Political Stalemate and Populist Unrest: Reform, Turmoil, and Economic Struggles in America

1. Chapter 11Politics and Reform Section 1 Stalemate in Washington

2. Campaign to clean up Politics • Garfield assassination = reform politics • GharlesGuiteaugot upset that he didn’t get a government job. • Many felt that patronage or the spoils system was bad. • The Pendleton Act • Allowed the President to decide which federal jobs would be filled according to rules laid down by a bipartisan Civil Service Commission. Candidates competed for jobs. Once appointed the individual could not be removed for political reasons.

3. "To General Sherman: I have just shot the President. I shot him several times as I wished him to go as easily as possible. His death was a political necessity. I am a lawyer, theologian, and politician. I am a stalwart of the Stalwarts. I was with Gen. Grant, and the rest of our men in New York during the canvass. I am going to the Jail. Please order out your troops and take possession of the Jail at once. Very respectfully, Charles Guiteau."

4. Two Parties, Neck and Neck • From 1877 to 1896 voting patterns gave the democrats an edge in the House of Representatives while the Republicans had the edge in the Senate. • Republicans won 4 of the 6 elections between 1876 and 1896, but had to contend with a democratic House much of the time. • Democrats reclaim the White House • 1884 – Grover Cleveland vs James Blaine • Cleveland was the first Democratic President since the Civil War.

5. A President Besieged by Problems • Interstate Commerce Commission • Many strikes were occurring during this time period. Big business took advantage of their positions. • Responding to Wabash vs Illinois Cleveland signed into law the Interstate Commerce Commission. (ICC) • Debating Tariffs • Many wanted reduced tariffs, but the House and Senate had a hard time finding common ground. As a result, the issue of tariff reduction became contested in the election of 1888.

6. Republicans Regain Power • Benjamin Harrison lost the Popular Vote, but won the Electoral Vote. • The McKinley Tariff • Lowered federal revenue and transformed the nation’s budget surplus into a deficit • The tariff lowered taxes on certain items, but raised them on others. • The Sherman Antitrust Act • Declared illegal any “combination in the form of trust…or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States.” • Like the ICC the Sherman Antitrust Act was all bark and not bite • By 1890 (midterm elections) many Americans had lost hope in their 2 party system. They felt that neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party were there to help. (especially farmers). They felt exploited by banks and railroads.

7. Chapter 11 Politics and Reform Section 2 Populism

8. Unrest in Rural America • Populism – movement to increase farmers’ political power and to work for legislation in their interest. • Economic crises since the Civil War led farmers to rise up politically. Farm prices had dropped, cost of production had rose, banks and railroad industry made it expensive for farmers. High tariffs did not help as well. Farmers felt they were losing power and influence. • The Money Supply • Money supply hurt farmers • Civil War – greenbacks = inflation • After the Civil War – stopped printing greenbacks and began paying back bonds. • 1865=$30 per person, by 1895=$23 per person • Deflation= increase in the value of money and prices began to fall.

9. Unrest in Rural American • Deflation hurts farmers • Farmers had to barrow money and interest rates began to rise. In essence, farmers had to PAY more, but MADE less. • Many farmers blamed eastern banks for the reduction in currency and pushed for the printing of more greenbacks, others wanted the government to mint silver coins.(mostly in the west)

10. Unrest in Rural America • The Grange Takes Action • Grange– first organized farming organization. (Department of Agriculture sent Oliver H. Kelly) • 1873, the Nation fell into a recession and farm income fell. Farmers looking for help joined the Grange. • Grangers responded • Pressure legislatures on railroad rates • Joined the Independent National Party • Tried to create Cooperatives • Marketing organizations that worked for the benefit of its members. • Cooperatives pooled farmers’ crops and held them off the market in order to force up prices. Also, cooperatives were able to negotiate better shipping rates with railroads

12. Unrest in Rural America • The Grange Fails • None of the strategies worked well to improve the economic status of famers • Greenbacks failed • Cooperatives failed as well. • Too small to affect prices and others refused to business with them.

13. The Farmers’ Alliance • Farmers’ Alliance • Started in Texas in 1877. Built up fairly well in Texas. • The Alliance Grows • The Alliance spread throughout the South and Great Plains • Planned to set up large cooperatives called exchanges • Exchanges had some success. The Texas Exchange and the Illinois Exchange both negotiated better prices and rates. • The People’s Party • The Large Cooperatives still failed. They overextended themselves by loaning too much money with low interest rates – never repaid. • Wholesalers, manufacturers, railroads, and bankers didn’t like them and made it hard to stay in business. • The Exchanges were still too small to affect prices in the big picture • Pushed for the People’s Party (The populists)

14. The Farmers’ Alliance • The Sub treasury Plan • Government set up warehouses called subtreasuries. Farmers would store crops in these warehouses and the government would offer low interest loans to famers. • Charles Macune (leader of the Farmers’ Alliance) hoped that it would force prices up for the farmers. He hoped the democrats would adopt the plan in exchange for farmers’ votes.

