HISTORY 1DD3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 20: Foodborne Illness, Mckinley Tariff, Up From Slavery
22 Jun 2018
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Chp 20 Identifications
Political visions after Reconstruction
● Political parties in the late nineteenth century energized voters by appealing to
economic self-interest (pensions to veterans) and linking their programs to the
nature of family and the proper role of government.
● After the Civil War, Republicans justified their support for the tariff as a protection
for the family home and female wage workers, while Democrats countered by using
metaphors of seduction and suggesting that tariffs imperiled the family and
economy.
● Also, people turned to local or state authorities rather than to Washington. City and
state governments and different factions from each vied for power.
● Both parties correctly guessed that the other party engaged in election fraud.
● The appeal of family encouraged women to participate in politics. Although many
could not vote, the WCTU and other organizations added political pressure.
Party Support
● Democrats mainly ruled the South, where the prevailing view was that Republicans
were villains who devastated their lands and set up carpetbag govts.
● Democrats supported parochial schools, and had support of large immigrant pops.
● However, some immigrants, especially heavy-drinking Italians, German, and Irish,
drifted to the Republicans as the Democrats advocated temperance.
● The Republicans generally head support in the NE and NW, and “waved the bloody
shirt”, referring back to their triumphant Civil War victory.
● Protestants usually voted Republican, while Catholics voted for Democrats.
The “Money Question”
● In the 1870s politicians confronted a tough economic problem: how to create an
adequate money supply without producing inflation.
● Many believed the only trustworthy money was hard-money. In 1860, all federally
issued currency was gold, silver, or Treasury notes redeemable for gold/silver.
● Creditors believed this economic stability was good, whereas debtors wished for the
money supply to be extended. They split over the “greenbacks” that were still in
circulation. The Panic of 1873 sharpened the debate.
● The Greenback Party, founded in 1877, advocated an expanded money supply and
other measures that would benefit workers and farmers. With the labor unrest of
1877, they were able to gain 14 seats in Congress in the midterm elections of 1878.
● As prosperity returned, the Greenback Party faded.
● However, the money question remained.
● In 1873, Congress had demonetized silver, rarely produced in the US. However, new
silver discoveries saw debtors demand the govt. to resume circulation of silver.
● Silver forces saw Congress require the Treasury to mint silver dollars in 1878. But
the conservative Treasury refused to circulate the new minted silver dollars.
● Silver advocates tried a new approach in the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
(1890), which instructed the Treasury to purchase, mint, and issue silver as well as
Treasury notes redeemable in gold/silver. But silver prices began dropping in 1893,
and only slightly increased the money supply, dragging on the controversy.
President XIX: Rutherford B. Hayes
● Background Info: In this era, locally based politics dominated. They favored flexible
presidential candidates who would run party politics.
● As a lawyer and Civil War general wounded in action, Hayes fit the mold perfectly.
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● Hayes was able to restore respect after the Grant scandals, and was also able to
recognize the political strength of temperance movements such as the WCTU.
● Background Info: For decades the Spoils System (rotation in office) was practiced,
but this often placed unqualified and incompetent supporters in high positions.
● For years, a small but influential group of upper-class reformers including Carl
Schurz and EL Godkin campaigned for professional civil service based on merit.
● Hayes cautiously embraced the civil-service cause, and launched an investigation
into the corrupted NYC customs office, ordering the resignation of 2 high officials.
One of them, Chester A. Arthur, was Conkling’s top lieutenant.
● Hayes’ action won praise from civil-service reformers.
Election of 1880 & President XX: James A. Garfield
● In 1880, the Republicans nominated Garfield for president, and tried to soften the
blow to Conkling by choosing Arthur as running mate. The Democrats nominated
army officer Winfred Scott Hancock, and the Greenbacks nominated James
Weaver.
● Garfield won by a mere 40k votes out of 9.2m, and chose a Conkling opponent,
Blaine, as secretary. However, Garfield was soon assassinated.
President XXI: Chester A. Arthur
● Under new president Arthur, Congress enacted a civil-service law introduced by
George Pendleton. This act set up a commission to establish standards of merit.
● The Pendleton Civil Service Act, by creating a professional civil service, helped
bring the federal govt. closer to modernizing trends of society.
● Arthur pleasantly surprised those who expected him to be an utter disaster and a
puppet for the corrupt Conkling by turning out to be a mediocre president.
Election of 1884
● The Republicans nominated Blaine, their best know leader. But Blaine’s name had
been smirched in the corrupt Grant administration. Reacting to this weakness, the
Democrats chose Grover Cleveland, who had fought bosses.
● The shrewdness of the Democrats became apparent as Republican reformers,
nicknamed Mugwumps, defected to the Democrat party!
● But Cleveland had liabilities. He admitted that he fathered an illegitimate child, but
Republicans jeered “Ma, Ma, where’s my pa?”
