Chapter 16 - 1 2 3

American History

Ch. 16, sec. 1 Stalemate in Washington pp. 492-

497

Terms

1. James Garfield: A halfbreed nominated by the republican party to run for president in

the 1880 election. He was assassinated by Charles Guiteau on July 12,1881

2. patronage: informally known as the spoils system, government jobs were given to

supporters of the winning party in an election. many americans felt like the spoils

system was aiding in the corruption of those who worked for the government and was

preventing the government from addressing the nation’s issues.

3. Charles Guiteau: He is resposible for the assanation of James Garfield. He was a job

seeker who made daily trips to the white house repeatedly asking for a job.

4. Roscoe Conkling: New York senator who, along with many other republican party

bosses, was called a “Stalwart” in the papers. He labeled the Republican reformers as

“Halfbreeds” and accused them of backing reform simply to create openings for their

own suporters.

5. Halfbreeds & Stalwart: Halfbreeds are republican reformers who support reform in

order to secure votes from their supporters. Stalwarts are politicians who were angry

with Hayes for abandoning reconstruction, because this abandonment allowed

Democrats to regain full control of the South.

6.Chester A. Arthur: A Stalwart nominated by the republicans to run for vice president in

the election of 1880. He supported the Pendelton Act, he placed 14,000 jobs (1/10 of

the total) under the control of civil service.

7.Pendleton Act: This law allows the president to decide which federal jobs would be

filled according to rules laid out by the bipartisan Civil Service Commission. Canidates

competed for these jobs through examination, and appointments could only be made

from the list of those who took the exams. Once appointed a civil service official could

not be removed for political reasons

8. Civil Service Commission: Government agency under the Pendleton Act of 1883 that

oversaw the administration of the examinations in order to fulfill federal jobs

9. Grover Cleveland: Nominated by the democratic party for the election of 1884, and

was the opponent of Tammany Hall. He eventually became president after his victory in

the 1884 election. Signed the interstate commerce act.

10. Tammany Hall: Corrupt Democratic political machine in New York city.11. James G. Blaine: A former speaker of the house and the chairman of the Maine

committee of the Republican party since 1859.He was popular among party workers,

but still lost in the Presidential Election of 1884. Had been accused of profitting

financially, during the credit mobilier scam, from a political favor he did for the Union

Pacific Railroad while serving as Speaker of the House in the 1870’s.

12. Mugwumps: A group of renegade Republican reformers who supported 1884

Democratic presidential nominee Grover Cleveland instead of their party's nominee,

James G. Blaine. Name came from an Algonquian word meaning "great chiefs"; they

thought of themselves as moral leaders who were more concerned with helping the

nation rather than with helping a particular political party. Most of them came from New

York and Massachusetts

13. rebates: partial refunds

14. Wabash v. Illinois: Court case in 1886 that ruled that Illinois could not restrict the

rates that the Wabash Railroad charged for traffic between states because only the

federal government could regulate interstate commerce

15. Interstate Commerce Commission 1887 (Interstate Commerce Act): Act signed in

1887 designed to regulate interstate commerce. The legislation limited railroad rates to

what was “reasonable” and “just”, and forbade rebates to high volume users, and made

it illegal to charge higher rates for shorter hauls. The commission was not very effective

in regulating the industry because it had to rely on the courts to enforce its rulings.

16. Benjamin Harrison: Republican presidential candidate of the 1888 campaign who

received large contributions from industrialists who benefited from tariff protection. He

lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote with narrow victories in New York and

Indiana.

17. McKinley Tariff: A tariff bill that cut tobacco taxes and tariff rates on other goods,

such as textiles, to discourage people from buying those imports. It lowered federal

revenue and transformed the nation's budget surplus into a budget deficit.

