Cleveland to McKinley 1893 - 1901 Flashcards
This deck describes the final decades of the 19th century; the birth of Populism, the rising influx of immigrants, efforts at governmental reform, and the cultural achievements of the period.
Explain what happened during the 1893 Coup of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
13 American Businessmen and lawyers, calling themselves “the Committee of Safety” asked for assistance from the US military to overthrow the Queen of Hawaii. On Jan 16, 1893, 162 US sailors and marines were landed, where they helped the Committee of Saftey overthrow the Queen.
In 1893 President Cleveland criticized the involvement of American troops who had been used in the coup as a misuse of power by the United States.
Complete the sentence:
Beginning in the 1890s and continuing until 1915, ______, composed by musicians such as Scott Joplin, proved increasingly popular, blending strict two-four time and the melody in a steady syncopation.
Ragtime
Ragtime music began in black neighborhoods in St. Louis and New Orleans before catching on with audiences nationwide. Ragtime blended European classical music with the syncopation utilized by Black musicians. Ragtime influenced many of the earliest jazz musicians, such as Louis Armstrong.
In 1893, the stock market suffered a collapse similar to the one in 1873 when railroad overbuilding led to bank failures. How did President Cleveland address the depression that ensued?
Believing that the depression was caused by the free coinage of silver and a shortage of gold, Cleveland convinced Congress to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, and to reduce the McKinley Tariff’s rate.
Although reducing the tariff rate helped only a little bit, by repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, Cleveland made the Panic of 1893 much worse, since it restricted the flow of money. Less money available meant Banks were less likely to loan money, which restricted the growth of business and jobs.
What was Coxey’s Army?
Coxey’s Army, led by Populist James A. Coxey, was a group of thousands of unemployed men who marched on Washington in 1894 as a result of the depression.
Coxey’s Army demanded a public works program, but following their leader’s arrest, the group disbanded.
Beginning in the 1860s and continuing until the birth of radio in the 1920s, what was the most popular form of entertainment in the United States?
Vaudeville
A vaudeville show was typically a variety show, with several unrelated acts, including acrobats, animals, singers, and comedians.
Complete the sentence:
The most popular of the Wild West shows was led by _____ _____.
Buffalo Bill
William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s shows featured Indians, sharpshooters such as Annie Oakley, and depictions of stage coach robberies. The most popular of the Wild West shows, Buffallo Bill and his troop toured North America and Europe to sold-out performances.
Buffalo Bill was the consummate showman. One of his biggest publicity stunts was to have his Indians arrive in Spain on October 12, 1892, the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas.
Define:
Social Gospel
Proponents of the Social Gospel contended that it was their Christian duty to improve the lives of the less fortunate. They contended that Christian ethics should be applied to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as alcoholism, crime, racial issues, slums, poor hygiene, and inadequate schools.
Prominent Social Gospel advocates included Jane Addams and Walter Rauschenbusch.
What was Hull House?
Founded by Social Gospel advocate Jane Addams, Hull House aided recent immigrants in Chicago. Hull House provided English lessons, childcare to working mothers, and children’s playgrounds.
Settlement houses like Hull House proliferated throughout the country’s major metropolitan areas during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
What was the Atlanta Compromise?
During an 1895 speech at the Atlanta Exposition, Booker T. Washington announced that an agreement had been reached between Southern whites and Blacks.
Under the agreement, Blacks agreed to submit to white political rule, while whites guaranteed that blacks would receive basic education in trades and due process in law.
Complete the sentence:
In 1895, José Martí, with arms and ammunition smuggled in from the United States, began a revolution against the Spanish government in _____.
Cuba
Both Hearst’s Journal and Pulitzer’s World covered Martí’s revolution and atrocities committed by the Spanish government in suppressing it, such as the decision to concentrate suspected revolutionaries in camps. Both newspapers urged American intervention.
