APUSH Chapter 19 Quiz

Grangers

Definition: 1867 - National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. A group of agrarian organizations that worked to increase the political and economic power of farmers. Significance: They opposed corrupt business practices and monopolies, and supported relief to debtors. Although technically not a political party, local granges led to the creation of a number of political parties, which eventually joined with the growing labor movement to form the Progressive Party. The Granger movement was successful in regulating the railroads and grain werehouses.

Pendleton Act

Definition: 1883, enacted civil service reform, said the Civil Service Exam must be taken in order to receive most government jobs (highest scores got the jobs), banned federal employees from giving campaign money to their party. Significance: It prohibited financial assessments on jobholders. It set up a Civil Service Commission, lead by administering open competitive examinations to applicants for posts in the classified service. The people were forced, under this law, to take an exam before being hired to a governmental job position.

Bimetallism

Definition: A monetary standard where the value of the monetary unit is defined as equivalent to both a certain quantity of gold and to a certain quantity of silver. Significance: It was the use of silver and gold in the economic system. Republicans believed in a money system based on the single gold standard, while the Democrats (Populist) believed in bimetallism. This issue divided much of the United States during the late 19th century because the bankers and industrialists wanted at least a limited amount of silver, if not to get rid of it, and the farmers wanted unlimited coinage of silver.

Populist Party

Definition: A political group which began to emerge in 1891. Significance: They gained much support from farmers who turned to them to fight political unfairness. They used a progressive platform. James B. Weaver ran as their presidential candidate in 1892. They had an impressive voter turnout. They were also known as the People's Party. Favored free coinage of silver and government control of railroads and other monopolies.

Coxey's Army

Definition: A protest march by unemployed workers from the United States, led by the populist Jacob Coxey. Significance: They marched on Washington D.C. in 1894, the second year of a four-year economic depression that was the worst in United States history to that time. It was the first significant popular protest march on Washington and the expression "Enough food to feed Coxey's Army" originates from this march. Although this group had no effect whatsoever on policy, it did demonstrate the social and economic impact of the Panic of 1893. The government arrested the leaders and broke up the march in Washington.

"Cross of Gold"

Definition: A speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that occurred in 1896. Significance: Bryan supported bimetallism, or free silver, which he believed would bring the nation prosperity. He, with great feelings, opposed the gold standard, and famously said, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold". The speech helped put him on as the Democratic presidential nomination. The nation since 1873 was bitterly divided on the monetary standard.

Patronage

Definition: A system in which benefits, including jobs, money, or protection are granted in exchange for political support. Significance: Often times, political candidates win by handing out jobs to supporters. Van Buren developed this system when he served in New York. Patronage was used by political machines to maintain control over their city. They maintained city control by handing out jobs, and, therefore, controlling votes.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Definition: Federal legislation passed in 1890 prohibiting "monopolies or attempts to monopolize" and "contracts, combinations, or conspiracies in restraint of trade" in interstate and foreign commerce. Significance: The major purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act was to prohibit monopolies and sustain competition so as to protect companies from each other and to protect consumers from unfair business practices. Anti-trust supporters believed that they needed national government support to succeed - most congressmen saw it as symbolic (a measure to prevent public criticism, but not likely to have an impact).

"Crime of '73"

Definition: In 1873 congress dropped coinage of silver dollars because of the lack of value that was put on it and the stoppage of miners selling silver. Significance: In the later 1870's, new silver discoveries were made that shot production up and prices down. Westerners from silver mining states wanted a return for silver and called for the stoppage of this. Like paper money, the demand for more silver was just another plan to promote inflation. This was attacked by those who supported an inflationary monetary policy, particularly farmers and believed in the unlimited coinage of silver.

McKinley Tariff

Definition: Raised tariffs to the highest level they had ever been. Big business favored these tariffs because they protected U.S. businesses from foreign competition. Significance: This tariff raised duties on Hawaiian sugar and set off renewed efforts to secure the annexation of Hawaii to the United States. Forced farmers to buy expensive products from American manufacturers while selling their own goods in a competitive world market. Caused republican party to become unpopular.

Stalwarts

Definition: Republican party faction led by Senator Roscoe Conkling that opposed all attempts at civil-service reform. Significance: They accepted machine politics and were challenged by other Republicans called Half-Breeds, who supported civil service reform. Their goal was to seek power in government. They also supported the spoils system.

Mugwumps

Definition: Republican political activists who switched from the Republican party to Democratic Party for Grover Cleveland. They switched because they didn't like the financial corruption. Significance: They switched parties because they could not in good faith support the Republican candidate, James Blaine of Maine. After the election was over, Mugwump survived for more than a decade as a title in American politics, and the Mugwumps themselves continued many of their associations as reformers well into the 20th century.

Grover Cleveland

Definition: The 22nd and 24th President of the United States (1885-1889 and 1893-1897). He was known as an honest, independent President opposed to corruption and the spoils system. Significance: He took few initiatives, but he was effective in dealing with excessive military pensions. He pacified both North and South by appointing some former Confederates to the office but sticking mostly with Northerners. Cleveland also forced Congress to discuss lowering the tariff, although the issue could not be resolved before he was defeated by Benjamin Harrison in the 1888 election.

Panic of 1893

Definition: The worst economic downturn for the United States during the 19th Century. It was caused by overbuilding and over-speculation, labor disorders, and the ongoing agricultural depression. Significance: Began due to railroad companies over-extending themselves, causing bank failures. Was the worst economic collapse in the history of the country until that point. People began to sell shares to buy gold depleting US Treasury of Gold. By 1894 RR's failed, businesses went bankrupt, and the Gross national product dropped with unemployment at 3 million people.

Silver Purchase Act

Definition: This act was a compromise between groups favoring the coinage of silver and those opposed to it, called for the partial coinage of silver. Significance: This act forced the Treasury to buy 4.5 million ounces of silver each month. However, the price of silver did not rise and precious gold was being drained away from the Treasury while cheap silver piled up. This act, therefore, helped to cause the panic of 1893, and it caused a decrease in foreign investments in the U.S. economy.

Farmers' Alliance

Definition: This was the first "national" organization of the farmers, which led to the creation of the Populist party. Significance: The Farmers' Alliance sponsored social gatherings, were active in politics, organized cooperatives, and fought against the dominance of the railroads and manufacturers. This was an organized economic movement within farmers that worked during the 1880s. One of the goals was to prevent the success of the effects of the crop-lien system.

Half-Breeds

Definition: Was a Republican political machine, headed by James G. Blaine. The half-breeds pushed republican ideals and were almost a separate group that existed within the party. Significance: During the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881), a moderate Republican party faction led by Senator James Blaine that favored some reforms of the civil service system and a restrained policy toward the defeated South. They were half loyal to Grant and half committed to reform the spoils system.