18. Sherman Antitrust Act 1890 (John Sherman): Act passed in 1890 that declared

illegal any "combination in the form of trust... or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or

commerce among the several States"

Questions

1. Why was President Garfield assassinated?- President Garfield was assassinated because Guiteau wanted revenge for being

denied a government job and he also wanted to elevate Chester A. Arthur to the

presidency. He believed that the assassination of the president was "a sad

necessity, but it [would] unite the Republican party and save the Republic" and

once the president was out of the way, everything would go better.

2. Why was patronage in the Federal government such a controversial issue in the late

1800s?

- Patronage was a controversial issue because many americans felt like the spoils

system was aiding in the corruption of those who worked for the government and

was preventing the government from addressing the nation’s issues.

3. What was the Pendleton Act?

- This law, passed in 1883, allows the president to decide which federal jobs would

be filled according to rules laid out by the bipartisan Civil Service Commission,

reviewing examinations to appoint people qualified for the job.

4. Explain how the Republican and Democratic parties had about an even amount of

support in the late 1800s and where did each party get its support?’

- They had about an even amount of support because Republicans were seen as

the party of reform since they supported abolition, temperance, and other

reforms, while the Democrats were seen as the party of personal liberty.

Republicans got support from former Union soldiers, patriotic Americans, big

businesses, and farmers on the Great Plains. Democrats had the support of the

South (where white voters remained anti-Republican following the Civil War and

Reconstruction), and big cities (where large numbers of Catholics and

immigrants lived).

5. Why was Grover Cleveland able to win the presidency in 1884 and what political

issues did he face?

- Grover Cleveland won the presidency because Blaine lost his "mugwump"

supporters and most of the Irish American vote, who then voted for Cleveland.

Although he faced moral criticism for the news that he fathered a child for 10

years earlier, by admitting to the charge, he preserved his reputation of honesty.

Political issues that he faced were issues with the people wanting federal jobs,

he wanted to lower tariffs, and the Wabash ruling.

6. What was the Interstate Commerce Commission and why did it have difficulty

in enforcing its authority?

- The legislation limited railroad rates to what was “reasonable” and “just”, and

forbade rebates to high volume users, and made it illegal to charge higher rates

for shorter hauls. The commission was not very effective in regulating the

industry because it had to rely on the courts to enforce its rulings.

7. What were the results of the McKinley Tariff?- The McKinley Tariff lowered federal revenue and transformed the nation's budget

surplus into a budget deficit. Due to the deficit, Congress passed a new pension

law increasing payments to veterans and the number of veterans eligible to

receive them.

8. What was the Sherman Antitrust Act and why was it not very effective?

- The Sherman Antitrust Act was an act passed in 1890 that declared illegal any

"combination in the form of trust... or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or

commerce among the several States." It wasn't effective because it was so

vague that judges didn't want to require big companies to change the way they

American History

Ch. 16, sec. 2 Populism pp.500-507

Terms

1. Populism: Movement to increase farmers’ political power and to work for legislation in their

interest.

2. greenbacks: Paper currency that could not be exchanged for gold or silver coins

3. inflation: A decline in the value of money, As the paper money lost value, the prices of goods

soared

4. deflation: An increase in the value of money and a decrease in the general level of prices, As

money increased in value, prices began to fall.

5. “the Crime of 73”: farmers refer to the decision to stop minting silver as ,“the crime of ‘73”.

Many famers felt like there should be in an increase in the printing of greenbacks, to expand the

money supply. Others, particularly in the west where silver mines had been found, wanted the

government to begin mounting silver coins.

6. Oliver H. Kelley: In 1886, Kelley was sent over by the United States Department of

agrirculture to tour the rural South and report the condition of the regions farmers’. Realizing

how isolated the farmers were from one another, in 1887, Kelley founded the nations first

national farm organization The Patrons of Husbandry.

7. Patrons of Husbandry (the Grange): The nation's first national farm organization founded by

Oliver H. Kelley that got together largely for social and educational purposes. Farmers looking

for help joined the organization after the nation plunged into a severe recession and farm income

fell sharply in 1873. Grangers responded to the crisis in 3 ways. Some pressure state

legislatures to regulate railroad and warehouse rates, others joined the independent

national party, and grangers also pooled their resources and tried to create cooperatives.