Define:
Separate but Equal
The South used “Separate but Equal” to justify segregation under the Constitution. The Supreme Court condoned Separate but Equal in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), holding that racial segregation was legal, so long as the facilities offered to blacks were roughly equal to those offered to whites.
In reality, the separate bathrooms, drinking fountains, schools, railroad cars, and myriad other separate facilities were never equal. In 1954, the Court overturned Plessy in Brown v. Board of Education.
How did William Jennings Bryan secure the 1896 Democrat nomination for President?
Bryan endorsed free silver in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech.
Who won the election of 1896?
William McKinley crushed William Jennings Bryan in one of the most lopsided presidential elections in history.
Who was the most popular bandleader of the early 20th century?
John Philip Sousa
Sousa specialized in patriotic marches and led his brass band in parades and concerts. His most famous march, Stars and Stripes Forever, written in 1897, continues to be popular today.
Complete the sentence:
In 1897, early in President McKinley’s first term, gold was discovered in _____, bringing the U.S. out of the depression which followed the Panic of 1893.
Alaska
The Alaskan Gold Strike also increased the amount of gold in circulation, lessening the appeal of candidates who supported silver coinage.
What was the first newspaper to reach 1,000,000 in circulation?
The New York World, published by Joseph Pulitzer, reached the 1,000,000 mark in the 1890s. Unlike the more staid papers of the day, Pulitzer’s World emphasized sensationalism with lurid tales of love gone wrong, murder, and corruption in high places.
Who led the New York Journal, a rival to Pulitzer’s New York World?
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst and Pulitzer engaged in a newspaper war fighting for subscribers with ever-escalating sensationalism. Critics dubbed their conduct “yellow journalism.” The term “yellow journalism” stems from the Yellow Kid comic strip, which was published in both the Journal and the World.
Define:
Jingoism
Jingoism is a belligerent nationalist foreign policy. The term was used in the 1890s to describe those who supported continued American expansion, by diplomatic means if possible, but by war if necessary.
The term is often associated with Teddy Roosevelt, who was quoted in 1895, “If by ‘jingoism’ they mean a policy in pursuance of which Americans will with resolution and common sense insist upon our rights being respected by foreign powers, then we are ‘jingoes.’”
Define:
Imperialism
Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power, territory, or influence by diplomacy, force, or a combination of both.
By contrast, an anti-imperialist opposes such an extension.
What political group opposed continued U.S. imperialism in the early 20th century?
the Anti-Imperialist League
Guided by William Jennings Bryan, the Anti-Imperialist League opposed the U.S. annexation of the Philippines in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. The League contended that annexation was against the wishes of the Filipinos, and thus contrary to the American principle of the “consent of the governed.”
What was the De Lôme Letter?
De Lôme was the Spanish Ambassador to the United States. In February 1898 (a few weeks before the Maine sank in Havana), a letter written by De Lôme to his government, which insulted President McKinley, was leaked and published in The New York Journal.
The letter, which described McKinley as “weak and catering to the rabble,” outraged Americans.
Complete the sentence:
In 1898, the sinking of the _____ in Havana Harbor provided the excuse for an American declaration of war on Spain.
USS Maine
One of America’s new battleships, the Maine exploded on the night of February 15, 1898. Although probably the result of an accident, the sinking provided a pretext for war. A popular Spanish-American War recruiting slogan was “Remember the Maine, and to hell with Spain.”
Before requesting Congress to declare war in 1898, President McKinley issued an ultimatum to Spain, demanding that Spain cease hostilities against the Cuban revolutionaries. How did Spain respond?
Spain agreed, but under domestic pressure President McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war anyway. The Spanish-American War was officially declared on April 20, 1898.
What was the Teller Amendment?
Affixed to the American declaration of war against Spain in 1898, the Teller Amendment declared that after the war, Cuba would be granted self-government. For the Cubans at least, the Spanish-American War would be a war of liberation, not of conquest.
