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| | Republican rule of the nation meant that free enterprise and big business were favored. There was also tremendous prosperity and the nation grew into a world power in the second half of the 1800s. | | Republican rule of the nation meant that free enterprise and big business were favored. There was also tremendous prosperity and the nation grew into a world power in the second half of the 1800s. |
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| − | The country grew enormous in size when the Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, Seward, agreed for the United States to purchase Alaska in 1867. Critics ridiculed this purchase as "Seward's Folly," describing the land as a mere "icebox". At the time, no one knew there was oil and gold there, or that Sarah Palin would be its future governor! | + | The country grew enormous in size when the Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, William Seward, agreed for the United States to purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867. Critics ridiculed this purchase as "Seward's Folly," describing the land as a mere "icebox". At the time, no one knew there was oil and gold there, or that Sarah Palin would be its future governor! |
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| | + | Russia needed money to pay for its defensive efforts at the time, as it felt threatened by the massive and growing British Empire. The purchase price was $7,200,000, which was only about 1.9¢ per acre. The Senate approved this deal nearly unanimously, but the House of Representatives delayed and was divided in authorizing the funding for it. The property was useful in World War II in connection with Japan, and during the Cold War in dealing with the communist Soviet Union. As Governor Sarah Palin has pointed out, one can see Russia while in Alaska. |
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| − | Exodusters "After Reconstruction, African Americans moved from South to Midwest, especially Kansas"
| + | But while the Republicans controlled the presidency from 1868 to 1912 (with the exception of Grover Cleveland), the Democratic Party controlled much of local politics. "Tammany Hall" was the name of the Democratic Party organization that controlled New York City. It was a completely corrupt "machine" that elected people, gave out jobs, and even stole money from the City. Eventually, it was the New York Times and America's most famous cartoonist, Thomas Nast, who mocked its leader, "Boss" Tweed, with tremendous effectiveness. Thomas Nast's cartoons whipped the public into scorning Boss Tweed and demanding that he be brought to justice. When Boss Tweed was eventually sent to jail, Nast cheered Tweed's humiliation. This demonstrated the influence of political cartoons in changing the course of history. |
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| − | Rutherford B. Hayes "Ohio gov., then Repub. Pres. 1876; considered a ""moderate"" and free of scandal during his administration" | + | The Republicans did win presidential elections easily in the late 1800s. The presidential contest of 1876 was virtually a tie, and former Ohio Governor Rutherford B. Hayes was able to win it only due to a post-election deal between the Republican and Democratic parties. The deal, as mentioned in the last lecture, was for the Republicans to end Reconstruction in the South in exchange for the Democrats agreeing to the swearing in of Hayes as President. Hayes served for only one-term. He was considered a "moderate" and the Hayes Administration was uneventful. It was free of the scandals that plagued the Grant Administration before him. |
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| − | Women's Christian Temperance Union "1874: founded by women to combat problems alcohol caused their families, society; sought prohibition"
| + | In the period just after the end of Reconstruction, many African Americans moved away from discrimination into the South towards the Midwest, especially Kansas. These migrants are known as the "Exodusters". |
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| − | “Tammany Hall” was the name used to describe the Democratic Party organization in New York County, which operated like a machine in how it elected people, gave out jobs, and even stole money from the City. Eventually, it was the New York Times and American’s most famous cartoonist, Thomas Nast, who wrote public scorn to Boss Tweed and his imprisonment. Nast cheered Tweed’s humiliation.
| + | One more point of review that will become important later: the Women's Christian Temperance Union was founded in 1874 by women in order to combat the problems that alcohol caused in their families and society. The WCTU sought "prohibition" (of alcohol), and eventually obtained it (for a while). Even today there are some regions of the country (such as some rural counties) that are "dry" (do not allow any alcohol to be sold there). |
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| | == Yankee Ingenuity == | | == Yankee Ingenuity == |