8. Independent National Party (Greenback Party): new political party whom wanted the

government to print more greenbacks to increase the money supply.

9. cooperatives: marketing organizations that worked for the benefit of their members,pooled

farmers' crops, and held them off the market in order to force up prices. Because they controlled

a large quantity of farm products, it could also negotiate better shipping rates with the railroads

10. Wabash v. Illinois: 1886 Supreme Court ruling that greatly limited the states' ability to

regulate railroads by ruling that states could not regulate commerce that crossed state lines11. Farmer’s Alliance/Charles W. Macune: began in Lampass County, Texas in 1877. By 1885

it had built a substantial following throughout the state. Led by Charles W. Mancune, starting in

1878, whom called for the alliance to begin recruiting farmers outside of Texas.

12. People’s Party: Political party formed by members of the Kansas Alliance, also known as

the Populists, and nominated candidates to run for Congress and the state legislature

13. Subtreasury Plan: Plan introduced by Macune that called for the government to set up

warehouses called subtreasuries. Farmers would store the crops in the warehouses, and the

government would provide low-interest loans to the farmers. Macune believed that the plan

would allow farmers to hold their crops off the market in large quantities to force prices up.

14. Ocala demands: Demands issued by members of the Farmers' Alliance in 1890 that were

intended to guide farmers in choosing whom to vote for. The demands called for the adoption o

the subtreasury plan, the free coinage of silver, an end to protective tariffs and national banks,

tighter regulation of the railroads, and direct election of senators by voters instead of by state

legislatures

15. Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 (John Sherman): Act passed in 1890 that authorized

the U.S. Treasury to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver per month. It put more money into

circulation and may have reduced the deflation slightly, but it did little to help the farmers. It was

created in order to prevent farmers from voting for Populists.

16. Mary Ellen Lease: Former schoolteacher and daughter of an Irish political refugee who

earned a law degree while raising four children on the Kansas frontier. She was one of the

most passionate speakers for the People's Party in Kansas during the 1890 election campaign

and she urged farmers to spend less time raising crops and more time campaigning against

the banks and railroads.

17. James B. Weaver/Omaha Convention: Former Union Army General who was nominated

by the People's Party at their first national convention in Omaha, Nebraska to run for

presidency. The convention also endorsed a platform that spelled out the party's positions in

strong terms; it denounced the government's refusal to coin silver as a "vast conspiracy

against mankind"

18. graduated income tax: taxed higher earnings more heavily

19. Panic of 1893: Occurred after Cleveland's inauguration, began in march after the philadelphia

and reading railroads declared bankruptcy. Railroads were expanding too rapidly in the period

before the panic, and found it hard to repay their loans.

20. goldbugs and silverites: goldbugs were democrats who believed that the american currency

should only be based in gold. silverites were democrats who believed coining silver in

unlimited quantities would solve the nation's economic crisis.21. William Jennings Bryan: Strong supporter of silver and former member of Congress from

Nebraska who was nominated by the Democrats for the 1896 election campaign. He was a

powerful speaker, and he won the nomination by delivering an electrifying address in defense

of silver, one of the most famous in American political history

22. William McKinley: Former government and member of Congress from Ohio who was

nominated by the Republicans for the 1896 election campaign; he won the election

23. “Front-Porch Campaign”: Campaign conducted by McKinley that involved meeting with

various delegations that came to visit him at his home in Canton, Ohio; The Republican Party

launched an intensive campaign on McKinley's behalf. The Republicans campaigned against the

Democrats by blaming Cleveland's administration for the depression and promising workers that

McKinley would provide a "full dinner pail" which meant a lot to most urban workers

than the issue of silver money.

24. “full dinner pail”:Saying used by McKinley to win support from workers; it meant a lot

more to most urban workers than the issue of silver money. Literally meant that everyone

would be fully fed and safe from danger.

