GRANT, RECONSTRUCTION, AND BEYOND Originally from Ms. Susan M. Pojer and modified 2.06.09
Grant Administration Scandals Grant presided over an era of unprecedented growth and corruption. Credit Mobilier Scandal. Whiskey Ring. The Indian Ring. HOMEWORK
Who Stole the People s Money?
And They Say He Wants a Third Term
Sharecropping
Tenancy & the Crop Lien System Furnishing Merchant Tenant Farmer Landowner Loan tools and seed up to 60% interest to tenant farmer to plant spring crop. Farmer also secures food, clothing, and other necessities on credit from merchant until the harvest. Merchant holds lien {mortgage} on part of tenant s future crops as repayment of debt. Plants crop, harvests in autumn. Turns over up to ½ of crop to land owner as payment of rent. Tenant gives remainder of crop to merchant in payment of debt. Rents land to tenant in exchange for ¼ to ½ of tenant farmer s future crop.
Establishment of Historically Black Colleges in the South
Blacks in Southern Politics Core voters were black veterans. Blacks were politically unprepared. Blacks could register and vote in states since 1867. The 15 th Amendment guaranteed federal voting.
15 th Amendment Ratified in 1870. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Women s rights groups were furious that they were not granted the vote!
The Invisible Empire of the South
The Failure of Federal Enforcement Enforcement Acts of 1870 & 1871 [also known as the KKK Act].
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 Crime for any individual to deny full & equal use of public conveyances and public places. Prohibited discrimination in jury selection. Shortcoming lacked a strong enforcement mechanism. No new civil rights act was attempted for 90 years!
Northern Support Wanes Grantism & corruption. Panic of 1873 [6-year depression]. Concern over westward expansion and Indian wars. :.
The Panic of 1873 Speculation-RR, land, grain It raises the money question. debtors seek inflationary monetary policy by continuing circulation of greenbacks. creditors, intellectuals support hard money. 1876 Greenback Party formed & makes gains in congressional races The Crime of 73!
1876 Presidential Tickets
1876 Presidential Election
The Political Crisis of 1877 Corrupt Bargain Part II?
Disputed returns from LA. FL and S.C. Constitution says returns will be counted by Congress. But who counts, the Dem or Rep?
Hayes Prevails
COMPROMISE OF 1877 HAYES WINS North will pull troops from the south Construction of a southern transcontinental RR Reconstruction is over
Alas, the Woes of Childhood Sammy Tilden Boo-Hoo! Ruthy Hayes s got my Presidency, and he won t give it to me!
Reconstruction Successes Union restored Economic growth 14 th and 15 th amendments Freedman s Bureau Education Failures Bitterness remains Industrialization is slow African Americans denied right to vote Racist attitudes continue
Jim Crow Systematic state level legal codes of segregation Literacy requirements Voter-registration registration laws Poll taxes
White audiences readily accepted the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky, singing, dancing, grinning "Weel about and turn about and do jus' so, Eb'ry time I weel about, I jump Jim Crow." buffoon as representative of blacks,
Plessy V. Ferguson Separate but Equal
Chinese in America Chinese came to America first for the gold in Calif 1849 Then to help build the first Transcontinental RR Irish v Chinese leads to violence Beef-eater eater v rice-eatereater not a Chinaman s chance
Chinese Exclusion Act-1882 No immigration from China (lasts until 1943)
Grover Cleveland President in 1884 Through the people support the government the Government should not support the people laissez-faire Budget surplus- embarrassing solution- lower tariffs
Reducing tariff unpopular with northern Republicans Cleveland loses 1888 election to Benjamin Harrison Congress spends surplus- Leads to deficit
Rise of the Populists Republicans pass McKinley Tariff-average average 48.4 % tax on imported goods Hurts farmers- buy high priced manufactured goods- but sell crops to competitive unprotected world markets.
POPULISTS Want inflation-unlimited coinage of silver Graduated income tax Govt. ownership of RR, telegraph, telephone Direct election of Senators Shorter work day Immigration restriction
POPULIST Farmers join with factory workers and miners Homestead strike Silver miner strike in Idaho
POPULISTS Populists reach out to black farmers in the south White southern backlash Leads to literacy tests, poll taxes, Grandfather clause
Election of1892 Harrison unpopular- Cleveland wins-again Depression of 1893 Causes: Speculation, overbuilding Labor disputes Agricultural depression
THE RAILROAD 1869-First transcontinental RR By 1883-five transcontinental RR US gave land grants to the RR as an incentive. Improvements: steel rails standard gauge of rr standard time zones
Influences of the RR New markets for manufactured goods Sped raw materials to factories Helped settle the west Cause cities to grow (or die) Environmental damage
Pullman Cars-the only way to travel
RR regulation Bribery, pools, and gouging Interstate Commerce Act prohibits rebates, pools, and discrimination against shippers ICA is weak, but first time Govt tries to regulate business for the good of society
Growth of industry Mass production, the growth of patents, and massive immigration of cheap unskilled labor helped build the US into an industrial giant Monopolies eliminate competition-- increase profits
Andrew Carnegie-Vertical Integration Carnegie owned the iron mines, the ships, the RR, the smelters, and marketers
John D. Rockefeller Horizontal Integration Rockefeller owned or controlled the world wide market for oil First use for oil was kerosene for lamps Invention of the combustion engine causes explosion of producing oil