9 6 12 The Grant Administration 1868 Presidential Election Grant most popular Northerner coming out of war Republican National Convention met in May 1868 and nominated Grant Running mate Schuyler Colfax Speaker of the House from Indiana Republican platform Black suffrage in the south Payment of the national debt Lowering of taxes Democrats nominate Horatio Seymour conservative former governor of NY general during Civil War Running mate Francis P Blair Jr from Missouri one of most violent critics of Reconstruction Couldn t agree on a platform Blacks could not register as Democrats in the South until 1944 It was considered a private club Grant wins election 214 electoral votes 3 013 421 popular votes Seymour loses election 80 electoral votes 2 706 829 popular votes Grant took oath March 1869 administration went downhill from there Grant Possessed no real meaning of the Constitution and its meaning for the U S Thought too militaristically Was a political toddler His lack of political experience was evidenced in his Cabinet choices He took no advice made appointments regardless of political or geographical standing Single good Cabinet appointment Hamilton Fish former governor of NY as Secretary of State Later Fish was responsible for Treaty of Washington 1871 which settled Alabama claims Most other appointees unknown incompetent and corrupt Grant s popularity couldn t translate to dependable successful politics Henry Adams said Grant had no right to exist made evolution ludicrous Grant should have lived in a cave and wore skins Major issues during Grant administration Civil service reform Money question Tariff The Southern Question Grant on March 23 1871 noted the condition of affairs in some Southern states rendered life and property insecure made even carrying mail taking revenue dangerous he asked for legislation to secure life liberty and property 42nd Congress devoted almost a full session to the South and the KKL resulting in Ku Klux Act AKA Force Act which gave President authority to use force to impose order 1872 Presidential Election Liberal Republicans Called for Reform Purification of Grant administration Slogan Turn the rascals out Called for an end to The Bloody Chasm between North and South Nominate Horace Greeley and thereby eliminate chance of winning b c Greeley editor of New York Tribune had denounced Democrats for 30 years as traitors and slave keepers Greeley too dogmatic too emotional and unsound in political beliefs Running mate B Gratz Brown liberal Republican from Missouri Only chance they had of winning was by combining Anti Grant votes with those of Democrats Platform Reaffirmed 13th 14th 15th amendments States rights Remove military from South Republicans renominate Grant Running mate Henry Wilson Waving the bloody shirt saying Southerners are not to be trusted with good treatment of freedmen Grant won with 286 electoral votes 3 596 745 popular Greeley lost with 66 electoral votes 2 843 446 popular Grant assumed that because he had trounced Greeley that he had gained the approval of the country not true Liberal Republican Movement Facilitated Amnesty Act 1872 Tariff reduction Civil service reform Removes political disabilities except for some 500 Confederate leaders Second Grant Administration 1873 supposed to usher in golden era for Republican Party Instead turned dark blow after blow struck Grant administration Corruption Black Friday Scandal September 24 1869 Grant had foolishly allowed himself to be influenced by financial speculators specifically Jay Gould and James Fisk In effort to corner gold market Gould and Fisk convinced Grant to change gold selling policies of Treasury Abel Corbin Stock market collapse financers businessman workers suffer as result Congressional investigation showed Grant did nothing irresponsible or illegal but people believed he had poor judgment Credit Mobilier Scandal Began during Johnson administration and came to light in 1872 Railroad construction company formed by insiders of transcontinental Union Pacific Railway they hired themselves to build the transcontinental line joining East and West coast and pay themselves 50 000 a mile when it should have cost 30 000 a mile Company secretly distributed shares to members of Congress Schuyler Colfax shown to have accepted 20 shares of stock as well as dividends James A Garfield future President cleared after damaging but inconclusive evidence about him All people involved were Republicans except Democrat James Brooks Whiskey Ring 1875 Public officials Grant appointees and private secretary Orville Babcock involved Grant intervenes to help Babcock Guilty of helping a ring of whiskey distributors defraud the gov t in millions of dollars in taxes Grant s regime has been referred to as The Great Barbeque because of all the scandals Grant probably deserved better but his friends took advantage of his honesty More Corruption It was everywhere not limited to one party or region Tweed Ring William Boss Tweed Tammany Hall Out front everything looked legal but behind closed doors he was making millions illegally John Kieser paid 1 1M for plumbing etc Actual cost of building court house should have been 500 000 but ended up being 12M New York Times Harpers Weekly Thomas Nast criticized Tweed Panic of 1873 first since 1857 Basic causes Over speculation Over expansion Mining Manufacturing Railroading Grain farming Lasted for 6 years was longest and most severe up until this time Annual message in Dec 1869 and 1874 Grant called for gradual resumption of specie payments the redemption of greenbacks in gold Would make greenbacks as good as gold raise their value to par with the gold dollar Congress obliged passing Resumption Act of 1875 called for redemption in specie to begin January 1879 By that time treasury would have built up a gold reserve for the purpose and reduced the number of greenbacks in circulation Up until this point Grant is considered one of if not the least effective President Grant admitted this in his closing farewell
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