Chapter 19 - Section Two - From Stalemate to Crisis

1. Who was Charles Darwin? Explain fully. (pages 514-516)

• English naturalist who developed the Theory of natural selection and evolution
• His ideas caused a schism btw city cultural and rural culture

2. What was Social Darwinism? (516)

• Application of Darwin’s theory of natural selection to human society
• William Graham Sumner and industrialized used it as an excuse for their place in life
• Some are not fit enough to achieve certain goals, thus the fittest survive in the business world and society

3. What was “Pragmatism”? (516)

• William James most prominent publicist of new theory (Charles S. Peirce, John Dewey)
• Modern society should rely for guidance on the test of scientific inquiry
• No idea or institution was valid unless it stood the test of experience

4. Make a list of the people mentioned on page 516-517 and briefly explain what they did, wrote, or started.
Charles Darwin: English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection and evolution
William Graham Sumner used social Darwinism to justify their position in American life
William James a Harvard psychologist who was most prominent publicist of Pragmatism
Charles S. Peirce – early pragmatism intellectual
John Dewey – later pragmatism intellectual, proposed new approach to education that enabled students to acquire knowledge that would help them deal with the realities of society
Richard T. Ely & Simon Pattern economists who argued for a more active and pragmatic use of scientific discipline
Edward A. Ross & Lester Frank Ward sociologists who urged applying scientific method to the solution of social and political problems
Frederick Jackson Turner & Charles Beard historians who argued that economic factors more than spiritual ideals had been the governing force in historical development
Richard Henry Pratt (1897) organized Carlisle Indian Industrial School, emphasized practical industrial education, forced assimilation, project failed

5. Read through the first part of chapter 19. This information is important but covers a wide variety of topics. Take your own notes on pages 522-524.
I. The Politics of Equilibrium
A. The Party System

• Electoral Stability
• Recon --> 1890s electorate divided evenly btw Rep and Demo
• High Turnout due to intense public loyalty, mass based politics
• Loyalty to demo in south b/c demo = vehicle by which they preserved white supremacy
• Loyalty to Rep in north b/c Lincoln and Civil War, against slavery and treason
• Catholic, recent immigrants, poorer workers --> Democrat
• Northern Protestants, middle class --> Republican
• Republicans --> support restricted immigration, temperance
• Party identification was more reflection of cultural inclinations than economic interest

B. The National Government

• National government was responsible for delivering mail, maintaining national military, foreign policy, collecting tariffs and taxes
• Late 19th cen supported capitalists (subsidies, military use during strikes)
• Civil War Pension system – (early 20th cen) fed gov administered system of annual pensions for Union Civ War vets
• Some reformers tried to make it permanent, failed b/c system was corrupt
• “Good Gov” believers wanted to elimination pensions system to fight graft, corruption, and party rule
• when civil war gen died pension system died
• late 19th cen US had no modern national gov
• Political parties = most powerful national political institutions

C. Presidents and Patronage

• Power of party bosses had important effect on pres power
• Presidents had very little power except to distribute government appnts
• Tried to avoid offending factions
• Rutherford B. Hayes Presidency (1877-1881)
• Stalwarts (Roscoe Conkling) and Half-Breeds (James G. Blaine) competing for control of the Rep party
• Hayes tried to satisfy both parties but satisfied neither
• Garfield Assassinations
• oHe began his presidency by trying to defy the Stalwarts in his appointments and by showing support for civil service reform
• July 2, 1881, shot twice, eventually died
• Succeeded by Chester A. Arthur, followed independent course to promote reform
• 1883 Congress passed the first national civil serviece measure, Pendleton Act

D. Cleveland, Harrison, and the Tariff

• 1884 election --> Rep Sen James G. Blaine
• “liberal republicans/ mugwumps” wanted to support an honest demo
• Demos nominate Grover Cleveland – no different than Blaine but had reputation as enemy of corruption
• Cleveland narrowly won because of Catholic support after demos spread news that Blaine tolerated a slander on the Catholic Church
• Dec 1887 Cleveland asked congress to reduce the tariff rates --> deadlock & issue in election of 1888
• Most corrupt elections --> Benjamin Harrison’s Election

6. What was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and why was it created? When? (524-525)

• Passed in mid 1880s to stop large corporate trusts
• Symbol to gain poor favor and not hurt business partners
• Ultimately ineffective

7. Describe and explain the cartoon on the top of page 526.

• America is bound by McKinley Tariff ‡ considered a monopoly
• US bound by protective tariffs to protect interests, but people are suffering due t higher princes
• Message: Tariffs should be used to make money, not restrict imports

8. What was the Interstate Commerce Act and who did it affect? (527)

• Interstate Commerce Act: forced railroad regulation, banned discrimination in rates btw long and short hauls, publish their rate schedules
• Randomly enforced and strict on certain people

9. Read all about the Grangers and The Farmer's Alliances and write your own notes explaining why these groups were created, who were their leaders, and what affect they had. (527-529)
I. The Agrarian Revolt