25. Gold Standard Act”: Act passed in 1900 that made the U.S. officially adopt a gold-based

currency.

Questions

1. What is Populism and what caused its popularity?

-

Populism is the movement to increase farmers' political power and to work for legislation

in their interest. It became popular after the Civil War when a major problem with farm

prices dropping due to new technology arose. Famers were producing more crops, and

greater supply tended to lower prices. High tariffs increased the cost of manufactured

goods farmers needed and made it harder for farmers to sell their goods overseas.

Farmers also felt victimized by large and faraway entities: the banks from which they

obtained loans and the railroads that set their shipping rates. They believed that they were

losing power and influence.

2. What problems did the US have with its money supply after the Civil War?

-

During the Civil War, the U.S. faced inflation due to the rapid increase in the money

supply without an accompanying increase in goods for sale. After the Civil War, the U.S.

then faced deflation after the federal government stopped printing greenbacks, began

paying off its debts, and stopped silver coin production.

3. How did deflation hurt farmers?

-

Deflation hurt farmers because they had to borrow money for seed and other supplies to

plant their crops. Because money was in short supply, interest rates began to rise, which

increased the amount farmers owed. For those who wanted to expand their farms, risinginterest rates also made mortgages more expensive. The falling prices of he period of

deflation meant the farmers sold their crops for less.

4. What was the Grange and its political goals?

-

The Grange was the nation's first national farm organization founded by Oliver H. Kelley

that got together largely for social and educational purposes. Its political goals were to

regulate railroad and warehouse rates, try to print more greenbacks with the Greenback

Party in hopes of increasing the money supply, and try to create cooperatives.

5. What was the Farmer’s Alliance and its goals?

-

The Farmer's Alliance was an organization that began in Lampasas County, Texas, in

1877 that built a substantial following throughout the state after the Grange had fallen. Its

goals were to encourage farmers to join, organize large cooperatives (called exchanges)

to force farm prices up, to make loans to farmers at low interest rates, and adoption of the

subtreasury plan.

6. What was the People’s Party and its political goals?

-

The People's Party was a political party formed by members of the Kansas Alliance, also

known as the Populists, who nominated candidates to run for Congress and the state

legislature. Its political goals were to adopt the subtreasury plan, appeal to organized

labor, call for a graduated income tax, strengthen the hand of the government to defend

against greedy and irresponsible interests, the free coinage of silver, an end to protective

tariffs and national banks, tighter regulation of the railroads, and direct election of

senators by voters instead of by state legislatures.

7. How did the Panic of 1893 affect the US? (politically and economically)

-

It affected the U.S. because railroads declared bankruptcy as many of them expanded too

rapidly and found it hard to repay their loans, the stock market on Wall Street crashed,

and banks closed their doors. The economy was in a deep depression by 1894 as about

690,000 workers went on strike that year, and more than 4.6 million more were

unemployed (18% of the workforce).

8. Why did Populism decline?

-

Populism declined because gold was found in Canada and Alaska which ended the

depression. That wealth, combined with new gold strikes in South Africa and other parts

of the world, increased the money supply without the need for silver. There was also no

need for the Populists' efforts to help farmers. This meant that credit was easier to obtain

and farmers were less distressed.

American History

Ch. 16, sec. 3 The Rise of Segregation pp. 508-513

Terms

1. H.S. Doyle: Young African American preacher who defied Georgia's power structure by

giving more than 60 speeches on behalf of a white Populist, Tom Watson, who was running for

Congress

2. sharecroppers: Landless farmers who had to hand over to the landlord a large portion of their

crops to cover the cost of rent, seed, tools, and other supplies. They were always in debt and

many eventually left farming and sought jobs in Southern towns or headed west to claim

homesteads

3. Benjamin “Pap” Singleton: Former slave who organized a mass migration of thousands of

African Americans from the rural South to Kansas

4. Exodusters: Migrants a part of the migration that Singleton led

5. Colored Farmer’s National Alliance:An organization formed by African American farmers

that gathered in Texas at the home of a white minister in 1886 that worked to help its members

economically by setting up cooperatives

6. poll tax: A fee required to register to vote

7. grandfather clause: A policy that allowed any man to vote if he had an ancestor on the voting

rolls in 1867; it made almost all formerly enslaved Louisiana citizens ineligible to vote

8. segregation: Separation of the races

9. Jim Crow Laws: Laws that enforced segregation,The term probably came from the name of a

character popularized by a slavery-era blackface minstrel.

