Event Title
Rum, Romanism, & Rebellion': Historical Fallacy?
Location
Diamond 223
Start Date
1-5-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 3:30 PM
Project Type
Presentation- Restricted to Campus Access
Description
In 1884, the American people voted for Grover Cleveland to be the next president of the United States. This is notable because he was the first Democrat elected to the Oval Office since James Buchanan who was elected in 1856. It would not be until the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 that a different man from the Democratic Party would become president. With a preliminary glance, one may assume that the Republicans were extremely popular during this time period. Moreover, the 1884 presidential election between Grover Cleveland, a Democrat from New York, and James Blaine, a Republican from Maine, was extremely close, with Cleveland only winning by 0.7% of the popular vote. However, the presidential elections immediately preceding the 1884 election are also notable for how close the elections were. Furthermore, there was political division between the U.S. Congress preceding and during the elections of 1884. After the 1884 elections, Republicans held the majority in the Senate, while the Democrats held the majority in the House of Representatives. Although these basic findings show that Republicans did not completely dominate politically during this time period, they do not explain how Cleveland managed to get elected in 1884 (and then later in 1892 after losing in 1888). Republicans had always managed to squeak out a victory over the Democrats in presidential elections ever since Lincoln and the end of the Civil War. What went wrong for the Republicans this time around? How did Grover Cleveland get elected and what did his opponent, James Blaine, have to do with Clevelands victory?
Faculty Sponsor
Elizabeth Leonard
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. History Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Social Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
74
Rum, Romanism, & Rebellion': Historical Fallacy?
Diamond 223
In 1884, the American people voted for Grover Cleveland to be the next president of the United States. This is notable because he was the first Democrat elected to the Oval Office since James Buchanan who was elected in 1856. It would not be until the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 that a different man from the Democratic Party would become president. With a preliminary glance, one may assume that the Republicans were extremely popular during this time period. Moreover, the 1884 presidential election between Grover Cleveland, a Democrat from New York, and James Blaine, a Republican from Maine, was extremely close, with Cleveland only winning by 0.7% of the popular vote. However, the presidential elections immediately preceding the 1884 election are also notable for how close the elections were. Furthermore, there was political division between the U.S. Congress preceding and during the elections of 1884. After the 1884 elections, Republicans held the majority in the Senate, while the Democrats held the majority in the House of Representatives. Although these basic findings show that Republicans did not completely dominate politically during this time period, they do not explain how Cleveland managed to get elected in 1884 (and then later in 1892 after losing in 1888). Republicans had always managed to squeak out a victory over the Democrats in presidential elections ever since Lincoln and the end of the Civil War. What went wrong for the Republicans this time around? How did Grover Cleveland get elected and what did his opponent, James Blaine, have to do with Clevelands victory?
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/124