Chapter 20 Political Realignments in the 1890s Summary: Panic of 1893 Four year depression Realignment of American politics

Politics of Stalemate The Party Deadlock Experiments in the States Electorate after Civil War divided evenly (Rep/De) Gov’t in Wash less important State/Local more imp. Experiments in the States Interstate Commerce Commission Reestablishing Presidential Power Hayes-ended reconstruction Garfield-asserted leadership before his assassination Chester Arthur-pushed for a strong navy & civil service reform Grover Cleveland-return to laissez-faire 1888-Cleveland won popular vote but lost the presidency to Benjamin Harrison, who won the electoral college

Republicans in Power: The Billion-Dollar Congress 1888-Republicans control the White House Passed the McKinley tariff in 1890 Granted pensions to veterans and their survivors Passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1890 Passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1890

Elections of 1890 & 1892 Alienation caused loss of House in 1890 1892-Republicans lost the White House Panic of 1893 May, 1893-stock market hit a record low 2 million ppl out of work 1894-drought destroyed corn crops

Coxey’s Army & the Pullman Strike Led by Jacob Coxey-1894 Marched on Washington demanding relief “armies” of jobless persons Pullman Strike Led by Eugene Debs Protested wage cuts and layoffs Pres. Cleveland-used federal troops to bring down the strike

The Miners of the Midwest Panic also felt in midwestern coal mines Composed of small, family mines Worked by english and irish mines Worked for lower wages United Mine workers called a strike in 1894 Quickly turned violent

A Beleaguered President President Cleveland Sherman Silver Purchase Act Created the depression Caused gold to flow out of the public treasury Repealed the act in 1893 Did not make a difference He also failed to lower tariff rates as promised

Breaking the Party Deadlock Cleveland’s failure to end the depression reduced the Democratic Party Republicans became the overwhelming majority Swept the 1894 congressional elections People endorsed the Republican doctrine of government