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I. President Ulysses S. Grant:
-18th President of the United States 1869-1877
-Republican
-Vice President: Schuyler Colfax (1869-1873)
Henry Wilson
(1873-1875) (dies in office)
-Elected on fame from winning the Civil War
-Known for corruption and graft during his Presidency.
A. The Election of 1868:
-Republican Nominee was Civil War Hero Ulysses S. Grant
-Republican platform called for a continuation of Military
Reconstruction
-Grant never formally accepted the nomination nor campaigned for the
position, instead he sent a letter to the Republican Party accepting
the Nomination.
-Grant ran under the slogan, "Let Us Have Peace"
-Democratic Nominee was Horatio Seymour
-The Democratic Platform called for an end to Military Reconstruction,
backing Federal Greenbacks with Gold, and keeping them in circulation.
-Over 500,000 African Americans, who had been influenced by the Union
League and Carpetbaggers, voted for Grant, giving Grant victory in
1868.
B. Scandals:
i. The Gold Market Scandal:
-Jim Fisk & Jay Gould were two businessmen who wanted to corner the
gold market by limiting the supply of gold in the marketplace.
-The two men planned to convince Grant and his brother-in-law not to
allow the Treasury to release gold into the Economy.
-By purchasing back the War Bonds from those who bought them during the
Civil War, the two reduced the amount of gold in the economy, limiting
its supply.
-When the treasury released more gold to prevent a depression, their
plan was discovered.
ii. Tammany Hall:
-Tammany Hall was the Political Machine of NY and NYC politics
-Tammany Hall was led by "Boss" Tweed who used embezzlement, extortion,
bribery, murder, and fraudulent elections to remain in power.
-Tweed used his connections with Irish Immigrants, Labor Unions, and
Businesses to secure city contracts from city officials.
-Tweed would overcharge the City of New York for building
supplies, "pocketing” the excess (ex. A toilet costs $20.00; Tweed
would charge the city $500.00, pocketing $480.00)
-Tweed was brought down by the political investigations of the
magazine,
Harper's Weekly, and the political cartoons of Thomas Nast.
iii. Credit Mobilier:
-The Union Pacific Railroad Co. had been hired by the Federal
Government to build half of the Transcontinental Railroad.
-Members of the Union Pacific were overcharging the Government for
building supplies (ex. $50,000 for one mile of railroad when it should
cost $30,000)
-Grant's Secretary of the Interior and the Vice President were given
"gifts"
by the Union Pacific, and shares of the company were given to members
of Congress.
iv. The Whiskey Ring:
-Whiskey distillers were not paying excise taxes for alcohol to the
Federal Government.
-This failure by the "Whiskey Ring", led to the loss of millions of
dollars in tax revenue to the Federal Treasury.
C. The Election of 1872:
-The Republicans renominated Ulysses S. Grant
-The Democrats nominated newspaperman Horace Greeley
-Greeley had been a constant critic of the Democratic Party, calling
the Democrats "traitors, slave shippers, saloon keepers, horse thieves,
and idiots."
-The Democrats believed that by endorsing Greeley, they would "change
their image to one of reformers".
-Greeley was accused of many things, including signing Jefferson
Davis's Bail Bond, "Grant Beat Davis, and Greeley Bailed Him" was a
slogan used by Grant supporters.
-The issues of the campaign were Grant's Political Scandals and
Reconstruction
-Grant wins reelection with 286 to 66 Electoral Votes.
D. The Panic of 1873:
-Economic collapse was caused by over speculation of railroads,
factories, mining, agricultural expansion.
-The major financial institution of Jay Cooke & Co. collapsed, causing
a ripple effect which caused the collapse (much like today) of 15,000
businesses
-Riots broke out in major cities, and minority groups such as African
Americans lost their savings when banks collapsed.
-Those who were heavily in debt petitioned for continued use of
greenback paper money instead of a return to hard currency such as gold
or silver.
-Bankers and money lenders worried that paper money would create
depreciated dollars, which would be used to pay off debts instead of
hard currency.
-Hard Currency supporters convince Grant to veto legislation supporting
greenbacks, and also pass the Resumption Act of 1875, which reduces the
number of greenbacks in circulation.
-Hard Currency supporters believed in supporting gold as the standard,
instead of silver.
-Congress will eventually pass the Bland-Allison Act in 1878 which
stated that the Treasury would buy and coin between $2-4 million in
silver each month.
E. The Birth of Gilded Age Politics:
-Called the Gilded Age by the satirist Mark Twain
-Presidential Elections were close, and the House changed political
hands six times in 22 yrs.
-The political parties were separated by few significant economic
issues, were both highly organized, and motivated their supporters.
-Political Identities of the two parties:
Republicans: Tied to Puritan beliefs and Conservative values, believed
in strict moral codes and that Government should regulate the economy
and morality of society.
-Republicans benefited from support by the African American community
and by members of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) several hundred
thousand war veterans
-Politicians of the age were Roscoe Conkling (NY) and James G. Blaine
(ME) who both believed in swapping civil service jobs for votes and
money.
Democrats: Supported by European immigrant groups, and believed that
Government should not regulate morality of society
F. The Election of 1876:
-The Republicans chose as their candidate Rutherford B. Hayes, the
Governor of Ohio, and a Civil War Hero.
-The Democrats chose Samuel J. Tilden, a prosecutor of "Boss" Tweed.
-Tilden based his campaign on the corruption of the Grant
Administration, and Civil Service reform.
