1. Politics – 1860-1900 Reform, Segregation, Populism and Imperialism

2. Election of 1880 Republicans – James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur Democrats – Winfield Hancock and William English

3. Garfield Assassination July 2, 1881 By disgruntled and unbalanced office seeker – Charles Guiteau Arthur became president

4. 1. Civil Service Reform Motivated by incompetence and corruption of Grant Administration 1877 – Hayes removed Chester A Arthur from NYC customs House 1883 – Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act

5. Pendleton Civil Service Act Standards and competitive examinations of positions No soliciting of contributions from government workers ** – ** Forced political parties to look elsewhere for campaign funds. Big Business will gain a controlling hand in national politics

6. The Election of 1884 Republicans: James G. Blaine and Thomas Hendricks Democrats: Grover Cleveland and John Logan Blaine Cleveland -A referendum on the spoils system -Cleveland supported by reform minded Republicans – “mugwumps” - “ Rum, Romanism and Rebellion” – led to high immigrant turnout

7. Election of 1888 Republicans: Benjamin Harrison and Levi Morton Democrats: Grover Cleveland and Allen Thurman Harrison Cleveland Harrison lost popular vote, but won electoral vote Harrison had massive support from big business and The Grand Army of the Republic

8. 2. Racial Discrimination Black disfranchisement – Literacy test, poll taxes, property requirements The Convict-lease system – Cheap labor for mines, railroad construction, cotton farmers – Kept white labor from protest or strike Lynchings Civil Rights Cases – declared Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – “separate but equal facilities are constitutional”

9. Black Response Booker T. Washington – “accommodation” – Blacks must acquire skills and prove their economic worth Bishop Henry M. Turner – return to Africa Frederick Douglas – press for full equality T. Thomas Fortune – violence Emigration to northern cities and the Great Plains

10. 3. Tariffs, Money, and Agrarian Distress A. Tariffs and Currency – Tariffs Republicans favored high protectionist tariffs – Harrison : McKinley Tariff (1890) Democrats (i.e. Cleveland) sought lower tariffs – To prevent eliminate the surplus and its use for veteran pension expansion – Wilson-Gorman Tariff (still very protectionist) » Included a small income tax » Pollack v. Farmers Loan and Trust – declared the income tax as unconstitutional

11. 3. Tariffs, Money, and Agrarian Distress -Currency Big Business, creditors, most politicians supported the gold standard; limited money supply Farmers and other debtors – supported an expanding money supply – Pushed for bi-metalism– (i.e. currency backed by both gold and silver – Bland-Allison Act (1878) – required gov’t to buy and mint up to $ 4 million of silver each month – Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 -- $4.5 million of sliver each month and to issue notes equal to this amount.

12. 3. Tariffs, Money, and Agrarian Distress B. Agrarian Distress and Action – Farmers’ problems: Tight money supply Low prices for crops Debt

13. 3. Tariffs, Money, and Agrarian Distress Farmers organized – The Grange Began as a social and informational organization Sought to farmers “self-sufficiency” through cooperatives – Failed for lack of capital Pressured states to regulate railroads -- Granger Laws – Most repealed through railroad lobbying – Farmers Alliances Sought tariff reduction, graduated income tax, public ownership of railroads, federal funds of research, ban on alien land ownership, and “free coinage of silver” – Populist Party Sought Alliance goals plus direct election of senators

14. Election of 1892 Republicans: Benjamin Harrison and Whitelaw Reid Democrats: Grover Cleveland and Adlai Stevenson Populists: James Weaver and James Field HarrisonCleveland Weaver Populists “stole” states from Republicans Republican campaign ignored farm and labor unrest; and hurt by the McKinley Tariff Cleveland came out in favor of the gold standard

15. The Panic of 1893 Farm troubles led to a decline in Railroad business, which affected many industries Confidence in gold standard waned: – Financial Crisis in London l – Veterans benefits – Sherman Silver Purchase Act – – Gold reserves dropped Bankruptcy of Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Stock market crash Depression

16. Reactions to Panic/Depression Strikes (e.g., Pullman Strike of 1894) Coxey’s “army” Government borrowed $62 million Democratic party split between “gold” and “silver ”

17. Election of 1896 Republicans: William McKinley and Garret Hobart Democrats: William Jennings Bryan and Arthur Sewall Populists; William Jennings Bryan and Thomas Watson McKinleyBryan  Bryan campaigned on the free and unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of 16:1 -“Cross of Gold Speech”Cross of Gold Speech”  McKinley supported the gold standard and protective tariff -Had massive funding from big business -Mark Hanna managed McKinley’s “front porch campaign Bryan’s campaign did not appeal to urban workers or stable farmers or many immigrants A victory for big business and tight money -Dingley Tariff (1897) -The Currency Act of 1900

18. American Imperialism Revival of Manifest Destiny – European imperialism – Corporate pressure for new markets – Alfred Mahan: sea power = national greatness – The Christian missionary movement – Social Darwinism

19. American Imperialism 1852 – Commodore Mathew Perry used the American fleet to force Japan to open itself to western trade 1889 – joint protectorate over the Samoan Islands Hawaii – 1887 – new constitution imposed on Hawaiian monarch and U.S. naval base constructed – 1890 – McKinley Tariff on sugar – 1893 – Liliuokalani deposed; annexation requested – 1898 – Hawaii annexed by the U.S.

20. American Imperialism Cuba – Rebellion against Spanish organized by José Martí – Popular support in U.S. Atrocities of “Butcher” Weyler Yellow Journalism (Hearst and Pulitzer) Yellow Journalism – Feb. 8 1898 – the Journal published an insult of President Mckinley by Spanish minister (de Lome letter) – Feb. 15, 1898 -- the U.S.S. Maine sunk in Havana harbor – April 11, 1898 – Congressional resolution to recognized Cuban independence and to support it by force Teller Amendment --U.S. would not seek to “control” Cuba

21. American Imperialism Spanish-American War, 1898 – May 1 – Dewey captured Manila – July 1 – Battle of San Juan Hill (Roosevelt) – July 3 – Spanish fleet destroyed – July 17 – Spain requested an armistice – December – Treaty: Cuban Independence U.S. received Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam – 1901 Platt Amendment U.S. retained U.S. naval base and the right to intervene Philippine Rebellion – 1898-1902