GROVER CLEVELAND1885-1889

HONESTY

Laissez-Faire

ELECTION OF 1884Democrats Regain Control

Cleveland (D) Blaine (R)

CLEVELAND WINS! Popular Vote Very Close

Mugwumps

The Illegitimate Son

“Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”

219 ELECTORAL

VOTES

182

CLEVELAND ATTACKS PENSIONSVeterans Beware!

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)

SORRY FARMERS!No Handouts!

DAWES SEVERALTY ACT1887

ASSIMILATION

INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT1887

ICC

LOWER THE TARIFFSCleveland’s Big Mistake

HIGH LOWProtection Freer Trade

BENJAMIN HARRISON1889-1893

BIG BUSINESS

ELECTION OF 1888Big Business Strikes Back!

Cleveland (D) Harrison (R)

HARRISON WINS! Cleveland Takes Popular Vote

War Chest

Murchison Letter

168 ELECTORAL

VOTES

233

BILLION DOLLAR CONGRESS

Pork Barrel Legislation

Goodbye Surplus?

Pensions for All!

48%

McKinley Tariff (1890)

SHERMAN SILVER PURCHASE ACT1890

4.5 million ounces per month

SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT1890

FARMERS ORGANIZETowards a 3rd Party

The Alliance Movement

Southern Alliance

NW Alliance

Mary Lease

“Raise less corn and more hell.”

POPULIST PARTY1892-1896

THE OMAHA PLATFORM (1892) People’s Party of America

- Tariff reduction

- Graduated income tax

- Public ownership of railroads

- Ban on alien land ownership

- Support of the labor movement

- Direct election of senators and other electoral reforms

- Free and unlimited coinage of silver

HOMESTEAD STRIKE1892

Andrew Carnegie

Henry Clay Frick

“We… approve of

anything you do.”

ELECTION OF 1892Cleveland Again?

Cleveland (D) Harrison (R)

CLEVELAND WINS! Populists Fail to Make Impact

277 ELECTORAL

VOTES

145

Weaver (Pop)

22

DEPRESSION1893-1897

20-25% Unemployment

Laissez Faire

Defend Gold Standard

PULLMAN STRIKE1894

Eugene V. Debs

COXEY’S ARMY1894

WILSON-GORMAN TARIFF1894

2%

Lowers Rates Slightly

FREE SILVERThe Solution?

William Jennings Bryan

“Cross of Gold” Speech

ELECTION OF 1896Will the Farmers Be Heard?

Bryan (D-Pop) McKinley (R)

MCKINLEY WINS! Populists Fail Again

155 ELECTORAL

VOTES

292

Free Silver Across the Country

Beware Bryan and Silver

War Chest

Front-Porch Campaign

WHY DID BRYAN LOSE?The Failure of the Populists and Democrats

- Republican scare tactics

- Little appeal to factory workers, urban middle class, or farm families from Midwest

- Too moralistic

- Vision was outdatedWhat happened?

REPUBLICANS VICTORIOUSConservative Policy in Force

William McKinley (R)

Dingley Tariff (1897)

Currency Act (1900)

IMPERIALISM?

PLESSY v. FERGUSON1896

“Separate But Equal” = CONSTITUTIONAL