15. The Rise of Populism • Ocala Demands – called for the adoption of the sub treasury plan, free coinage of silver, and end to protective tariffs and national banks, tighter regulations of railroads, and direct election of senators. • Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 – authorized the Treasury to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver per month. It put more money into circulation. Reduced the deflation slightly, but still did little to help farmers.

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17. The Rise of Populism • The South turns to Populism • Despite promises, few democrats upheld the Alliance system. • Frustration led to a new People’s Party to run candidates for President • A Populist for President • James B. Weaver nominated. • The populist platform appealed to organized labor but most decided to stay with the Democratic Party. • Democrats Nominated a popular New York Governor, Grover Cleveland. • Cleveland won in 1893 and the Populists lost

18. The Rise of Populism • The Panic of 1893 • The Nation plummeted into the worst economic crisis it had ever had. Started in March when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroads declared Bankruptcy. Many railroads had expanded too quickly and couldn’t repay their loans. • The Stock Market crashed and banks closed their doors. By 1894 the U.S. was in a depression. 500,000 workers went on strike, and 2-3 million people were unemployed (15-20 percent of the workforce)

20. The Election of 1896 • Republicans supported the Gold standard and the Democrats supported Silver and nominated William Jennings Bryan. • Bryan’s Campaign was vigorous for the cause of silver. • William McKinley was the nominee for the Republicans • The Front Porch Campaign • McKinley stayed at home in Ohio. While others campaigned for him. • McKinley focused on other issues other than gold and silver. • McKinley won the election. • Populism Declines • Gold strikes in Alaska and the Yukon and in South Africa increased the currency in the U.S. 1900 – adopted a gold-based currency • When the silver movement died out the populists lost much of their momentum

21. Chapter 11 Politics and Reform Section 3 The Rise of Segregation

22. African Americans after the Civil War – were sharecroppers – landless farmers who had to hand over to the landlord a large portion of their crops to cover the cost of rent, seed, tools, and other supplies • Exodus to Kansas • Benjamin “Pap” Singleton organized a mass migration from the rural South to Kansas. The migrants became known as “Exodusters” • They left because former slave owners had all of the power in the South.

23. Resistance and Repression • Forming a Separate Alliance • Some African Americans joined the Farmers’ Alliance • In 1886, African American farmers formed the Colored Farmers’ National Alliance. • The Colored Farmers’ National Alliance worked to help its members economically by setting up cooperatives. Many African American Farmers joined the Populist party in hopes that poor whites and blacks would unite against the Democratic party.

24. Resistance and Repression • Crushing the Populist Revolt • Democrats began to appeal to racism warning against returning to a “Black Republican” South much like during reconstruction. • By 1890 many African Americans could vote and the Democratic party began to make sure that their voting rights were hindered

25. Disfranchising the African Americans • Southern States found a loophole in the 15th Amendment • Poll Tax – pay $2 to vote. Many African Americans could NOT afford $2 to vote. • Literacy Test – Mississippi – in order to vote one must be able to read and understand the state Constitution. Most African Americans were illiterate • Election officials were less strict when it came to applying the new rules to whites. Both Black and White voters fell significantly. • Grandfather clause – Louisiana allowed any man to vote if he had an ancestor on the voting rolls in 1867

27. Legalizing Segregation • Jim Crow Laws – statutes or laws enforcing segregation. • 1883 Supreme Court overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 (prohibited keeping people out of public places based on race and prohibited discrimination when choosing a jury). • 1892, African American named Homer Plessy challenged a Louisiana Law that forced him to ride in a separate railroad car from whites. • 1896 – Plessy v Ferguson upheld the Louisiana law and expressed a new legal doctrine endorsing “separate but equal” facilities for African Americans

28. Legalizing Segregation • Racial Violence • Mob violence increased in the United States, particularly in the South. • Between 1890 and 1899 an average of 187 lynching'swere carried out by mobs each year. • 80% were in the South and 70% of the victims were African Americans.

29. The African American Response • Ida B. Wells – fought against lynchings. She wrote in the Memphis Free Speech newspaper about 3 grocers that were lynched. A mob destroyed the press that printed the Memphis Free Speech newspaper and drove Ms. Wells out of town. • Because of Ida B. Wells and others’ efforts, the number of lynching's decreased greatly in the 1900s.

30. The African American Response • A Call for Compromise • Booker T. Washington wanted African Americans to focus on economic goals rather than legal or political ones. He summed up his views in the Atlanta Compromise. He wanted African Americas to postpone the fight for civil rights and concentrate of preparing themselves educationally and vocationally for equality. • Voice of the Future • W.E.B. Du Bois – 1903 book, The Souls of Black Folk that white southerners continue to strip African Americans of their Civil Rights • Argued that African Americans needed to fight for their civil rights.