Laissez-faire Doctrine
Who: The federal government, middle and upper class
What: The belief that an unregulated economic system was the best path for progress, and the federal government believed that it would promote economic progress.
Where: United States
When: 1870s-1880s
SIG: The significance of this doctrine was that it would cause anger among farmers. They wanted the railroads to be regulated because the railroad companies were being unfair to them.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Who: Civil War general, Ohio governor, and President
What: Hayes brought dignity and decorum to the White House. He recognized the political strength of the temperance movement.
Where: United States
When: 1877-1881
SIG: The significance of Hayes was that he brought the White House standards back up after previous decades filled with corruption. Hayes also help jump start the temperance movement, to reduce the use of alcoholic beverages.
Greenbacks and the Greenback Party
Who: Southern and western farmers
What: Greenbacks wanted for the use of paper money and for the country to get rid of the gold standard because it would allow them to pay off debts easier. This then helped found the Greenback Party.
Where: Southern and western United States
When: 1877
SIG: The significance of this party was that it advocated for an expanded money supply, health and supply regulations for the workplace and other measures to help workers and farmers.
Carl Schurz, E.L. Godkin, and Civil Service Reform
Who: A Missouri Senator, and an Editor for the Nation
What: They were an influential group of upper class reformers that advocated for a profession civil service based on merit.
Where: Unite States
When: 1877
SIG: The significance of this was that it did not allow people in office to give positions to anyone, but to give the positions to people who have the education and are able to pass a test to be able to receive the job.
Pendleton Civil Service Act
Who: Senator George Pendleton of Ohio
What: This created a commission to prepare competitive examinations and establish standards of marit for many different federal jobs.
Where: United States
When: 1883
SIG: The significance was that it forbade political candidates from giving these jobs to those people who contributed to their campaign.
Grover Cleveland
Who: President, and governor of New York
What: Cleveland fought the bosses and spoilsmen of his state in order to get rid of corruption. As president he opposed high tariffs, free silver, inflation, and imperialism.
Where: United States
When: 1885-1889
SIG: The significance of Cleveland is that he advocated for political reforms to get rid of corruption, financial supporters, and bosses.
Mugwumps
Who: Republican political activist: Godkin, Schurz, and other Republicans
What: These were Republican political activist that left the Republican Party to support Cleveland as president. They switched because they opposed the financial corruption that was associated with Republica nominee James Blaine.
Where: United States
When: 1884
SIG: The significance of the mugwaumps was that it inspired reforms for people to not follow political corruption in government, and it also allowed for Cleveland to win the election of 1883.
The Grange and the Grange Laws
Who: Mid-western farmers
What: The Grange offered information, emotional support, and fellowship. It helped inexperienced farmers and others to come together and help each other. The Grange Laws fixed maximum rates for freight shipments.
Where: Mid-western United States
When: 1870’s
SIG: The significance of the Grange was that is allowed a place for all framers to come together and help each other. With more and more members they were able to lobby in their state legislatures and pass the Grange Laws, which targeted the railroad companies.
Wabash v. Illinois, 1886
Who: Railroad companies v. Farmers
What: The railroad companies appealed the Grange Laws to the Supreme Court. They then decided to prohibit states from regulating interstate railroad rates.
Where: Illinois, United States
When: 1886
SIG: The significance of this was that the railroad companies were able to influence the government to take their side and not listen to the people. This would anger the citizens and would lead to a reform, and this also caused Congress to pass the Interstate Commerce Act.
Interstate Commerce Act, 1887
Who: Congress
What: This allowed the government the power to oversee and investigate railroad activities, and establish a new agency the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Where: United States
When: 1887
SIG: The significance of this act was that it allowed for the regulation of railroads. Even though the commission failed to curb the railroads it established the principle of federal regulation of interstate transportation.
Southern, Northwestern, and National Colored Farmer’s Alliance
Who: Poor farmers, Charles W. Macune
What: Farmers from all different parts of the country organized and alliance of framers to discuss their hardships.
