Chapter 20

1. Chapter 20 Politics and Expansion in an Industrializing Age 1877-1900

2. Introduction • What were the issues and the political spoils that the Democrats and Republicans fought over? • What caused the rise of the grange, Farmers’ Alliances and the Populist Party? • What was at stake in the election of 1896 and what was the outcome? • Why did the United States go to war with Spain in 1898 and what was the result of the American victory?

3. Contested Political Visions • The Republicans and Democrats differed on tariffs and money supply • Both parties believed in limited government rights to regulate business or protection of worker’s welfare • Both parties were willing to subsidize corporate growth • State and local governments addressed the economic and social concerns of the people

4. Patterns of Party Strength • Main Democratic support came from the South, recent immigrants and Catholics • Republican support came from rural and small town New England, Pennsylvania and the upper Midwest. Most were native born and Protestant

5. The Hayes White House • The main accomplishment of Rutherford B. Hayes was restoring honesty to the White House and to overcome the scandals of the Grant Administration

6. Regulating the Money Supply • How much money should the government should issue and what should back it? • Bankers, Creditors, Businessmen, Economists and most Politicians believed in a tight money supply backed by the Gold Standard • Southern and Western Farmers riddled by debt wanted a softer money supply backed by the Gold and Silver Standard • They believed that a larger money supply would raise farm prices and make it easier for them to pay off debts. 1870 Greenback Party was formed to further the Gold and Silver Standard • Party did not last long but debate continued, 1890 Sherman Silver Purchase Act

7. The Spoils System • Initiated by Andrew Jackson • Carl Schurz and E.L. Godkin criticized the Spoils System and called for a Merit System of Civil Service

8. Civil Service Reform • James Garfield Assassinated by Charles Guiteau in 1881, second shortest serving President behind William Henry Harrison • Garfield supported Civil Service reform but Guiteau felt he was owed a job because of his support for Garfield. • Congress passed the Pendleton Act in 1883 • The Pendleton Act required Federal employees to pass a Civil Service Exam and did not allow Federal Employees to financially support political campaigns

9. 1884: Grover Cleveland • 1884- Republicans nominated James Blaine • Blaine seemed tainted by associated with the Grant Administration and his support for the Spoils System • Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland • Mugwumps (Republicans that supported the Pendleton Act) voted for Cleveland and won him the Presidency

10. Tariffs and Pensions • President Cleveland believed in Lassiez-faire economics • He did try to lower tariffs to remove funds from the government that he thought were a temptation for corruption, decrease prices for consumers and slow the growth of trusts • Lower tariffs appealed to farmers in the West and the South but alarmed industrialists • Cleveland also angered Civil War veterans when he halted wholesale disability pensions

11. 1888 Big Business Strikes Back • Tariff became a major issue in the election of 1888 • The Democrats nominated Cleveland again and the Republicans nominated Benjamin Harrison • Industrialists contributed heavily to the Republicans • Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the electoral college • 1890 Harrison and the Republicans passed the highest tariff of all time, they also passed a generous pension for Civil War vets

13. The Grange Movement • Agricultural prices drop in the 1870’s • Oliver H. Kelley tries to help farmers organize cooperatives to market their crops and buy supplies. • Lobbied for farmers to regulate the railroads • States passed Granger laws which were opposed by railroads as unconstitutional • Wabash Case 1886- States cannot regulate the railroads • Interstate Commerce Act created commission to oversee the practices of the railroads, did little to curb railroad abuses • Failures of the Granger laws led to a decrease in their popularity after the 1870’s

15. The Alliance Movement • Farmers felt their needs were not being met • With the failure of the Granger laws, farmers turned to alliances. • They joined the National, Southern and Colored Farmers Alliances. • Alliances called for tariff reduction, Graduated Income Tax, public ownership of the railroads, Silver standard, direct election of senators • 1892 Alliances formed the Populist party in Omaha Nebraska and nominated James Weaver for President

