The Significance of the 1896 Presidential Election, Essay Example

In many ways the American political landscape of the late 19^th century was similar to the current circumstances of 21^st-century politics. It was a time of extreme partisanship, as the echoes of the Civil War continued to resonate, helping to maintain a divided electorate that disagreed over a great many issues. At the federal level, the Democrat and Republican parties had a virtual dead heat in terms of voter support, making get-out-the-vote campaigns crucial for electoral victory by either party. Foreshadowing the political gridlock that currently has the federal government shut down, the presidential election of 1986 was held at a time when neither party was able to gain much traction over the other. The Republican presidential victory of 1896 signaled an end to this gridlock, and helped to usher in the period of American history that would come to be known as the “Progressive Era” (Paulson, 2000).

Just as the cable news channels of the 20^th and 21^st century have helped to make political wrangling as much about entertainment as it is about the function of government, late-19^th-century politics were also a common form of public entertainment. In a time where the American people had far fewer options with which to entertain themselves, voter turnout levels were significantly higher than they are today, with approximately 80% of voters turning out for national elections in the late 1800s (Goldfield et al, 2010). One notable and significant difference between the federal political structure of the 19^th century and that of today is that the federal government, especially the presidency, was far weaker and had much less reach into the lives of ordinary Americans in the 1800s than it does now. The 20^th century would see an unprecedented expansion of federal powers (Paulson); in the 19^th century the significance and influence of local and regional politics was at least as powerful, if not more so, than it is today.

In this context of close federal elections and powerful local and regional politics, the importance of each party’s political machinery could not be overstated. Both the Republicans and the Democrats maintained extensive political machines whose primary purposes were to ensure party loyalty and to get voters out to the polls on Election Day. These political machines did everything they could to curry favor with voters, including doling out food and other gifts to supporters (and potential supporters). The political machines did not just work to gin up enthusiasm among voters; they also largely dominated the actual election process. The political operatives from each party were often responsible for supplying the infrastructure of elections, going so far as to print out tickets with their candidates’ names on them to hand out to voters; these tickets would then be turned in by voters in lieu of anonymous ballots, and would serve to put party loyalty on display (Goldfield et al).

At the federal level, politics in the late 19^th century were largely defined by inefficiency and weakness. The office of the President was not the powerful position it has become, but was characterized by presidents who often deferred responsibility and authority to Congress. Despite the inordinate power delegated to Congress by the Presidents of the time (at least as compared to today), such power often went unused as Congressional politics were endlessly bogged down by complicated and contradictory rules, political infighting, and the inertia of a divided electorate. In the power vacuum left by an inefficient and ineffective Congress, a variety of local, regional, and national social and political organizations were formed to fill the needs and serve the interests of various sectors of the American people.

A range of issues dominated the political, social, and economic landscape in the late 19^th century. Echoes of the Civil War remained, and political battles were still being fought over many of the issues that had led the nation to war. Americans remained divided over such concerns as the enfranchisement of African Americans, immigration, the power of financial institutions, and tariffs on imported goods. Social issues such as alcoholism and poverty, left unchecked by the federal government, were often addressed by groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and other such organizations. Women’s suffrage was a also a significant political issue of the time, and though women did not yet have the right to vote in 1896, many women became politically active through the reach of social and political organizations.

The election of 1986 saw Republican William McKinley face off against Democrat William Jennings Bryant. Given the evenly-divided electorate of the time, the major parties often nominated candidates from larger Northern states in hopes of securing the large number of electoral votes from those states (Goldfield et al). McKinley, from Ohio, was no exception. The nomination of Bryant, from Nebraska, was more complicated; he was chosen after a series of battles and disputes among members of the Democrat and Populist parties (Sheriff et al, 2008). McKinley, who represented “urban and corporate ascendancy” (Sheriff et al), won the election; his victory signaled an end to the “political standoff” (Sheriff et al) that had characterized politics in this era.

One of the most divisive issues of the 1890s had been that of currency, with supporters of a deflationary gold-standard model on one side and supporters of an inflationary standard that allowed the ample use of paper money (“greenbacks”) on the other (Sheriff et al). This split shaped itself largely along urban and rural lines, with industrialists favoring what they believed was the stability offered by the gold standard and farmers and other agrarians favoring easier access to credit and the free flow of currency. The victory of McKinley over Bryant was also a victory of gold-standard supporters and industrialists, which helped to support the industrial and technological booms that were to come over the next several decades. The 1986 election saw the United States begin to leave behind its identity as a largely agrarian society where political and social issues were fought and won at the local and regional levels. Instead, a new era was taking shape as industry and urban life helped to usher in a changing national American identity and a more powerful and activist federal government.

References

Goldfield, D. R. et al (2010). The American journey: A history of the United States. New York, NY: Prentice Hall.

Paulson, A. C. (2000). Realignment and party revival: Understanding American electoral politics at the turn of the twenty-first century. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Sheriff , C. et al (2008). A people & a nation: A history of the United States. Boston, MS: Hougton Mifflin company.