1. Chapter Ninth Edition America: Past and Present America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Political Realignments in the 1890s 20

2. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Politics of Stalemate Politics was a major fascination of the late nineteenth century – seen as entertainment Political ideology did not determine vote White males made up bulk of electorate –Women allowed to vote in national elections only in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado –Black men denied vote by poll tax, literacy tests – grandfather clause (could vote if grandfather eligible to vote)

3. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Party Deadlock Post-Civil War Democratic party divides electorate almost evenly with Republicans Each party has safe states Federal influence declines, state control rises

4. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Experiments in the States Early state commissions established to investigate, regulate railroads Weak and advisory in nature Munn v. Illinois (1877) upholds constitutionality of state investigations

5. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Experiments in the States Wabash case (1886) prompts establishment of Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) ICC prototype for modern regulatory agencies ICC first federal regulation – regulate railroads but came to regulate all areas of govenment

6. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Reestablishing Presidential Power Presidency hits nadir under Johnson Later presidents reassert executive power – Hayes gained presidency after disputed election of 1876 and ended military Reconstruction – Garfield asserted leadership of his party – assassinated in office – Arthur strengthened navy, civil service reform – Pendleton Act – Cleveland used veto to curtail federal activities, called for low tariffs

7. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Republicans in Power: The Billion-Dollar Congress 1890: Congress enacts “billion dollar” program Important because it shaped the future policy of nation and asserted federal authority

8. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Tariffs, Trusts, and Silver 1890: McKinley Tariff raises duties to historic high Democrats want tariffs lowered and Republicans want to keep them high to help businesses Dependents Pensions Act – l million receive pensions from union army 1890: Sherman Anti-Trust Act regulates big business (trusts) but was vague and at mercy of court

9. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Tariffs, Trusts, and Silver 1890: Sherman Silver Purchase Act moves country toward bi-metallic monetary system (gold and silver) Keeps limited silver coinage in circulation Supporters convinced free silver would help agrarian sectors

10. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Rise of the Populist Movement Discontented farmers of West and South provide base of support Regional Alliances merge into The National Farmers' Alliance and results in populist movement Purpose is to organize and politicize the farmer

11. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Farm Problem Worldwide agricultural economy causes great fluctuations in supply and demand Farmers’ complaints: – Lower prices for crops (although purchasing power rising) – Rising railroad rates (rates actually declining) – Onerous mortgages (loans permit production expansion) – Perception of loss of status in society

12. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Fast-Growing Farmers’ Alliance Farmers had ability to organize and voice their discontent 1889: Regional Alliances merge into National Farmer’s Alliance 1890, Alliance run candidates

13. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Fast-Growing Farmers’ Alliance: Ocala Demands System of government warehouses to hold crops for higher prices (subtreasury system) Free coinage of silver End protective tariffs Federal income tax Direct election of Senators Regulation of railroads

14. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The People’s Party 1892: Populist presidential candidate James Weaver draws over one million votes –Loses South to violence and intimidation by Southern Democrats –Loses urban areas Alliance wanes after 1892 elections

15. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Crisis of the Depression Economic changes of the period cause crisis and panic of the 1890s Railroads overbuilt, companies grew beyond their markets, farms and businesses went deeply in debt Panic of 1893 changed ideas about the role of the government

16. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Panic of 1893 Failure of major railroads spark panic on New York Stock Exchange Investors sell stock to purchase gold Depleted treasury shakes confidence and Cleveland faces Panic Cleveland sells bonds to purchase gold for treasury (J. P. Morgan)

17. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Panic of 1893 May, 1893: Market hits record low, business failures displace 2 million workers 1894: Corn crop fails – drought in farm belt Price of cotton below break-even point Eventually, 20 percent unemployment

18. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Coxey’s Army and the Pullman Strike 1894: Jacob Coxey led “Coxey’s Army” to Washington to demand relief/jobs Pullman strike, joined by Eugene Debs, American Railroad Union - closed Western railroads and gained national fame President Cleveland suppressed strikes with federal troops and injunction - Debs arrested Worker’s demands not met

19. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Miners of the Midwest United Mine Workers strike of 1894 “Old miners”: English and Irish workers, owners of small family mines “New miners”: 1880s immigrants Strike pits new miners against old

20. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands A Beleaguered President Cleveland repeals Sherman Silver Purchase Act to remedy Panic of 1893 Repeal fails to stop depression Repeal makes silver a political issue Democrats (Cleveland) failed to deliver on promise of lower tariff

21. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Breaking the Party Deadlock Election of 1894 reduced Democrats to a sectional southern organization Republicans swept congressional elections Republican doctrines of activism and national authority became popular

22. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Changing Attitudes Depression of 1893 forced recognition of structural causes of unemployment Americans accepted the need for government intervention to help the poor and jobless

23. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands “Everybody Works but Father” Women and children paid lower wages, displaced men during depression Employers retained women and children after depression to hold down costs

24. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Presidential Election of 1896 Main issue is currency – silver vs gold Democratic idea is free coinage of silver – Boost the money supply – Seen as solution to depression Republican party becames majority party as new voting patterns emerge and national policy shifts

25. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Mystique of Silver “Free and independent coinage of silver” –Set ratio of silver to gold at 16:1 –U.S. mints coined all silver offered to them –U.S. coined silver regardless of other nations’ policies Silverites believed amount in circulation determined level of economic activity – seen as simple answer to economic crisis A moral crusade for the common people

26. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Republicans and Gold 1896 election Candidate: William McKinley (Republican) Silverite Republicans defeated on convention floor Promised gold standard to restore prosperity McKinley backed by money and press

27. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The Democrats and Silver 1896 election Candidate: William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) Free silver promised in “Cross of Gold” speech Democrats were enthusiastic

28. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands Campaign and Election Populist party endorsed Bryan Bryan offered return to rural, religious U.S. McKinley defended urban, industrial society Election was a clear victory for McKinley, and Republicans became majority party

29. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands The McKinley Administration McKinley took office at depression’s end An activist president – regulation and control of industry 1900: U.S. placed on gold standard Friend of farmers and workers 1900: McKinley won landslide reelection against William Jennings Bryan

30. Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. America: Past and Present, Ninth Edition Divine Breen Frederickson Williams Gross Brands A Decade’s Dramatic Changes Consequence of Depression: Changed American ideas about government Created bitter fight over currency Brought about interest in activism Produced widespread business failures September, 1901: McKinley assassinated Theodore Roosevelt became president