Republican dominance: 1890-1912 Flashcards
Why was it fair to say that the Republican party dominated government?
Between 1868 and 1932, Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson were the only two Democrats to interrupt the long chain of Republican presidents that stretched from Ulysses Grant to Herbert Hoover.
Which two new political forces were particularly important?
Populism - brought about fundamental change (and deep divisions) in the Democratic Party.
Progressivism - a wide-ranging reform movement which deeply influenced the Republican Party, especially under T Roosevelt.
Describe the situation by 1912.
Progressivism had become the central issue in American politics;
- a new National Progressive Party was formed
- Progressivism deeply divided the Republicans
- Woodrow Wilson, strongly influenced by Progressive ideas, was leading the revival of the Democratic Party.
Where could the Democrats rely on support?
- From the South
- From the industrial Northeast, partly from business but especially from blue collar workers and recent immigrants.
Where else did the Democrats win a lot of support?
From small farmers in the Western states. This rather contradictory coalition of support was the Democratic base until the 1960s.
Describe how there was little difference between Cleveland and Harrison in the 1884, 1888 and 1892 elections.
Little difference between them in policy and ideology; both Cleveland and Harrison supported conservative financial policies of ‘sound money’ backed by the gold standard.
When and what happened when Cleveland won back the White House?
In 1892. It seemed likely to continue ‘politics as usual’.
Why did the 1890s prove to be turbulent years?
Financial panic, economic depression, violent strikes, and the rise of Populism.
How did the two parties react towards this turbulence?
The Democratic Party - became more radical and more divided.
The Republican Party - became revitalised, pro business and swept to power in the ‘turning point election’ of 1896.
Describe the progression of Populism.
It first appeared as a political party at a state level in 1890 and quickly became a grass roots mass movement, with strong support in the South, Western Plains and Rocky Mountains.
What did the Populists do in 1892?
They set out their manifesto in the Omaha Platform. The Populists (“people’s party) did well in the 1892 elections and gained even more support in the mid-term elections of 1894.
What was the theme of the Omaha Platform in July 1892?
The need to fight corruption in government and the legal system, to save the nation from ‘moral, political and material ruin’.
What did the Omaha Platform claim?
That ‘the people are demoralised; newspapers are muzzled; public opinion silenced; labor impoverished; ownership of the land is concentrated in the hands of a few capitalists’.
What was the aim of Populism?
To focus grievances and discontent into a political campaign for radical reform.
What did the Populists demand?
- The opportunity for settlers and farmers to be able to acquire land from corporations and foreigners.
- Government ownership of the railroads.
- A graduated income tax
- A currency that was not controlled by private bankers.
- ‘free silver’: the end of the gold standard and unlimited use of silver to increase the money supply.