• Populism emerged from rural farmers realizing problems of the modern econ & the desire for government assistance

A. The Grangers

• 1860s The Grange: first major farm organization‡self-help association
• Depression of 1873 turned it into agency of political change
• Origins
• Founded by Oliver H. Kelley --> appalled by isolation and drabness of rural life
• At first aimed to bring farmers together to learn new scientific agricultural techniques
• Wanted to create feeling of community
• Membership increased after depression of 1873
• Increase in membership ‡ focus less on social benefits more on economic possibilities
• Attempted to organize marketing cooperatives (avoid middleman)
• Urged Co-op political action to avoid railroad and warehouse monopoly
• Montgomery Ward and Company 1872: 1st mail-order business
• Most Granger enterprises failed b/c inexperienced operations and middleman opposition
• July 4 1873 “The Farmer’s Declaration of Independence”
• Lawful and peaceful means to escape unfair monopolies
• Political Program
• Worked to elect state legislators pledged to their program
• Operated through existing parties or independent parties (“Antimonopoly” “Reform”)
• Purpose: subject railroads to gov controls
• Granger Laws 1870s --> strict regulation of railroads
• Decline
• New regulations destroyed by courts
• Political inexperience of Granger leaders
• Temporary return of agricultural prosperity late 1870s
• -->Decline in Granger association power

B. The Farmers’ Alliances

• Succeeded the Grange as leading vehicle of agrarian protest
• Southern alliance (Texas) 1875, Northwestern Alliance (Midwest)
• Primary concern = local problems
• Formed cooperatives & marketing mechanisms
• Goal: build a society where economic cooperation > competition
• Mutual responsibility to resist oppressive forces
• Promoted cooperation as alternative economic system
• Women = prominent role --> full voting members
• Mary E. Lease --> would be come fiery Populist orator
• Temperance = key to stability in rural society
• Suffered from same problems as grangers --> new phase 1880s creation of national political organization
• 1889 merger of Southern and Northwester Alliances
• Oscala Demands: party platform
• 3rd party formation --> The People’s Party (Populists) July 1892
• election 1892 showed potential power of Populist movement

10. Why did the People's Party start? Who started it? (530-531)

• People’s Party formed from the merger of the North Western and Southern Farmers Alliances
• Tom Watson (S) & Leonidas Polk (N)

11. What was the political platform (ideas) of the Populists? (531-532)

• Supported unindustrialized farmers that had no chance of competing with mechanized work w/o political intervention
• Set up network of warehouses and make crops valuable collateral
• Ban national banks
• Stronger influence of citizens
• End of absentee ownership of land
• Direct election of US senators
• Government regulation
• Silver money
• Progress and growth should be strictly defined by the needs of individuals and communities

12. Who wanted silver backed money (532) and who wanted gold backed money (537)?What difference did it make?

• Silver money: populists, silver miners, debtors
• Gold money: Business owners, successful farmers, politicians, bankers, Jews

13. What caused the economic panic of 1893 and what impact did it have? (534-535)

• Cause: Philadelphia and Reading Railroads and National Cordage Company failed --> brought down banks tied to them and the whole stock market
• Effect: food prices collapsed, businesses failed, foreign investors pulled out

14. Who was Jacob Coxey and what did he want? (536)

• Jacob Coxey: Ohio business man and Populist
• Proposed public works to generate jobs for the unemployed

15. What was the Crime of '73? and who wanted to undo it? Why?

• Crime of ’73: involved the value of silver dropping and loss of interest of silver coinage
• Silver miners wanted the government to by the silver above the market value ‡ mint it to make $$$
• Farmers wanted silver money to make easy payments

16. Who was William Jennings Bryan and what did he say about a Cross of Gold?(537-538) Why did he have his own cult following? (532)

• William Jennings Bryan: Nebraska congressman who was pro silver
• Believed gold standard oppressed the working man
• Democrats --> Pro-silver and collected all of the populist votes

19. What was the political background of William McKinley? What were his campaign issues in 1896 and why did he win?

• William McKinley: governor of Ohio, member of congress who authored 1890 tariff, Republican presidential candidate 1896 election
• Opposed free silver except by agreement with the leading commercial nations (unlikely)
• Bryan lost support by violating traditional campaigning

20. What was McKinley's plan to get the country out of the depression and how did the Currency Act help? (539-540)

• McKinley was committed to the need for higher tariff rates
• Currency/ Gold Standard Act of 1900 – confirmed the nations commitment to the gold standard by assigning a specific gold value to the $ and required all currency issued by the US to hew to that value
• Meant to stabilize the money supply

21. Create a Presidential Timeline from Grant to McKinley. For each President, include dates of office, party affiliation, and at least one significant event.

22. Explain what McKinley is doing in the cartoon on page 542. What is happening to Uncle Sam?

• McKinley is measuring the US to accommodate the new possessions the US obtained in the aftermath of the Spanish-American war
• The US (Uncle Sam) is getting larger and foreign policy is getting less and less important