Republican dominance 1890-1912 The democratic party ,
Reaction against big business, populism WJB and democrats 1890-1896 Problems of the democratic party
- Core of democrat support the solid south- gave segregationist southerners a stranglehold on the - 1896 election - democrat wbj
national party likely to alienate voters in the
- Democrats could rely on support from the industrial northeast - immigrants and blue collar - Republicans benefiting from im
workers, won lots of support from farmers in the western states against spain
- Populism first appeared as a political party at state level in 1890 - became grassroots movement - 1904 democratic divisions exp
with strong support in the south against teddy and WBJ and cl
- 1892 populists set out manifesto in omaha platform - theme of needing to fight corruption in the nominating convention domin
government and the legal system - demanded govt ownership of railroads, graduated income tax who won the nomination was
and free silver - 1908 turned back to WJB - los
- Populists did well 1892 elections and gained more support in 1894 mid terms - 1910 revival in democratic pa
- Roots of populism from 1870s eg the grange and sometimes workers groups like knights of to more conservative policies
labour over house of representatives
- Impact of populism booted by leadership of williams jenning bryan - a democrat and lawyer - 1910 democrats also had risin
- Democratic party weakened by panic of 1893- became more divided in 1894 poor midterms southerner, pacifict, progressi
- 1895 cleveland got financial backing from wall st banker JP morgan + allies - lent govt 62 mill to distinguished academic caree
prop up gold reserves - gave opponents ammunition since cleveland sided with money men of of new jersey and this put him
wall st nomination rose steeply when
- 1896 election democrats joined with populists, national nominating convention - silverites won 1912 election
debate so democratic party adopted the cause of free silver- gave presidential nomination to - Growing strength of progressi
william jennings bryan - Wilson pushing progressive a
- Lost election - populism never really recovered momentum - was just swallowed by democratic republicans since the party of
party of taft and conservative repub
Rise of republican party and election of 1896 - Socialist eugene debs won 6%
- South became lost cause for republicans since less AA voters- support from big business and difficult it was for democrats a
urban workers who did well out of industrialisation socialism
- While WJB relied on brilliant oratory and whistle stop tours + biblical punchline - MCkinley had - Expansion of industrial econo
modern political machine driven by master strategist mark hanna who was a rich businessman organised into trade unions an
and politician strike, railroad industry pullma
- Mckinley campaign spent around 7 mill and more than a thousand volunteers sending letters to by socialist ideas from europe
voters and contributors - Potentially powerful but was d
- Democratic party divided- outside south and west people suspicious of free silver demanded radical changes to
- Mckinley promise to introduce a high protective tariff and keep up gold standard - mckinley won represented by samuel gompe
- WJB symbolied division between anti urban wing of party and bourbon democrats who backed and wages safeguarded
cleveland - 1912 almost 1 mill voted for e
- Election showed resilience of 2 party politics - by 1908 populism no longer existed - just became strength during WW1 but soci
one of many strands of democratic party - progressivism replaced it broke through the stranglehol
Presidency mckinley Wilson presidency
- Mckinley won first time ver republicans not need black vote in south - Untraditional in sense that he
- Democrats weakened by internal divisions political support - did not want
- Economy exceptional growth- set out administration with wealthy men + business friendly - Programme of reforms “new fr
policies return to freedom for small bu
- Dingley tariff act 1897 put tariff rates higher, strong believer in gold standard and alaska yukon corporate cartels.
gold rush 1897-99 strengthened argument for gold standard - Election campaign cleverly de
- 1900 introduced currency act committing US to gold standard wilson forced through underw
- Position strengthened by victory during spanish american war 1898 in cuba and pacific naval also imposed new income tax
success - Reformed banking and curren
- Mckinley reelected and had teddy as VP but was shot so teddy came in all national banks compelled t
Teddy Roosevelt by federal reserve board in wa
- First viewed with suspicion and hostility since younger, more radical, more willing to take an provided protections against f
interventionist approach than mckinley - String support in congress for
- Conservative republicans suspicious- mark hanna planned to challenge teddy in 1904 but died trade commission to regulate
- Sympathy with progressivism - an angry idealistic reaction against perceived evils of monopoly Clayton antitrust act act to ext
capitalism put forward by muckraking journalists + reform minded politicians. Urban, middle class cases against big businesses
and national, linked to attack on political corruption, regulate businesses and break cartels and - Got backing from AFL by prev
trusts 1916 adamson act used feder
- Teddy gained reputation for fighting corruption as police commissioner in NYC - willing to use for railroad workers - workmen
theatrical power of the presidency- so seemed the enemy of big business but was just as fierce injuries at work . federal highw
denouncing socialists and populists and believed big business essential for national prosperity farmers access to long term lo
- Mediated settlement of great coal strike 1902 - took on mine owners and press backings, 1902 - 1913 16th amendment congre