WK8, Day 3 - "Cleveland's 1st Term / Election of 1888"

Wednesday - March 6, 2025

On average, how many hours would Grover Cleveland work per day in 1884?

18 hours

When did Grover Cleveland (49) marry his wife Francis Fulsom (21) in the White House?

June 2, 1886

How did people feel about a 49-year-old marrying a 21-year-old?

They loved it. It wasn’t considered weird back then.

What was Francis Folsom’s nickname for her husband?

“Uncle Cleve”

In 1887, Grover Cleveland became the first President to do what?

tour the country by train w/ his wife

Grover Cleveland was the final President to believe in?

small government

In factories/cities of the Industrial Revolution, what negatives were running rampant?

The wages, working conditions, and working hours were horrible

How did Cleveland respond to Union Pensions from former CW soldiers?

He vetoed 400-500 of them

What event took place one month before Cleveland’s marriage? When?

The Haymarket Riot - May 1886

How long did the Haymarket Riot last?

8 hours, length of an 8-hour workday

What was Cleveland’s #1 issue in 1887, twelve years after the Civil War?

Returning Confederate flags back to the South

Who represented Democrats in the Election of 1888? How did he act?

Grover Cleveland - quiet, incumbent

Who represented Republicans in the Election of 1888? What made him easily-recognizable?

Benjamin Harrison / He was William Henry Harrison’s grandson

What kind of war was Ben Harrison considered a hero in?

The Civil & Indiana War

Harrison didn’t have the most welcoming personality, but his wife’s personality was the complete opposite. How did she make Harrison appear and what was her name?

Caroline made him seem like a nice family man

Where did Benjamin Harrison host his large front porch campaign? Why?

Indianapolis b/c 12 train stations ran through the city

How many visitors attended Benjamin Harrison’s front porch campaign in Indianapolis?

350,000

Which former Civil War soldiers visited Harrison’s campaign?

Union soldiers

How many parades happened per day at James Garfield’s front porch campaign in 1880? How many parades happened per day at Ben Harrison’s front porch campaign in 1888?

1 parade per day vs 6-7 parades per day

Harrison’s speeches were often seen as scripted, because he never allowed himself to rift off onto another topic. How many speeches did Ben Harrison give during his campaign? How many did Grover Cleveland give?

194 vs 0

What was significant about the gifts brought by visitors of Harrison’s front porch campaign?

Their gifts represented which state they came from and what they could produce

Who wins the close popular vote in 1888?

Grover Cleveland

Who ends up winning the Election of 1888 w/ 233 EC votes?

Benjamin Harrison

How many EC votes did Grover Cleveland have?

168