1. POLITICAL REALIGNMENTS IN THE 1890s
America: Past and Present
Chapter 20

2. Politics of Stalemate
Politics a major fascination of late nineteenth century
White males make up bulk of electorate
women may vote in national elections only in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado
black men denied vote by poll tax, literacy tests

3. The Party Deadlock
Post-Civil War Democratic party divides electorate almost evenly with Republicans
One-party control of both Congress, White House rare
Federal influence wanes, state control rises 2

4. Experiments in the States
State government commissions investigate, regulate railroads, factories
Munn v. Illinois (1877) upholds constitutionality of state investigations
Wabash case (1886) prompts establishment of Interstate Commerce Commission 3

5. Reestablishing Presidential Power
Presidency hits nadir under Johnson
Later presidents reassert executive power
Hayes ends military Reconstruction
Garfield asserts leadership of his party
Arthur strengthens navy, civil service reform
Cleveland uses veto to curtail federal activities 4

9. Republicans in Power: the Billion-Dollar Congress
1888--Republicans control both White House and Capitol Hill
1890--Adoption of Reed rules permits enactment of “billion dollar” program 5

10. Tariffs, Trusts and Silver
1890--McKinley Tariff raises duties to historic high
By million Union pensions granted
1890--Sherman Anti-Trust Act regulates big business
1890--Sherman Silver Purchase Act backs paper money with silver 6

11. The 1890 Elections
Republicans also assert activist government policies on state level
Sunday closing laws
prohibition
mandatory English in public schools
1890--alienated voting blocks turn out Republican legislators 7

12. The Rise of the Populist Movement
Discontented farmers of West and South provide base of support
The National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union the result 8

13. The Farm Problem
Worldwide agricultural economy causes great fluctuations in supply and demand
Farmers’ complaints
lower prices for crops (actual prosperity rising)
rising railroad rates (rates actually declining)
onerous mortgages (loans permit improvement)
Conditions of farmers vary by region
General feeling of depression, resentment 9

14. Selected Commodity Prices10

15. The Fast-Growing Farmers' Alliance
1875—Southern Alliance begins
1889—Southern Alliance absorbs Northwestern Alliance
Alliance Captures local Democratic parties in South
After 1890 Runs its own candidates in North and West 10

16. The Fast-Growing Farmers' Alliance: Ocala Demands
System of government warehouses to hold crops for higher prices
Free coinage of silver
Low tariffs
Federal income tax
Direct election of Senators
Regulation of railroads 11

17. The People's Party
Southern Alliance splits from Democrats to form Populist party
Southern Populists recruit African-Americans, give them influential positions
1892--Populist presidential candidate James Weaver draws over one million votes
Alliance wanes after 1892 elections 12

19. The Crisis of the Depression
Economic crisis dominated the 1890s
Railroads overbuilt, companies grew beyond their markets, farms and businesses went deeply in debt 13

20. The Panic of 1893
February failure of major railroad sparks panic on New York Stock Exchange
Investors sell stock to purchase gold
Depleted Treasury shakes confidence
May, market hits record low, business failures displace 2 million workers
1894--corn crop fails 14

21. Coxey's Army and the Pullman Strike
1894--Jacob Coxey leads “Coxey’s Army” to Washington to demand relief
Pullman strikes by Eugene Debs’ American Railway Union close Western railroads
President Cleveland suppresses strikes with federal troops 15

22. The Miners of the Midwest
United Mine Workers strike 1894
“Old miners”--English and Irish workers, owners of small family mines
“New miners”--1880s immigrants
Strike pits new miners against old 16

23. 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 renege on promise of lower tariff 17

24. Breaking the Party Deadlock
Election of 1894 reduces Democrats to a sectional southern organization
Republicans sweep congressional elections
Republicans become majority elsewhere 18

25. Changing Attitudes
Depression of 1893 forces recognition of structural causes of unemployment
Americans accept the need for government intervention to help the poor and jobless 19

26. “Everybody Works but Father”
Women and children paid lower wages, displace men during depression
Employers retain women and children after depression to hold down costs 20

27. Changing Themes in Literature
Depression encourages “realist” school
Mark Twain’s characters speak in dialect
William Dean Howells, Stephen Crane portray grim life of the poor
Frank Norris attacks power of big business
Theodore Dreiser presents humans as helpless before vast social, economic forces 21

28. 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 22

29. The Mystique of Silver “Free and independent coinage of silver”
set ratio of silver to gold at 16:1
U.S. mints coin all silver offered to them
U.S. coins silver regardless of other nations’ policies
Silverites believe amount in circulation determines level of economic activity
A moral crusade for the common people 23

30. Republicans and Gold Candidate: William McKinley
Silverite Republicans defeated on convention floor
Promises gold standard to restore prosperity

31. The Democrats and Silver
Candidate: William Jennings Bryan
Free silver promised in "Cross of Gold" speech
Democrats enthusiastic

32. Campaign and Election Populist party endorses Bryan
Bryan offers return to rural, religious U.S.
McKinley defends urban, industrial society
Election is a clear victory for McKinley, utter rout of Populist party 24

34. The McKinley Administration
McKinley takes office at depression’s end
An activist president
Dingley Tariff raises rates to record highs
1900--U.S. placed on gold standard
1900--McKinley wins landslide reelection against William Jennings Bryan 25

36. A Decade’s Dramatic Changes
September, McKinley assassinated
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president