Chapter 20 POLITICAL REALIGNMENTS IN THE 1890s Copyright 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman America Past and Present Eighth Edition Divine  Breen  Fredrickson  Williams  Gross  Brand

Politics of Stalemate ________ was a major fascination of the late nineteenth century ___________ made up bulk of electorate –Women may vote in national elections only in _________________________________ –Black men denied vote by _______________ _________

The Party Deadlock Post-Civil War Democratic party divides electorate almost evenly with Republicans Democrats emphasize _________________________ _______________ Republicans see government as agent to promote _________________________________________ One-party control of both Congress and White House rare Each party has safe states, control of federal government rests with 6 “doubtful” states in North and Midwest Federal influence wanes, state control rises

Experiments in the States State government commissions investigate, regulate railroads, factories Munn v. Illinois (1877) _______________ __________________________________ Wabash case (1886) prompts establishment of ___________________ _______________________ ICC prototype for modern regulatory agencies

Reestablishing Presidential Power Presidency hits nadir under Johnson Later presidents reassert executive power – Hayes ended ________________________ – Garfield asserted ____________________ – Arthur strengthened ___________________ – Cleveland used veto to curtail ___________ ___________________________

The Election of 1880

The Election of 1884

Republicans in Power: The Billion-Dollar Congress 1888: Republicans control both ________ _________________________ 1890: Adoption of Reed Rules permits enactment of _______________________

Tariffs, Trusts and Silver 1890: McKinley Tariff raises ________________ ___________ Dependents Pension Act: By 1893, 1 million receiving pensions from union army 1890: Sherman Anti-Trust Act ______________ ___________ –U.S. vs. E.C. Knight clarifies that law does not apply to manufacturers 1890: Sherman Silver Purchase Act moves country toward _________________________

The 1890 Elections “Billion Dollar” Congress alienates people Republicans also assert activist government policies on state level – ____________________ – _______________ – ________________________________ 1890: Alienated voting blocks turn out Republican legislators

The Rise of the Populist Movement __________________________________ provide base of support The National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union the result

The Farm Problem Worldwide agricultural economy causes great fluctuations in supply and demand Farmers’ complaints – ____________________________________ __________________________ – ____________________________________ – ____________________________________ __________________________ Conditions of farmers vary by region General feeling of ___________________

Selected Commodity Prices

The Fast-Growing Farmers' Alliance ______: Southern Alliance begins Alliance movement segregated, Colored Farmer’s National Alliance –______________________________________ 1889: Regional Alliances merge into _______ _____________________ Division in the South –Tillman: Capture existing Democratic party to ___________________________ –Tom Watson and Leondias Polk urge new party Starting 1890, Alliance runs candidates –Speakers like Mary “Yellin’” Lease promote Alliance candidates

The Fast-Growing Farmers' Alliance: Ocala Demands System of government warehouses to ___________________________ Free coinage of ________ _______________ Federal income tax _________________ of Senators Regulation of railroads

The People's Party Southern Alliance splits from Democrats to form ______________ Southern Populists recruit African Americans, give them ________________ 1892: Populist presidential candidate James Weaver draws over one million votes –Loses South to _______________________ ______________________________ –Loses _________________ Alliance wanes after 1892 elections

The Crisis of the Depression Economic crisis dominated the 1890s _______________________________ _______________________________

The Panic of 1893 February, 1893: Failure of ___________ ________________ sparks panic on New York Stock Exchange Investors sell stock to _______________ Depleted Treasury shakes confidence May, 1893: Market hits record low, business failures displace ___________ _____________ 1894: Corn crop fails

Coxey's Army and the Pullman Strike 1894: Jacob Coxey led “Coxey’s Army” to Washington to demand relief Pullman strike joined by Eugene Debs’ American Railway Union ____________ ____________________ President Cleveland suppressed strikes with _____________________________

The Miners of the Midwest United Mine Workers strike of 1894 “Old miners”: ______________________ _____________________________ “New miners”: _____________________ Strike pits new miners against old

A Beleaguered President Cleveland repeals ___________________ to remedy Panic of 1893 Repeal _________________________ Repeal makes silver a political issue Democrats renege on promise of lower tariff

Breaking the Party Deadlock Election of 1894 reduced Democrats to a sectional southern organization Republicans ____________________ _________________ Republicans became majority elsewhere

Changing Attitudes ____________________ forced recognition of structural causes of unemployment Americans accepted the need for government intervention _____________ ______________________

“Everybody Works but Father” Women and children paid lower wages, _______________________________ Employers _________________________ after depression to hold down costs

Changing Themes in Literature Depression encouraged ______________ Mark Twain’s characters ______________ William Dean Howells, Stephen Crane portrayed grim life of the poor Frank Norris attacked ________________ __________________ Theodore Dreiser presented humans as helpless before vast _________________ _______________

The Presidential Election of 1896 Free coinage of silver the main issue – _______________________ – _____________________________ New voting patterns emerged and national policy shifted

The Mystique of Silver “Free and independent coinage of silver” –Set ratio of silver to gold at ______ –U.S. mints coined all silver offered to them –U.S. coined silver regardless of other nations’ policies ________ believed amount in circulation determined level of economic activity A moral crusade for the common people

Republicans and Gold Candidate: ____________________ Silverite Republicans defeated on convention floor Promised gold standard ______________ ____________

The Democrats and Silver Candidate: ____________________ ________________ promised in "Cross of Gold" speech Democrats were enthusiastic

Campaign and Election Populist party endorsed __________ Bryan offered return to rural, religious U.S. McKinley defended _________________ ____________ Election was a clear victory for ________, utter rout of Populist party

The McKinley Administration McKinley took office at depression’s end An __________ president ________________ raised rates to record highs 1900: U.S. placed on _______________ 1900: McKinley won landslide reelection against _____________________

The Election of 1900

A Decade’s Dramatic Changes September, 1901: __________________ ___________________ became president