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'''James Gillespie Blaine''' (1830-1893) was a leading Republican politician and statesman of the [[Gilded Age]], and a power in the [[Third Party System]]. He served in the House and Senate from [[Maine]]. He was defeated for president by [[Grover Cleveland]] in a close race in 1884, when the [[Mugwimps]] (reform republicans) broke away. He closed his career as a successful Secretary of State in the early 1890s.  A powerful party leader, he was surrounded by suspicions of corruption, but created an innovative foreign policy.

'''James Gillespie Blaine''' (1830-1893) was a leading Republican politician and statesman of the [[Gilded Age]], and a power in the [[Third Party System]]. He served in the House and Senate from [[Maine]]. He was defeated for president by [[Grover Cleveland]] in a close race in 1884, when the [[Mugwumps]] (reform Republicans) broke away. He closed his career as a successful Secretary of State in the early 1890s.  A powerful party leader, he was surrounded by suspicions of corruption, but created an innovative foreign policy.

[[Image:BLAINE.jpg|thumb|220px]]

[[Image:BLAINE.jpg|thumb|220px]]

==Career==

==Career==

Blaine was born in West Brownsville, Pa., Jan. 31, 1830, moving in 1841 with his parents to Washington, Pa. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1847 and studied law. Blaine taught school, first in slaveholding Kentucky (1848-1852) and then in Philadelphia (1852-1854). In 1854 he moved to his wife's home in Augusta, Maine, and purchased an interest in the Republican newspaper the ''Kennebec Journal''. He entered politics as a Republican, was elected to the state legislature in 1858, and was twice reelected, serving as speaker in 1861 and 1862. From 1859 to 1881 he was chairman of the Republican State Committee in Maine. Blaine was a fluent writer and a master at political management, In 1862 he was elected to Congress, where he took the lead in financial legislation. He never served in uniform. He held the powertful position of Speaker the House from 1869 to 1875, during [[Reconstruction]]. On July 10, 1876, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate, and later was elected to the six-year term, serving until 1881.

Blaine was born in West Brownsville, Pa., Jan. 31, 1830, moving in 1841 with his parents to Washington, Pa. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1847 and studied law. Blaine taught school, first in slaveholding Kentucky (1848-1852) and then in Philadelphia (1852-1854). In 1854 he moved to his wife's home in Augusta, Maine, and purchased an interest in the Republican newspaper the ''Kennebec Journal''. He entered politics as a Republican, was elected to the state legislature in 1858, and was twice reelected, serving as speaker in 1861 and 1862. From 1859 to 1881 he was chairman of the Republican State Committee in Maine. Blaine was a fluent writer and a master at political management, In 1862 he was elected to Congress, where he took the lead in financial legislation. He never served in uniform. He held the powerful position of Speaker the House from 1869 to 1875, during [[Reconstruction]]. On July 10, 1876, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate, and later was elected to the six-year term, serving until 1881.

Blaine was a magnetic speaker in an era of oratory, a man of charisma.  As a moderate Republican he supported President [[Abraham Lincoln]] during the Civil War. As a major leader during [[Reconstruction]] he took an independent course in his advocacy of black suffrage, but opposed the coercive measures of the [[Radical Republicans]] during the administration of [[Ulysses S. Grant]].  He opposed a general amnesty bill, secured the confidence and support of the Grand Army of the Republic, worked for a reduction in the tariff and generally sought and obtained strong support from the Western states. Railroad promotion and construction were important in this period, and as a result of his interest and support Blaine was charged with graft and corruption in the awarding of railroad charters. The proof or falsity of the charges was supposed to rest in the so-called "Mulligan letters," which Blaine refused to release to the public, but from which he read in his successful defense in the House. He proposed the [[Blaine Amendment]] in 1875, an amendment to the federal Constitution that would forbid the public funding of private, denominational schools. It passed the House but failed in the Senate and never became federal law, but 30 states copied it into their state constitutions.