Where: Northwestern and Southern United States
When: 1870s-1890s
SIG: The significance of this organization was that it allowed for farmers to share what they know and what they have been through. This would also allow them to organize rallies to advocate their ideas.
Tom Watson, Mary E. Lease, and the Populist Party
Who: Congressman, Wichita Lawyer, alliance leaders
What: Watson a Congressman supported the Populist part because it challenged the buffeted political system. Lease was a lawyer who founded the NWA (National Women’s Alliance). The Populist party represented a crusade against banks, railroads, and the elites.
Where: United States
When: 1891-1892
SIG: The significance of this was that it began a national organization for women to join and come together. It also launched one of the largest third party organizations.
James B. Weaver
Who: Populist Part Presidential nominee, House representative
What: Weaver opposed the gold standard, and national banks.
Where: United States
When: 1892
SIG: the significance was that he as one of very few third party candidates to ever win Electoral College votes during a presidential election.
Poll tax, Literacy test, and the Grandfather Clause
Who: Democratic Party officials
What: The Democratic Party began to suppress black votes to either force them to vote their way or not vote at all. Test like literacy tests and having to pay in order to vote discouraged many blacks from voting. The Grandfather Clause only allowed those whose ancestors voted in the 1860 election to vote.
Where: Southern, United States
When: 1890’s
SIG: The significance of this was that even after the reconstruction era blacks were still being maltreated. Congress passed amendments that gave the right to blacks to vote and to have equal right but whites were suppressing them even with those in place.
Plessy v. Ferguson 1896
Who: Supreme Court, blacks, and whites
What: The case was made due to a law that required segregated railroad cars. The Supreme Court allowed Radical segregation only that if equal facilities were provided for other races. Where: Louisiana United States
When: 1896
SIG: With this decision, the Supreme Court symbolically gave its blessing to the segregation of public schools in the south. Not until 1954 did the Court abandon “separate but equal”.
Booker T. Washington
Who: Black leader
What: Washington organized a black state vocational school in Alabama. He thought that once blacks proved their economic value that racism would fade away.
Where: Southern, United States
When: 1880s-1890s
SIG: The significance was that Washington believed that blacks had to prove themselves before they could receive any equality from others. Even though Congress passes amendments that gave blacks equality, Washington felt that they needed to prove themselves to other to be accepted.
Panic of 1893
Who: President Cleveland
What: An economic crisis that caused banks to fail, railroads go bankrupt, and this led to a national depression.
Where: United States
When: 1893-1897
SIG: The significance of this panic was that it showed Cleveland how the government cannot rely on a laissez-faire policy because this would become a cycle that would continue on. The panic also showed how investors would begin to sell their bonds to get gold and this would significantly deplete gold reserves.
Jacob Coxey
Who: Monetary expert
What: Coxey proposed a solution to unemployment with a $500 million dollar public works program funded by paper money. This money would not be backed by gold and he then led a march in Washington to lobby his idea.
Where: Washington D.C.
When: 1894
SIG: The significance of Coxey was that it resembled a program used in the depression of the 1930’s. his ideas would influence future programs that would benefit people during an economic crisis.
Free Silver
Who: Americans
What: Free silver would allow for the use of silver and gold coins and would expand the money supply. This would allow for people to pay off debts faster and easier.
Where: United States
When: mid-1890s
SIG: The significance of this was that it brought disagreement between Americans, and was a cause for discussion. When paper money was allowed it allowed for the economy to expand and let money circulate.
William Jennings Bryan
Who: Nebraska politician and lawyer
What: Bryan was the Democratic nominee for the election of 1896. He praised western farmers and scorned advocates for the gold standard.
Where: United States
When:1896
SIG: The significance of Bryan was that he used the platform of the coinage of silver in order to get populist voters. In this election Bryan won the support of the Populist Party, because they did not want a republican win.
William McKinley
Who: Ohio congressman
What: McKinley was the Republican presidential nominee. His platform was in support of high protective tariffs and the gold standard.
