SkipCaptcha
35,519
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 32:
Line 32: − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − <references/>+ +
expand
}}
}}
}}
}}
'''William Wheeler''' '''(1819 - 1887)''' was [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]] for [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] from 1877-1881.<ref>[[Fandex]], Workman Publishing, 2002.</ref> Prior to his Vice-Presidency he was in the state legislature and then in the [[U.S. Congress]].<ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000341</ref>
'''William Almon Wheeler''' (June 30, 1819 – June 4, 1887) was [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]] for [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] from 1877–81.<ref>[[Fandex]], Workman Publishing, 2002.</ref> Prior to his Vice-Presidency he was in the state legislature and then in the [[U.S. Congress]].
Wheeler aligned with the congressional [[Half-Breed]] faction that promoted [[civil service system|civil service reform]],<ref name=britannicabio>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-A-Wheeler William A. Wheeler]. ''Britannica''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref> a policy that came at the expense of Southern blacks [[Radical Republicans]] valiantly fought to safeguard from Democratic Party terrorism. His role in ending [[Reconstruction]] consequentially led to the rise of Southern [[Jim Crow]], constituting a vain betrayal of the party's pro-[[civil rights]] roots.
==Political career==
Wheeler's rise to politics began as a Whig, under such credentials serving as Franklin County's district attorney in the late 1840s.<ref name=senate.govbio>[https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president/wheeler-william.htm About the Vice President | William A. Wheeler, 19th Vice President (1877-1881)]. ''United States Senate''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref> He was later elected to the state legislature, and joined the newly formed Republican Party in the 1850s.
===U.S. House of Representatives===
Wheeler was first elected to the U.S. House in the 1860 elections from New York's 16th district, handily defeating Democrat Augustus C. Hand by a margin of nearly twenty points.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=730113 NY District 16 Race - Nov 06, 1860]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref> He did not run for Congress again until the 1868 midterms, where he emerged victorious and was subsequently re-elected three times.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=19912 Candidate - William Almon Wheeler]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved November 21, 2021.</ref>
During his congressional tenure, Wheeler was regarded as a "quiet" member and notably refused to involve himself in railroad stocks, even resigning from being chair of the Committee on Pacific Railroads to prevent temptations.<ref name=senate.govbio/>
Considering himself a person of integrity opposed to corruption, Wheeler refused to associate with the powerful New York political machine run by Sen. [[Roscoe Conkling]],<ref name=senate.govbio/> a Radical Republican and [[Stalwart]] leader who adamantly fought for civil rights and equal treatment of blacks. When requested by Conkling to side with the machine's interests, Wheeler responded:<ref name=senate.govbio/>
{{cquote|Mr. Conkling, there is nothing in the gift of the State of New York which will compensate me for the forfeiture of my self-respect.|||Wheeler}}
In 1872, Conkling, a rival of [[Maine]] then-representative [[James G. Blaine]], attempted to make Wheeler the [[Speaker of the House]] in place of Blaine; it failed when Wheeler had no apparent interest in Conkling's plans and only helped Blaine become Speaker.<ref name=senate.govbio/>
====Wheeler Compromise====
In [[the South]], white supremacist terrorists acting as an arm of the Democratic Party violently resisted Republican efforts in the region, and [[Democrat election fraud]] was prevalent. Many elections became the subjects of massive disputes and controversy over which candidate was the victor. Such occurred in [[Louisiana]], and Wheeler pushed through a "compromise" that kept the governorship in Republican hands while arbitrating state legislature seats.<ref name=senate.govbio/>
The "Wheeler Compromise" was representative of sentiments expressed against the continuation of Reconstruction as expenses and time consumed grew in the battle against Southern white supremacist terrorism.<ref name=senate.govbio/> Despite the Louisiana state legislature seats intended to be split arbitrarily, Jim Crow Democrats seized the opportunity to violate the compromise agreements to their advantage.
====1876 election, Compromise of 1877====
In the [[United States presidential election, 1876|1876 presidential election]], Wheeler was suggested as a candidate for president or vice president. The fight between the Stalwarts and Half-Breeds over the presidential nomination resulted in the former successfully pushed [[Rutherford Hayes]] to head the ticket after it was apparent Conkling would not garner enough convention votes.<ref name=senate.govbio/>
The Stalwarts then attempted to nominate Stewart Woodford for vice president, though this was prevented by the Half-Breeds, whose leader [[George F. Hoar]] of [[Massachusetts]] advocated nominating Wheeler:<ref name=senate.govbio/>
{{cquote|...Mr. Wheeler is a very sensible man. He knows The Bigelow Papers by heart.|||George Frisbie Hoar}}
Wheeler's independence from the political machine of Conkling appealed to enough delegates to obtain the vice presidential nomination.<ref name=senate.govbio/> The Hayes/Wheeler ticket in the general election obtained an electoral majority, though lost the popular vote. In the controversy that ensued, an electoral commission was established to determine the outcome; the resulting agreement gave the White House to Hayes and Wheeler in return for ending Reconstruction.<ref name=senate.govbio/>
He made conciliatory appeals to the South, attempting to gain party support from old Southern Whigs.<ref name=senate.govbio/> Abolitionist and civil rights leader [[Frederick Douglass]] at the [[Republican National Convention]] asked whether Republicans intended to uphold the constitutional rights of blacks that they pushed for through amendments, or whether they would turn their back.<ref name=senate.govbio/> Hayes and Wheeler chose the latter option.
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/W000341 Profile] at the ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, William}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, William}}