant loses everything… P. T. Barnum tries to help…want to buy his war trophies. Mark Twain helps by paying Grant to write his memoirs. Also Congress helps by restoring him to General with full pay!! Grant will die on July 23, 1885 of throat cancer GRANT WILL BE RATED 23 OUT OF 43 PRESIDENTS GRANTS LAST DAYS GRANTS TOMB…NEW YORK TOMB OF MR. & MRS. GRANT