Political Realignments 1876‒1901

1. 20 Political Realignments 1876‒1901

2. Political Realignments, 1876‒1901 Politics of Stalemate Why was there a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats until the mid-1890s? The Rise of the Populist Movement What factors led to the formation and growth of the Farmers’ Alliance and People’s party? 20.1 20.2

3. Political Realignments, 1876‒1901 The Crisis of the Depression What were the main political and labor effects of the panic and depression of the 1890s? Changing Attitudes What changes in outlook did the panic and depression of the 1890s bring about? 20.3 20.4

4. Political Realignments, 1876‒1901 The Presidential Election of 1896 Why was the presidential election of 1896 so important? The McKinley Administration What did McKinley accomplish that placed the results of the 1896 election on a solid basis? 20.5 20.6

5. Video Series:Key Topics in U.S. History • Changing Political Landscape • Populist Party • Financial Crisis • The Age of Reform Home

6. Hardship and Heartache • The depression of the 1890s had profound and lasting effects • Rural hostility toward cities • Fight over currency • Changed attitudes to government, employment, and reform Home

7. Home

8. Politics of Stalemate • The Party Deadlock • Reestablishing Presidential Power • Republicans in Power: The Billion-Dollar Congress • Tariffs, Trusts, and Silver • The 1890 Elections Home

9. Politics of Stalemate • Politics fascinated country • Campaigns involved whole community • Average of 79 percent of electorate voted • Black men kept from polls in some areas • Poll taxes spread across the South • Literacy tests Politics of Stalemate

10. The Party Deadlock • Electorate split almost evenly • Democrats emphasized state’s rights and limited government • Republicans promoted moral progress and material wealth • One-party control of both Congress and White House rare • Each party had safe states • Federal influence waned Politics of Stalemate

11. Reestablishing Presidential Power • Presidency weakened by scandals • 1868 – Andrew Johnson’s impeachment • 1870s – scandals of Grant administration • 1876 – controversy over the election Politics of Stalemate

12. Reestablishing Presidential Power (continued) • Presidents reasserted executive power • Hayes made reforms and changes • Bland-Allison Silver Purchase Act • 1881 - Garfield succeeded Hayes • Arthur and the Pendleton Act • 1884 - Grover Cleveland Politics of Stalemate

13. Table 20.1 The Election of 1880 Politics of Stalemate

14. Table 20.2 The Election of 1884 Politics of Stalemate

15. Republicans in Power: TheBillion-Dollar Congress • Election of 1888 - most sweeping victory for either party in twenty years • In spite of Harrison’s narrow margin • Gave Republicans presidency and both houses of Congress • Seemed Republicans had broken party stalemate and become majority party Politics of Stalemate

16. Politics of Stalemate

17. Tariffs, Trusts, and Silver • 1890 – Many new laws • McKinley Tariff Act • Raised duties to historic high • Dependents Pensions Act • By 1893, 1 million Union army veterans and families receiving pensions • Sherman Antitrust Act • Regulated big business • United States v.E. C. Knight Politics of Stalemate

18. Tariffs, Trusts, and Silver (continued) • 1890 - Sherman Silver Purchase Act • Silver coinage had slipped into disuse • Rise in silver production glutted world market • Moved country toward bi-metallic monetary system Politics of Stalemate

19. Politics of Stalemate

20. The 1890s Elections • 1890 -“Billion-Dollar” Congress • Republicans in control • 1890 elections - voters crushed Republicans • Nebraska and Iowa switched to Democratic party Politics of Stalemate

21. Politics of Stalemate

22. Discussion Questions • Why was there a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats that lasted until the mid-1890s? • How did the Republican party’s vision shape the “Billion-Dollar Congress”? Politics of Stalemate

23. The Rise of the Populist Movement • The Farm Problem • The Fast-Growing Farmers’ Alliance • The People’s Party Home

24. The Rise of the Populist Movement • Populism – fast-growing movement among farmers • Discontented farmers of West and South provided base of support • National Farmers’ Alliance and Industrial Union The Rise of the Populist Movement

25. What Impact Did the Populist Movement Have on American Politics? • How did the average value of farmland change over this period? • How did the People’s Party fare in various elections? • In what regions was support for the People’s Party strongest? The Rise of the Populist Movement

26. The Rise of the Populist Movement

27. The Farm Problem • Worldwide agricultural discontent between 1870 and 1900 • Farmers could not control international market • Farmers’ complaints • Lower prices for crops • Rising railroad rates • Onerous mortgages The Rise of the Populist Movement