● Cleveland barely managed to carry his own state (NY), but with it won the election.
President XXII: Grover Cleveland
● Cleveland fit the image of passive laissez-faire presidents, and used his veto,
warning people that govt. should not be expected to solve their economic problems.
● Background Info: The debate of tariff rates and on what item was a key talking point
in the 1880s. Farmers disliked tariffs as they inflated farm-equipment prices.
● Cleveland called for lower tariffs because high tariffs fed a growing budget surplus.
● With his laissez-faire stance, he believed this surplus could be used for welfare. On
the other hand, corporate leaders felt threatened by talk of low tariffs.
● Cleveland also took on the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), whose veterans’
pensions cost the govt. millions, by investigating and (rightfully) rejecting many
fraudulent pension claims.
Election of 1888
● By 1888 some influential interest groups concluded Cleveland must go.
● The Republicans turned to William Henry Harrison’s grandson Benjamin
Harrison.
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● Harrison’s quiet style led to a new style of electioneering. Managers, backed by $4m
from worried business leaders, purchased posters, buttons, and even votes!
● Despite such, Cleveland got a couple thousand votes more than Harrison. However,
Harrison carried the key states and won the election. Republicans gained/retained
control of both houses and the presidency.
President XXIII: Benjamin Harrison and the GAR
● Harrison swiftly rewarded his supporters, and appointed as commissioner of pensions
a GAR official. The pension rolls ballooned from $676k to $1m, becoming America’s
first large-scale welfare program. The republicans also enacted the McKinley Tariff
which pushed rates to an all-time high.
The Grange Movement
● Background Info: Settling in the West proved far riskier than many anticipated, with
horrible grasshopper infestations and tumbling wheat prices. Panic struck in 1873.
● When relief did not come, farmers set up a cooperative Grange or “Patrons of
Husbandry”. Membership climbed to more than 1.5m in the early 1870s.
● The Grange offered information, emotional support, and social gatherings. Grangers
endorsed the Jacksonian belief that farmers formed the true backbone of society.
● The Grange negotiated discounts and set up cash-only co-ops. They also tried to
eliminate the middlemen who made money at their expense and attacked railroads
that gave discounts to large shippers and charged higher rates for short runs.
● Grangers in IL, WI, MN, and IA passed laws fixing maximum rates for freight.
Railroads appealed to the Supreme Court against these “Granger laws”, but in
1877 Munn v. Illinois, the court rejected and upheld maximum rate for storage of
grain in IL.
● In 1886, the Court revised this position in Wabash v. Illinois by prohibiting states
from regulating interstate railroad rates. As a result, the ICC followed in 1887.
● Despite promising signs, the Grange soon faltered as laws they had set were
repealed and the cash-only co-ops failed (farmers rarely had cash on their hands).
● When the prices briefly revived in 1878, the Grange membership fell.
● Despite failure, the movement lay the groundwork for future agrarian protests.
The Alliance Movement
● The Alliance first arose in the South and West in the late 1870s as poor farmers
gathered to discuss their hardships. The alliance idea advanced eastward, where ⅓
of the southern farmers were tenant farmers under the crop-lien system.
● After Macune assumed leadership in 1887, the several regional organizations
merged into the National Farmers’ Alliance (Southern Alliance). A parallel black
organization, the National Colored Farmers’ Alliance, emerged as well. By 1890,
there were 3m in the Southern Alliance, and an additional 1.2m blacks.
● In the Great Plains, drought gave rise to the Northwestern Alliance.
● After initial co-ops failed, the movement turned toward politics. (continued below)
The Populist Party (AKA People’s Party)
● Southern Alliance leader Tom Watson urged blacks and whites to act together.
● Mary Lease was a fiery alliance orator, and other women rallied to the new
movement, founding the National Women’s Alliance in 1891.
● As the movement swelled, a political agenda took form. The Alliances loosely
merged and gained several seats and positions in the 1890 midterm elections.
● Their objective was to provide for govt. action on behalf of farmers and workers by
lowering tariffs, a graduated income tax, public ownership of RRs, funding for
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Document Summary
Political parties in the late nineteenth century energized voters by appealing to economic self-interest (pensions to veterans) and linking their programs to the nature of family and the proper role of government. Also, people turned to local or state authorities rather than to washington. City and state governments and different factions from each vied for power. Both parties correctly guessed that the other party engaged in election fraud. The appeal of family encouraged women to participate in politics. Although many could not vote, the wctu and other organizations added political pressure. Democrats mainly ruled the south, where the prevailing view was that republicans were villains who devastated their lands and set up carpetbag govts. Democrats supported parochial schools, and had support of large immigrant pops. However, some immigrants, especially heavy-drinking italians, german, and irish, drifted to the republicans as the democrats advocated temperance.
