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Rutherford B. Hayes' Compromise of 1877: This event occurred primarily in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina because these were the states where the results of the election were being questioned. Much of the action took place in Washington D.C.
In 1876, Republican Rutherford Hayes beat Democrat Samuel Tilden in electoral vote, 185-184. A special electoral commission was put together to investigate allegations of corruption. The Republicans made an offer to the Democrats in the South that they would remove the troops that still remained from the civil war. The image included with this depicts the Tilden vs. Hayes election and was meant to depict the harsh feelings people had towards Hayes when it was published on February 17, 1877. -
The U.S. Tariff Commission: The U.S. Tariff Commission was established in Washington D.C. but it dealt with international trades and markets.
After the assassination of President Garfield, VP Chester Arthur became president of the United States. Without having to worry about paying back political favors, Arthur set out to make some changes. One of the biggest controversies of the time was the high tariffs on imported goods which were set in order to get Americans to only buy from big businesses in the U.S. Arthur created the U.S. Tariff Commission in order to counteract this but he was met with a lot of pushback from his own party. -
The Populist Party: The Populist Party's first national convention took place in Omaha, Nebraska and the members were heavily made up of midwestern farmers and eventually, northeastern laborers.
The Populist Party formed in 1891 and quickly became a major third party. They were able to get a significant number of votes in the 1892 election. Their struggles were depicted in the preamble given at the convention in 1892 when Ignatius Donnelly stated that they were tired of the two political parties fighting for power while the people of the US suffered. This was significant because this was the beginning of the citizens working to really make a change in politics in the United States. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President: William McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, NY and Roosevelt was inaugurated in Washington D.C.
Theodore Roosevelt became president after William McKinley was assassinated shortly after he took office. This was extremely significant because of Roosevelt's progressive attitude. He was the first president in many decades to make substantial efforts to control trusts, intervene in industrial businesses, stop child labor, and protect the environment. In his 2nd inaugural address, he stated that relations with other countries were important but relations with each other were the most important. -
The United States Enters World War I: This event dealt specifically with Germany, Mexico, and Great Britain. The Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted by British intelliegence and it detailed a potential alliance between Mexico and Germany.
The United States entering WWI was politically significant because Woodrow Wilson had spent his entire first term and his campaign for his second term adamantly against getting involved in the war. After the Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted and detailed Germany's plan to help Mexico take back the land it had lost to the US, in exchange for Mexico's alliance with Germany, Wilson decided that war was necessary and congress, reluctantly, agreed. -
Americans Want A Change: This took place all across the country. Events of violence fueled by racism, fear of communism, and the flu epidemic were nationwide threats.
In the couple years after WWI ended, many things were going haywire in the states. The Red Scare, racial tensions, and a flu epidemic seemed to be causing chaos at home. The election of 1920, gave Americans a chance to choose a new leader that would meet their new needs. Wilson had been what America needed when he was elected but now they needed a president who focus on economic prosperity and who would return the US back to a state of 'normal.' Warren G. Harding was elected in 1920. -
Harding's Political Policies:
President Harding had a philosophy to run the United States like a business. He initiated tax cuts, created a budget, and worked to keep international relations peaceful.
