APUSH Chapter 19 terms

The Pendleton Act of 1883 was the federal legislation that created a system in which federal employees were chosen based upon competitive exams. This made job positions based on merit or ability and not inheritance or class. It also created the Civil Service Commission. ECONOMIC.

The Civil Service Commission was the government agency under the Pendleton Act of 1883 that oversaw the administration of the exam in order to fulfill jobs. ECONOMIC.

The Republican nominees for the election of 1880 were James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. The Democratic nominee was Winfield Scott. James Garfield won but was only in office for 200 days; he was assassinated in 1881 by Charles Guiteau. POLITICAL.

The election of 1884 was between Republican nominee, Grover Cleveland, and Democratic nominee, James G. Blaine. Grover Cleveland won, however, was accused of fathering an illegitimate son. This lead to the ditty made by the Republicans, "Ma, ma, where's my Pa?" to which the Democrats replied, "Off to the white house, ha, ha, ha." POLITICAL.

The election of 1888 was between the current President, Grover Cleveland, and Democratic nominee, Benjamin Harrison. Although Cleveland won the popular majority, Harrison won the electoral majority making him the next President. This caused major disputes. POLITICAL.

Social Darwinism Extended Darwin's Theories of Evolution and Natural Selection to social aspects. Social Darwinism was made by a British philosopher, Herbert Spencer. It explained how society had advanced through competition and worked upon the idea of "survival of the fittest." CULTURAL.

The 14th Amendment was interpreted to include corporations and people. For that reason, it became a powerful restraint on the power of the states to regulate private business. POLITICAL.

Blue laws were regulatory laws that prohibited actions considered to be "immoral," including drinking on Sundays. CULTURAL & POLITICAL.

"Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" was an insult made against Irish Immigrants during the 1884 presidential campaign. This insult managed to sway New York to rethink its decision on electing republican candidate James Blaine, and his failure to repudiate the statement lost him NY in the election and allowed Cleveland to become president. POLITICAL.

Acres of Diamonds was a lecture by Russell Conwell that justifyied Social Darwinism. It promoted set economic classes and promoted a "laissez-faire" economy. ECONOMIC.

Half Breeds were Republicans who were accused of backing reform simply to create openings for their own support. They were led by James G. Blaine. POLITICAL.

Stalwarts were a conservative faction of Republicans who supported the spoils system and the political machine. This faction disapproved of the civil service commission. POLITICAL.

Harrison was the 23rd president of the U.S.A. He instituted the McKinley Tariff and increased federal spending. He was a Republican. POLITICAL.

Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. He was the 22nd and 24th. Cleveland was a Democrat and implemented Interstate Commerce Commission and civil service reform. POLITICAL.

Mugwumps were Republicans who supported the Democratic candidate, Blaine, in the 1884 election. Mugwumps were mainly from New York and Massachusetts. They advocated for secret ballots and literacy tests. POLITICAL.

Frances Willard was a suffragist but believed that it would be more successful to advocate that women could bring a mother / wife perspective to politics. She became leader of the WCTU. CULTURAL & POLITICAL.

Led by Frances Willard, the WCTU (Woman's Christiam Temperance Union) was an organization of women intended to mold women into a political force. They vehemently opposed alcohol. They were largely unsuccessful in politics, however. CULTURAL & POLITICAL

The "Do Everything" policy was a program made by Frances Willard that encompassed many areas, including labor conditions, prostitution, public health, and international peace. CULTURAL & POLITICAL.

The Readjusters were a result of a break off from the Democratic Party in the South. They briefly gained power in Virginia over the issue of Reconstruction debt. They helped to create the Populist Party. POLITICAL.

The Colored Farmers' Alliance was a group of southern black farmers who shared complaints with poor white farmers but found it difficult to work together due to racial tensions. They were also less open than their white counterparts. POLITICAL.

Plessy vs. Ferguson was the Supreme Court case that ruled that segregation was not discriminatory, so long as their accommodations were equal. This led to the idea of "separate but equal." POLITICAL.

Farmers' Alliance of the Northwest was as a response to the fading of Grange life and the declining passion for anti-railroad efforts and strove to protect farmers from monopolies and enact a more equal taxation system. The National (or Southern) Farmers' Alliance was the merger of many smaller alliances. They attempted to put in place the abolition of national banks and monopolies, free coinage of silver, issuance of paper money etc. ECONOMIC.

Populism was a political doctrine supporting the rights and powers of the commoners in their struggle with the privileged elite. They were mainly a farm-based movement against big business and machine-based politics, and became a third party in the election of 1892. POLITICAL.

The Bland-Allison Act required between two and four million dollars worth of silver to be purchased and coined.ECONOMIC.

Coxey's Army was a group of unemployed workers who marched from Washington DC to Ohio. They brought attention to the worker's concerns and provided government relief. ECONOMIC.

The Sherman Silver Purchase Act required an additional 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion to be purchased monthly. This would serve as a basis for new issues of US Treasury Notes. ECONOMIC.

The "Cross of Gold" speech was Williams Jennings Bryan's address at the 1896 Democratic Convention which attacked the use of gold as a currency. ECONOMIC.

William Jennings Bryan was a populist leader and an activist for the usage of silver as currency instead of gold. Bryan ran for President as a Democrat in 1896, 1900, and 1908. ECONOMIC & POLITICAL.