Chapter 11: Politics and
Reform, 1877–1896
Main Idea of the Chapter: This
chapter discusses how the late
1800s saw political parties focusing
on party competition rather than the
economic issues that were hurting
rural Americans.
Main Idea of Section 1: explains how the nearly even
distribution of power between Republicans and
Democrats during the late 1800s impacted American politics. .In the late 1800s, many Americans believed that political corruption
prevented government from addressing the nation's pressing needs. A
president's assassination highlighted the need for political reform, and
leaders made some changes. .However, the government's difficulty in addressing national
issues also resulted from the nearly even distribution of power
between Republicans and Democrats. Power was so evenly matched that
congressional votes often produced deadlocks and narrow margins
determined most of the presidential elections. .A close election gave Democrat Grover Cleveland the presidency in 1884.
During his administration, Congress created the Interstate Commerce
Commission to address public fears over railroad companies' practices. .When Republicans won control of both houses of Congress as well as the
White House in 1888, they pushed through new economic reforms. These
reforms, however, transformed the budget surplus into a budget deficit.
Main Idea of Section 2: details the emergence of populism. In the years
immediately following the Civil War, overproduction and deflation created
economic hardships for many farmers. .Many blamed railroads and banks and decided they needed more
political muscle to effect economic changes. Farmers organized into
the Grange, the Greenback Party, and the Farmers' Alliance. .When farmers and reformers organized the Populist Party, their
demands included allowing the free coinage of silver, ending national
banks and protective tariffs, applying tighter restrictions on railroads, and
allowing the direct election of U.S. senators. .The main objective of the party was to expand the powers of the
federal government to protect farmers. Populists pushed for
unlimited silver coins during a gold crisis, but when economic
stability returned, support for populism faded. Though the Populists
never won a presidential election, they inspired reforms that were
later adopted by other parties.
Main Idea of Section 3: describes how Southern states passed laws during the late
1800s that disenfranchised African Americans and imposed segregation on them. .After Reconstruction, many African Americans tried to escape the grinding poverty of
the rural South. While thousands of "Exodusters" migrated to Kansas, some
African Americans joined farmers' alliances. .When African Americans joined the Populist Party, Democratic leaders used
racism to put an end to the Populist threat in the South. Election officials
employed strategies at the polls that barred nearly all African Americans from
voting. .Encouraged by a Supreme Court decision, Southern States passed a series
of laws that reinforced segregation. .Another Supreme Court ruling endorsed "separate but equal" facilities
for African Americans, and the South found its legal basis for
discrimination. .As racial brutality, mob violence, and
lynchings increased during the late 1800s,
African Americans responded with protests
against violence, calls for compromise, and
demands for equality.