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ELECTION OF 1868
The Candidates:
Republicans: U.S. Grant
Civil War HERO
Democrats: Horatio Seymour
Governor of New York
The Campaign
The Republicans promised continued radical
reconstruction in the South, while the Democrats
promised swifter reintegration of the South. The
Democrats attacked the Republicans for reconstruction
and attacked Grant for being a drunkard. The
Republican claimed the Democrats were going to give up
all that was accomplished in the Civil War (wave the
bloody shirt). Ultimately, it was Grant's personal
popularity that determined the election.
The Results of the Election 1868
GRANT
SEYMOUR
Electoral vote
214
80
States carried
26
8
3,013,650
2,708,744
52.7%
47.3%
Popular vote
Percentage
ELECTION OF 1872
The Candidates:
Republican:
Ulysses S. Grant
Running For Re-Election
Liberal Republican & Democrat:
Horace Greeley
Newspaper Editor from New York
The Campaign of 1872
The Republican platform (Grant) condemned racial and religious
discrimination and called for granting women greater rights. Horace Greely
had at various time been a supporter of spiritualism, prohibition,
vegetarianism and socialism, and thus an easy target of Republican attacks..
Greeley’s (Democrat & Liberal Republican) campaign primarily on the
theme of "more honest government“ He wished to protest the corruption of
the Grant administration. He also campaigned for and end of radical
reconstruction.
Greeley received support from most of the South, while Grant received
support from most Northerners and most business interests. Most Americans
still found Grant popular, and were convinced that he was not responsible for
the corruption in his administration.
Thus, Grant was re-elected!!!
The Results of the Election of 1872
GRANT
GREELEY
Electoral vote
286
66 (pledged before
death)
States carried
31
6
3,598,235
2,834,761
55.6%
43.8%
Popular vote
Percentage
PRESIDENT GRANT
Term: 18th President of the United States (1869-1877)
Born: April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio
Nickname: "Hero of Appomattox“ “Sam or Uncle Sam”
Physical Description: 5’7” muscular
Personality: Very prudish, superstitious, very serious
soldier, hated dirty jokes, hated hunting, could not
stomach animal blood, a streak of feminine, it was like
he was ½ woman…
Childhood: loved horses…Hated working at fathers
tannery
Recreation: loved to smoke cigars & loved to race
horses
Education: U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New
York (graduated 1843)
Religion: Methodist
Marriage: August 22, 1848, to Julia Boggs Dent (18261902)
Children: 4 (3 boys and 1 girl)
Career: Soldier.. Mexican War, stationed at Detroit,
San Francisco, Vancouver, Oregon Terr. & Civil War
Political Party: Republican
President Grant’s Administration
RECONSTRUCTION: Continues Federal occupation
of the South (Stays with Radical Republican Plan),
1872: Dismantles the Freeman’s Bureau.
Congress gives him power in the Force Bill… He
threatens to use Armed Force against states that
denied blacks the right to vote. Against KKK,
Supports the Civil Rights Act of 1875: It gave blacks
“Full & Equal” rights… (declared unconstitutional in 1883)
TREATY OF WASHINGTON: Between the United States and Great
Britain, damages paid to USA for Union ships sunk during Civil War
by Confederate ships make in Britain…$15,500,000 paid to USA
PANIC OF 1873: Failure of the Jay Cooke & Company in
September of 1873 caused a financial panic and led to a 5 year
Depression. Also contributing to the Depression: over extension of
the railroads, Chicago Fire of 1871 (hurt insurance companies) and
a depression in Europe…
RESULTS: 3 million people unemployed
Business failure totaled $500,000,000
PASSING OF THE 15TH AMENDMENT: Universal Manhood Suffrage
SCANDALS
Even though Grant was incorruptible his administration had
5 major scandals…
JAM,ES FISK
1. BLACK FRIDAY: Speculators James Fisk and Jay Gould will try to
corner the gold market. To help their cause and to keep the
government out of their plans they hire the Presidents brother-inlaw (who pledges that Grant would not ruin their scheme), and
arrange to be seen with the President. Fisk & Gould start buying
up all the gold driving up the prices… Grant figures it out and
orders $4 million in Federal gold sold, this drops price of gold way
down…it will end the crisis HOWEVER… it will ruin many people
and businesses on Black Friday, September 24, 1869
JAY GOULD
JAMES FISK
2. CREDIT MOBILIER:
Representative Oakes Ames of Massachusetts and Thomas C. Durant
were prominent stockholders in the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1867 the
two cooperated in forming Crédit Mobilier, a dummy construction
company fobbed off as responsible for completing the transcontinental
railway's last 600 miles. In the process, U.P. stockholders and the
federal government were bilked out of millions of dollars.
When it appeared that an investigation was going to be launched,
Ames bribed influential congressmen and was able to head off scrutiny.
Nevertheless, the fraud was exposed in 1872. It was apparent that Vice
president Schuyler Colfax had been bribed with stock. House Speaker
James A. Garfield was linked to the dealings, but his participation was
never proven.
Despite the loss of $20 million
(a huge sum in the 1870s),
no prosecutions ever occurred.
3. DELINQUENT TAX CORRUPTION:
Treasury Secretary William Richardson hired John Sanborn as a
special agent in charge of collecting delinquent taxes… Sanborn
was allowed to keep 50% of all revenue collected.
A House investigation in 1874 revealed Sanborn collected over
$400,000 and kept ½ of it…
Treasury Secretary Richardson was forced to resign…
WILLIAM RICHARDSON
4. WHISKEY RING:
In the years following the Civil War,
federal liquor taxes were raised to
extremely high rates to help pay off the
cost of the fighting.
In order to avoid the high tax, many of
the nation’s distillers bribed officials in
the Department of the Treasury,
receiving tax stamps at a fraction of
their face value.
Treasury Secretary Benjamin H.
Bristow eventually caught wind of the
dishonesty and launched a massive
investigation in 1875. In the end, more
than 100 officials were convicted.
Grant, much to his discredit,
successfully shielded his private
secretary, Orville E. Babcock.
5. BELKNAP BRIBERY:
In 1876 it was revealed that War Secretary W. W. Belknap had been
taking annual kickbacks from traders at Indian post…
In the beginning Belknap’s wife received the payments, But when
she died, he continued to receive the payments…
He was Impeached by the House of Representatives but will be
acquitted because he will resign before the trial.
PRESIDENT GRANT’S RETIREMENT
The Ex-President and his wife will take a world tour…
Grant is treated like a HERO!!!
In 1880 almost gets nominated to run for President
In 1884, Grant goes bankrupt with his company, Grant & Ward…
Grant loses everything…
P. T. Barnum tries to help…want to buy his war trophies.
Mark Twain helps by paying Grant to write his memoirs.
Also Congress helps by restoring him to General with full pay!!
Grant will die on July 23, 1885 of throat cancer
GRANT WILL BE RATED 23 OUT OF 43 PRESIDENTS
GRANTS LAST DAYS
GRANTS TOMB…NEW YORK
TOMB OF MR. & MRS. GRANT