28. The Fast-Growing Farmers’ Alliance • Southern Alliance • Farmers dealing with common problems • 1890 – more than a million members • Farmers’ friends welcome • Organized • Colored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union • Loosely affiliated with Southern Alliance • 250,000 members • 1891 – strikers lynched The Rise of the Populist Movement

29. The Fast-Growing Farmers’ Alliance (continued) • Northwestern Alliance • On the Plains • Disagreed with Southern Alliance ideas • National Farmers’ Alliance • Merging of regional Alliances • Ocala Demands – platform • Splitting the Alliance • Formed People’s party • Resistance to a new party The Rise of the Populist Movement

30. The Rise of the Populist Movement

31. The Rise of the Populist Movement

32. The People’s Party • Northern Alliance splits from Democrats to form People’s (or Populist) party • Later joined by Southern Alliance • Populists recruited African Americans • 1892 – James B. Weaver for president • Alliance waned after 1892 elections The Rise of the Populist Movement

33. The Rise of the Populist Movement

34. Discussion Question • What factors led to the formation and growth of the Farmers’ Alliance and People’s party? The Rise of the Populist Movement

35. The Crisis of the Depression • The Panic of 1893 • The Pullman Strike • A Beleaguered President • Breaking the Party Deadlock Home

36. The Crisis of the Depression • Economic crisis dominated the 1890s • Economy had expanded too rapidly • Railroads had overbuilt • Companies had outgrown markets • Farms and businesses had borrowed heavily for expansion The Crisis of the Depression

37. The Panic of 1893 • 1893 - panic hit stock market • Failure of major railroad • Investors sold stock to purchase gold • Depleted Treasury shook confidence • May 1893 - market hit record low • Business failures displaced 2 million workers • 1894 – heat wave and drought hit West • Corn crop failed • Cotton prices dropped The Crisis of the Depression

38. The Pullman Strike • 1894 - Pullman Strike • Joined by Eugene Debs’s American Railway Union • Closed Western railroads • President Cleveland suppressed strikes • Federal troops sent in • Debs was arrested • Effect on labor movement • Cleveland’s actions resented • Injunctions endorsed The Crisis of the Depression

39. A Beleaguered President • Cleveland returned to presidency • Defeated Weaver and Harrison • Democrats controlled Congress as well • Repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act • Seen as cause of Panic of 1893 • Failed to stop depression • Made silver a political issue • Democrats failed to lower tariff • Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act The Crisis of the Depression

40. Breaking the Party Deadlock • Elections of 1894 crushed Democrats • Reduced to a sectional southern organization • Populists gained in the South and West • Republicans swept congressional elections • Republicans became dominant party • Acceptance of activism and national authority rose The Crisis of the Depression

41. Discussion Question • What were the main political and labor effects of the panic and depression of the 1890s? The Crisis of the Depression

42. Changing Attitudes • Women and Children in the Labor Force • Changing Themes in Literature Home

43. Changing Attitudes • Depression of 1893 forced change of view • Established ideas failed to deal with depression • Unemployment – not a personal failure • Local institutions discussed alternatives • Acceptance of need for government intervention to help the poor and jobless Changing Attitudes

44. Women and Childrenin the Labor Force • Women and children worked more • Paid lower wages • More black urban women than white • Children in southern textile mills • Concerned groups formed • League for the Protection of the Family • Mothers Congress Changing Attitudes

45. Changing Themes in Literature • Depression led to growing realism in literature • Rejected sentimentalism, romanticism, and escapism • Portrayed life as it was • Regionalists • Realists – Mark Twain • Naturalists Changing Attitudes

46. Discussion Question • What changes in outlook did the panic and depression of the 1890s bring about? Changing Attitudes

47. The Presidential Election of 1896 • The Mystique of Silver • The Republicans and Gold • The Democrats and Silver • Campaign and Election Home

48. The Presidential Election of 1896 • Free coinage of silver the main issue • Boost the money supply • Seen as solution to depression • New voting patterns emerged and national policy shifted The Presidential Election of 1896

49. The Mystique of Silver • Support for free silver coinage grew • Dominated South and West • Literature flooded country • Seen as quick solution to economic crisis • Silverites – quantity theory of money • Believed amount in circulation determined level of economic activity • Silver also a symbol • Moral crusade • Patriotic The Presidential Election of 1896

50. The Republicans and Gold • Candidate - William McKinley • Silverite Republicans defeated on convention floor • Promised gold standard to restore prosperity The Presidential Election of 1896