-Tilden won more popular votes, but just fell short in the Electoral
College.
-Three Southern States (LA, SC, and FL) had two sets of returns for
their votes, bringing the election to a deadlock.
-Congress passed the Electoral Count Act which set up an electoral
Commission made up of Senators, House Members, and Justices from the
Supreme Court. Republicans held an 8-7 edge on the commission.
-Democrats agreed to seat Hayes as the winner of the election if in
return Congress agreed to end Military Reconstruction in the South.
-Congress also agreed to provide funding for the construction of the
Texas and Pacific Railroads.
-The Hayes-Tilden Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction, and Southern
State legislatures quickly began enacting stricter laws limiting the
rights of African Americans, called "Jim Crow" laws.
-As a result of Reconstructions collapse, many African Americans and
poor whites began sharecropping, tied to the land of wealthy land
owners.
-In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled in the case *"Plessy v. Ferguson"*
that States may allow "Separate but equal facilities (segregation)"
This overturned the Civil Rights Cases of 1883.
II. President Rutherford B. Hayes
-19th President of the United States (1877-1881)
-Republican
-Vice President: William Wheeler
-Known as the "Great Unknown", and known for vowing he would only seek
one term if elected.
-Wife, Lucy, known as "Lemonade Lucy" for her stance on not allowing
alcohol to be served in the White House.
A. The Chinese Exclusion Act:
-The Depression caused businesses to cut wages, hours, and employees.
-Labor groups struck back with work stoppages, though the labor groups
were hurt when Irish Immigrants and Chinese Immigrants in CA fought for
jobs.
-Men like the Irish born Denis Kearney and his supporters the
Kearneyites resented competing against the Chinese for jobs and so
pressured Congress to act.
-Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which shut the door of the
United States to Chinese Immigrants.
-President Hayes vetoed the bill, though the veto was overturned in
1882.
B. Election of 1880:
-Republican Party nominated James A. Garfield from Ohio
-The Democratic Party nominated Winfield S. Hancock
-Both men were Civil War Generals and Heroes.
-The issues of the campaign were the Credit Mobilier Scandal and the
idea of a protective tariff
-Garfield wins the election with 214 Electoral votes.
III. President James A. Garfield:
-20th President of the United States (1881)
-Republican
-Vice President: Chester A. Arthur (1881)
-War Hero, and only President to be an ordained minister.
-Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, a deranged man
seeking a Civil Service Job.
-Garfield's death led to Civil Service Reform.
IV. President Chester A. Arthur:
-21st President of the United States 1881-1885
-Republican
-Vice President: None
-Well known NY Politician, who signs Civil Service Reform Bill
A. The Pendleton Act:
-Following Garfield's assassination, President Arthur signed the
Pendleton
Act which brought about Civil Service Reform.
-The Pendleton Act prohibited "Pay to Play" Politics.
Office Seekers Must Now:
i. Financial assessments on jobholders
ii.Office holders were given position based on aptitude, not
friendships.
iii.Office seekers must take examinations for career advancement
-By removing the "Pay to Play" tactics, politicians began seeking
funding from private business instead of potential clients, which in
the end increased "special interest" money in politics.
B. The Election of 1884:
-The Republicans Nominated Party Boss, James G. Blaine from ME
-The Democrats Nominated the Governor of NY Grover Cleveland
-Republicans who were opposed to the corrupt nomination of Blaine,
turned their support to Cleveland, and were called "Mugwumps".
-The Election of 1884 was known for its "dirty politics" with
Republicans and Democrats charging each other with corruption.
-Cleveland was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock (which he
admitted)
-Blaine, who was known for taking bribes from business, was known as
the "tattooed man"
-Blaine lost support of Irish-Americans when he attended a Church
Service where the Minister blamed the Democrats as the party of the RRR
(Rum-Romanism-Rebellion)
-Cleveland won the election by defeating Blaine with 219 Electoral
Votes.
V. President Grover Cleveland (First Term)
-22nd President of the United States 1885-1889
-Democrat (1st Democrat Elected in 25 yrs)
-Vice President: Thomas Hendricks (1885 dies in office)
-Well known reform Governor of NY & Only President born in NJ
-Only President to Marry while in the White House
-Believed in a "hands off" approach to controlling business, and was
known for saying, "Though the people support the government, the
government should not support the people."
A. Veteran's Benefits:
-Following the Civil War a political organization called the GAR, or
Grand Army of the Republic, was created to lobby for Veterans of the
War.
-In order to win support of the Veterans, Congressmen passed bills
which would allow for easier pension benefits.
-Con-artists and others who had no ties to the War were collecting
benefits.
-Cleveland began vetoing Veteran legislation, earning the wrath of the
GAR
B. The Cleveland, Lower Tariff Battle:
-The Government faced a surplus of over $145 million.
-Instead of spending the money toward Veterans or "Pork Barrel"
projects for individual states, President Cleveland wanted to lower the
tariff
-Cleveland believed that lower tariffs would mean lower prices for
consumers and less protection for monopolies.
-Big Business comes out in support of the Republican Party and the
Election of 1888.
C. The Election of 1888:
-The Republicans Nominate Benjamin Harrison from Indiana
-The Democrats Nominate President Grover Cleveland
-Issues: The Protective Tariff
-Republicans stated that a vote for Cleveland was a vote for
International
Trade, and supported all countries except the United States.
-Harrison wins the Election with 233 Electoral Votes.