Where: United States
When: 1896
SIG: McKinley’s significance was that he was unable to be as popular as Bryan. So McKinley began to make posters, pamphlets, and newspapers that warned against the danger of free silver and how it portrayed the gold standard as the pillars of prosperity.
Alfred T. Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power upon History
Who: Author Alfred T. Mahan
What: It advocated for the U.S. to build up its navy and to acquire foreign territories, especially in the Pacific.
Where: United States
When: 1890
SIG: The significance would encourage for confrontation amongst other notions around the world that control islands in the Pacific. This would also lead to the Spanish American War.
Josian Stron, Our Country
Who: Author and religious leader
What: His book proclaimed that it was America’s mission to spread Christianity and to Christianize and civilize the world of the weaker races.
Where: United States
When: 1890’s
SIG: The significance of this book was that it spoke of the mission of America. America had no set religion due to freedom of religion in the Constitution. So for a book to begin to say that it is their mission to spread Christianity around to the world is very opinionated.
Social Darwinism
Who: Americans
What: This idea was rhetoric for Americans to use war to test and refurbish its manhood.
Where: United States
When: 1897
SIG: The significance of this idea was that the only way for America to restore its image was to go into a war and win. This would lead to the Spanish American was and counterbalance women activism.
Henry Cabot Lodge, John Hay, and Theodore Roosevelt
Who: Senator, and a Diplomat
What: They preached and advocated for imperial greatness and military might. And this was built upon Social Darwinism.
Where: United States
When: 1897
SIG: The significance was that many people in government also supported the idea of was and to expand and prove themselves as a power in the world. This would then lead to the Spanish American War.
Liliuokalani
Who: Queen of Hawaii
What: She was a strong willed woman and was hostile to America. She proclaimed Hawaii and independent republic and she requested U.S. annexation.
Where: Republic of Hawaii
When: 1887-1897
SIG: The significance was that Queen Liliuokalani fought for her nation’s independence without using violence. With her loose, the U.S proclaimed it a territory and then in became the 50th state.
William Randolph Hearst, the Journal, and Yellow Journalism
Who: Reporter and Editor
What: He was editor and reporter for the Journal. The newspaper exploited the Cuban crisis and turned rumors into fact. They began to exaggerate events happening in Cuba in order to make money.
Where: United States
When: 1898
SIG: The significance of this was that newspapers began to be corrupt because they exaggerated stories in order to make money.
Joseph Pulitzer and the World
Who: Reporter and Editor
What: Like Heart, he exploited the Cuban crisis, and made rumors in fact in order to make more money.
Where: United States
When: 1898
SIG: Like Heart, the significance was the same they exaggerated rumors and made them true. This led to changing the public’s opinion to what was really happening in Cuba.
Teller Amendment v. Platt Amendment
Who: Senator Henry M. Teller, and Senator Orville H. Platt
What: Teller: placed conditions for the U.S. military and that the U.S. did not annex Cuba but Cuab was in control by the people of the island. Platt: placed conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops remaining in Cuba after the Spanish American War.
Where: United States and Cuba
When: 1898, 1901
SIG: The significance of the amendments was to provide Cuba with a chance to get a government started to become an independent nation. And the amendments also created a plan for the withdrawal of the remaining troops.
Emilio Aguinaldo
Who: Revolutionary
What: He organized an independence movement in the Philippines, to drive out Spain in 1898. But when the Philippines were ceded to the U.S. Emilio felt betrayed. He then waged a guerilla war against the U.S.
Where: Philippines
When: 1898-1902
SIG: The significance of Emilio is that he was placed in the same position as the Americans were almost a century ago. He tried to fight them but was crushed by the Americans.
Anti-Imperialist League
Who: William J. Bryan, Jane Adams, Mark Twain, and William James
What: They believed that it was a violation of principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They feared expansion and that it would lead to competition for cheap foreign labor.
Where: United States
When: late 1890s
SIG: The significance of the Anti-Imperialist was that they did not want to compete with others for labor even when they are in an economic crisis. They knew that companies would give the jobs to foreign workers because it would be much cheaper.
