Politics of the

Gilded Age
MODULE 19 PART 2
Grover Clevelands First Term
- Laissez Faire Presidency
- Opposed bills to assist the poor and rich alike -believed it was not
the federal governments job.
- Vetoed over 200 special pension bills for Civil War veterans.
- But, he also betrayed Mugwump Republicans by appointing many deserving
Democrats and ignoring Civil Service Reform.
Cont.

- Following the Civil War Congress raised

new tariffs to protect new US industries.
- This benefitted big business NOT the consumer.
- The tariffs lead to a $100 million dollar surplus (an
embarrassment to conservative Cleveland!)
- Cleveland moves to lower the tariff, which
would lower prices and prevent monopolies.
The Election of
1888 - Grover Cleveland (D) v. Benjamin
Harrison
- The real issue of the election are
the tariffs.
- Millions of pamphlets
are circulated regarding
the tariffs.
- Big business outright
purchases people's votes
and companies force
their workers to vote en
masse against Cleveland.
Changing Public Opinion
- Increasingly Americans wanted the federal government to deal with growing social and
economic problems and to curb the power of the trusts.
- Interstate Commerce Act - 1887
- Sherman Anti-Trust Act - 1890
- McKinley Tariff - 1890
- Built on the idea that prosperity flowed from protectionism (Hint-
It doesnt)
Cont.

The Billion Dollar Congress

Included the McKinley Tariff, raised taxes on foreign made items to a peacetime high
of 48% - enraged farmers, debtors and small business owners who needed low
operating costs.
Increased Civil War pensions.
Passed the Sherman Antitrust and Silver Purchase Act.
Outlawed monopolies but is fairly ineffective.
Printed additional silver coins, but not enough to help farmers.
Passed a civil rights bill that was defeated by the Senate.
The Election of 1892
Clevelands Second Term
- Cleveland rapidly loses support.
- He is blamed for the 1893 Panic - worst in the 19th Century.
- 8,000 businesses collapse in 6 months, including 12 major
railroads.
- He also allows the tariff to remain high and repeals the Sherman
Silver Purchase Act - hurting debtors.
- Coxeys Army - Unemployed march on D.C. to protest Clevelands
unwillingness to help those impacted by the panic.
- Cleveland continues to ignore the plight of the unemployed
and had the leaders arrested - shows Americans that the
government will not help them.
The Five MAJOR issues of Clevelands
Second Term - Leads to the Election of
1896

1. The Panic of 1893

2. Coxeys Army
3. Pullman Strike
4. Conservative Supreme Court Decisions
5. THE SILVER ISSUE