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Grover Cleveland takes office the first time
The only person to serve two non-consecutive terms as president, Cleveland had two goals when he first took office. The first was to reduce tariffs, the second was to reduce the coinage of silver. He failed at both of these goals with an uncooperative Congress, and he earned his nickname by using the veto more than the 21 preceding presidents COMBINED! -
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Grover Cleveland - Part 1
The only person to serve two non-consecutive terms as president, Cleveland had two goals when he first took office. The first was to reduce tariffs, the second was to reduce the coinage of silver. He failed at both of these goals with an uncooperative Congress, and he earned his nickname by using the veto more than the 21 preceding presidents COMBINED! -
Reduce Silver Purchases (VUS.8d)
A return to Gold Standard, Cleveland believed, would strengthen the American currency. He pressured Congress (beginning in his first message to Congress) to pass a reduction in silver purchasing, but his efforts failed. “Free Silver” would be a major issue over the next 20 years. -
Haymarket Square Riot (VUS.8d)
As a protest of a striking worker being murdered by Chicago Police, this demonstration turned violent when a bomb was thrown into the police officers who were called to the scene. The riot that ensued set off American sentiment against radical immigrants and labor unions. MORE -
Ties the knot!
Grover Cleveland became the only sitting President to get married - he wed 21-year-old Francis Folsom in the White House. -
Statue of Liberty Dedicated (VUS.8a)
A gift from the French to commemorate our 100th birthday in 1876, the statue was completed outside the New York harbor. This image came to symbolize all the opportunity that America had to offer, as immigrants from Europe often saw this as their first glimpse of America. Read MORE -
American Federation of Labor Forms (VUS.8d)
Samuel Gompers was selected to be the President of this craft union. This union would serve as an alliance with many other unions with membership based on skilled work. The AFL grew to be the most powerful union over the next 50 years. Read MORE -
Interstate Commerce Act (VUS.8d)
This law created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the first federal regulatory agency. It was designed to investigate rail road rates, to be sure they were “reasonable and just”. Even though the ICC lacked enforcement powers, it was the beginning of Federal regulations on private industry. Read MORE -
The Dawes Severalty Act (VUS.8a)
To help facilitate the cultural assimilation, Cleveland signed this law that would divide Indian land that was being held in communal trust by the Federal Government, and that land would then be given to individuals for personal use rather than governed by the tribe. This law backfired, and many American Indians found their situations even worse. -
Tariff Reduction (VUS.8d)
Cleveland believed that tariffs should be used as a source of revenue, not as a means of protectionism. In his third message to Congress, he pressured Congress to reduce tariffs, but his attempts failed.
