Presidents from 1877-93: Cleveland (1885-89) Flashcards
What political party was Cleveland under?
Democrat
What was significant about Cleveland being President?
There had not been a Democrat President since 1868
Who opposed Cleveland in his attempts to reduce corruption?
Republicans
What did Cleveland promise when he was elected to be President?
To keep tariffs low and bring an end to the spoils system
Who were Mugwumps?
People who were anti-corruption and supported Cleveland, instead of James Blaine
Who was the Republican Candidate for Presidency in the 1884 election?
James Blaine
Why did many people not support James Blaine?
He had been involved in a corruption scandal over the interest of railroad businesses
Which groups of the USA did Cleveland’s promises appeal to?
The South and Immigrants
What was the result in the popular vote for the election?
Cleveland won with a slim majority of 25,000 votes
What was significant about the small majority for Cleveland in the popular vote?
Even though the Republicans had a candidate who seemed corrupt, there was still large support for Blaine
What was the only claim the Republicans had against Cleveland which could have damaged his campaign?
He had allegedly fathered an illegitimate child but this was not proven
What was successful with the way Cleveland reduced the scale of the spoils system in firing people?
He made sure that all people who were efficient at their jobs kept their jobs
What was significant about Cleveland being careful when choosing who to fire who had been employed under the spoils system?
It showed he was a careful President and he wished to take his time with this, potentially to gain some more popularity
What did Cleveland want for the federal government role over states?
He wanted to keep it quite limited
Why was Cleveland opposing federal intervention in the South a success?
Because it meant the South could stay happy and continue to recover from the Civil War in peace