16. African-Americans after Reconstruction • Whites used intimidation and terror to deprive blacks the right to vote • After 1890 they used poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses • Segregation laws were passed in the South and lynching became more prominent • The Congress did nothing to protect black rights • Segregation was upheld by Plessey vs. Ferguson (1898) • Poll taxes and literacy tests were also upheld • Booker T. Washington- “Everybody’s money is green” • Frederick Douglass called upon blacks to demand full equality

17. 1892: Populists Challenge the Status Quo • 1892 Grover Cleveland regains the Presidency from Benjamin Harrison • Populist James Weaver receives more than 1 Million votes

18. The Panic of 1893 • Nation suffers a financial panic • Partly caused by Land Speculation, agricultural surpluses and failure to repay banks

19. The Depression of 1893-1897 • Banks and Businesses fail • 20-25% of the labor force is unemployed • 1894 Jacob Coxey leads a march of unemployed in Washington, He was arrested and the March ended

20. Business Leaders Hunker Down • Cleveland believed in Lassiez-faire economics. • He appeared heartless when he ordered military intervention in Coxey’s March and the Pullman Strike • Angered farmers with repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in defense of the Gold Standard • Cleveland’s actions split the Democratic party which supported “Free Silver”

21. 1894: Protest Grows Louder • 1894 midterm elections Congress goes Republican • Populists Party candidates rise 40% • Silver was looked upon as the economic savior by farmers • Critics felt it would cause inflation

22. Silver Advocates Capture the Democratic Party • 1896 Democratic Convention- Western and Southern delegates gain control • Platform included Populist ideas and Free Silver • Nominated William Jennings Bryan • Republicans nominated William McKinley who promised to maintain the Gold Standard and raise the tariff • Populists nominated Bryan as well but their own Vice president Tom Watson

23. 1896 Republicans Triumph • McKinley was largely supported by Big Business • Republicans kept the majority in Congress and the Presidency • Republicans kept the Gold Standard and raised a protective tariff to the highest levels ever • Republicans won again in 1900 because the economy began a turn around • Populist Party disintegrated after 1896, but, the major political parties began to adopt progressive policies after the 1900’s

24. Roots of Expansionism • US follows the examples of Europe in Asia and Africa • Idea is overseas markets will maintain prosperity • Alfred T. Mahan- The Influence of Sea Power- advocates a 2 ocean Navy • Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and John Hay see America as a great power and must continue to build and grow to maintain it’s position in the world • Josiah Strong advocates Christian Duty to spread Christianity and Civilization to inferior people groups • Social Darwinism

25. Pacific Expansion • Annexation of Hawaii • Queen Liliuokalani • Dole Pineapple

26. Crisis over Cuba • Cuba revolts against Spanish rule in 1895 • Spain tries to suppress the rebellion • William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer begin a Newspaper war for readership by sensationalizing the atrocities, Yellow Journalism • President McKinley sent the USS Maine to Havana Harbor to protect the lives and property of Americans living in the area. February 15, 1898 USS Maine explodes killing 266 crewmen • Yellow Journalism calls for retaliation and McKinley bows to pressure and asks for a declaration of war against Spain. Also, passed the Teller Amendment which stated that the US would allow Cuba to remain independent after hostilities

28. The Spanish-American War • Fighting lasted less than 4 months • Battle of San Juan Hill: July 1st 1898 • Spanish were driven out of Cuba by July of 1898 • Admiral George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay in August of 1898 • US occupied Cuba until 1902 in spite of the Teller Amendment • Platt Amendment recognized Cuba’s Independence in Domestic Relations, US controlled Foreign Relations

29. Critics of Empire • Carl Schurz, E.L. Godkin, William Jennings Bryan, Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, Jane Addams found Anti-Imperialists League • Senate ratified treaty annexing the Philippines in 1900 and McKinley defeated Bryan again in 1900 election

30. Guerrilla War in the Philippines 1898-1902 • McKinley was persuaded that the US should keep the Philippines to use as a way to penetrate Chinese and Japanese Markets • Filipino Rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo fought against the US. • US maintained control of Philippines until 1946