10. Homer Plessy: African American who challenged a Louisiana law that forced him to ride in a

separate railroad car from whites; he was arrested for riding in a "whites-only" car and brought to

trial

11.Plessy v. Ferguson 1896: Court case of 1896 that upheld the Louisiana law and expressed a

new legal doctrine endorsing "separate but equal" facilities for African Americans. The rulingestablished the legal basis for discrimination in the South for more than 50 years to come. While

the public facilities for African Americans in the South were always separate, they were far from

equal.

12. lynching: Executions without proper court proceedings

13. Ida B. Wells: African American woman from Tennessee who launched a crusade against

lynching and pointed out that greed, not just racial prejudice, was often behind brutal acts. She

published a book in 1895 denouncing mob violence against African Americans and demanding

"a fair trial by law for those accused of crime, and punishment by law after honest conviction"

14. Booker T. Washington/Atlanta Compromise: Influential educator who proposed that African

Americans concentrate on achieving economic goals rather than legal or political ones. He gave

a speech that urged his fellow African Americans to postpone the fight for civil rights and

instead concentrate on preparing themselves educationally and vocationally for full equality

15. W.E.B. Du Bois/The Souls of Black Folk: Leader of a new generation of African American

activists born after the Civil War and author of the 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk that stated

white Southerners continued to strip African Americans of their civil rights. He argued that they

could regain that lost ground and achieve full equality only by demanding their rights; he was

also concerned with protecting and exercising voting rights

Questions

1. Who were the Exodusters and why did they move to Kansas in 1879? Exodusters were

African American migrants a part of the mass migration that Singleton led. They moved to

Kansas in order to escape the conditions of the rural South since the South was in the hands of

the men who held them as slaves.

2.Why and how did Southern Democrats want to crush the Populist movement? They wanted to

crush the Populist movement because they didn't want black people to have power since many

poor whites left to join the Populists and give them their votes. Southern Democrats crushed the

Populist movement by appealing to racism, warning whites that support for Populists or joint

Republican-Populist parties would return the South to "Black Republican" rule. They also made

it harder for African Americans to vote.3. How did Southern states disenfranchise African-Americans in the 1890s? Southern states

disenfranchised African Americans by creating poll taxes, incorporating a literacy test, creating

the grandfather clause, passing laws enforcing segregation, and overturning the Civil Rights Act

of 1875.

4. How did Southern states create legal segregation? Southern states created legal segregation by

passing Jim Crow laws, overturning the Civil Rights Act of 1875, and passing many other laws

that enforced segregation.

5. What was the purpose of racial violence? The purpose of racial violence was to terrorize

African Americans to stop them from "competing" with the white people. They also had greed

and racial prejudice against African Americans.

6. Who was Booker T. Washington and what was his philosophy on how African-Americans

could gain equal rights? Booker T. Washington was an influential educator who proposed that

African Americans concentrate on achieving economic goals rather than legal or political ones

and gave the speech known as the Atlanta Compromise. His philosophy was that his fellow

African Americans should postpone the fight for civil rights and instead focus on preparing

themselves educationally and vocationally for full equality.

7. Who W.E.B. Du Bois and what was his philosophy on how African-Americans

could gain equal rights? W.E.B Du Bois was a leader of a new generation of African American

activists born after the Civil War and author of The Souls of Black Folk. His philosophy was that

African Americans could regain that lost ground and achieve full equality only by demanding

their rights.

did business.