Blaine was a magnetic speaker in an era of oratory, a man of charisma.  As a moderate Republican he supported President [[Abraham Lincoln]] during the Civil War. As a major leader during [[Reconstruction]] he took an independent course in his advocacy of black suffrage, but opposed the coercive measures of the [[Radical Republicans]] during the administration of [[Ulysses S. Grant]].  He opposed a general amnesty bill, secured the confidence and support of the Grand Army of the Republic, worked for a reduction in the tariff and generally sought and obtained strong support from the Western states. Railroad promotion and construction were important in this period, and as a result of his interest and support Blaine was charged with graft and corruption in the awarding of railroad charters. The proof or falsity of the charges was supposed to rest in the so-called "Mulligan letters," which Blaine refused to release to the public, but from which he read in his successful defense in the House. He proposed the [[Blaine Amendment]] in 1875, an amendment to the federal Constitution that would forbid the public funding of private, denominational schools. It passed the House but failed in the Senate and never became federal law, but 30 states copied it into their state constitutions.

[[Image:84ticket.jpg|200px|left|thumb|there were no secret ballots; men voted by taking this Republican ticket from a GOP pollworker and dropping it in a glass jar]]

[[Image:84ticket.jpg|200px|left|thumb|there were no secret ballots; men voted by taking this Republican ticket from a GOP pollworker and dropping it in a glass jar]]

Still the party leader, Blaine resumed his writing and speaking, and visited Europe. He helped [[Benjamin Harrison]] become the GOP nominee in 1888; in 1889 President Harrison appointed Blaine his Secretary of State. During three years of service in this office, probably the most constructive part of his career, Blaine's focused on relations with Latin-American and Britain. He pushed for an canal across Panama, built, operated, and controlled by the United States; he secured Congressional legislation resulting in the Pan-American Conference which met in Washington in October, 1889. Blaine's set up the Bureau of American Republics in Washington.<ref> Healy (2001)</ref> As an early environmentalist he used diplomacy to protect the seal herds in the Pribilof Islands of Alaska.<ref>Charles S. Campbell, Jr., "The Anglo-American Crisis in the Bering Sea, 1890-1891." ''Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' 1961 48(3): 393-414. Issn: 0161-391x Fulltext: in Jstor  </ref> He tried to annex Hawaii (which almost succeeded in early 1893, but was postponed to 1898). Indeed, the permanent influence of Blaine on American life was through his foreign policy. Although Blaine concluded tariff reciprocity agreements with eight Latin American nations, reciprocity negotiations with Canada stalled in 1891-92. Harrison and Blaine feared a political backlash from American farmers and lumbermen if concessions were made to Canada. Blaine's Anglophobia also influenced the outcome of the negotiations, and Canada's negotiators to the end resisted the inclusion of reciprocity on manufactured articles in any treaty.<ref> Allan B. Spetter, "Harrison and Blaine: No Reciprocity for Canada." ''Canadian Review of American Studies'' 1981 12(2): 143-156. Issn: 0007-7720 </ref> The two most important reciprocity agreenents were signed with Brazil and with Spain for Cuba and Puerto Rico.  

Still the party leader, Blaine resumed his writing and speaking, and visited Europe. He helped [[Benjamin Harrison]] become the GOP nominee in 1888; in 1889 President Harrison appointed Blaine his Secretary of State. During three years of service in this office, probably the most constructive part of his career, Blaine's focused on relations with Latin-American and Britain. He pushed for an canal across Panama, built, operated, and controlled by the United States; he secured Congressional legislation resulting in the Pan-American Conference which met in Washington in October, 1889. Blaine's set up the Bureau of American Republics in Washington.<ref> Healy (2001)</ref> As an early environmentalist he used diplomacy to protect the seal herds in the Pribilof Islands of Alaska.<ref>Charles S. Campbell, Jr., "The Anglo-American Crisis in the Bering Sea, 1890-1891." ''Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' 1961 48(3): 393-414. Issn: 0161-391x Fulltext: in Jstor  </ref> He tried to annex Hawaii (which almost succeeded in early 1893, but was postponed to 1898). Indeed, the permanent influence of Blaine on American life was through his foreign policy. Although Blaine concluded tariff reciprocity agreements with eight Latin American nations, reciprocity negotiations with Canada stalled in 1891-92. Harrison and Blaine feared a political backlash from American farmers and lumbermen if concessions were made to Canada. Blaine's Anglophobia also influenced the outcome of the negotiations, and Canada's negotiators to the end resisted the inclusion of reciprocity on manufactured articles in any treaty.<ref> Allan B. Spetter, "Harrison and Blaine: No Reciprocity for Canada." ''Canadian Review of American Studies'' 1981 12(2): 143-156. Issn: 0007-7720 </ref> The two most important reciprocity agreements were signed with Brazil and with Spain for Cuba and Puerto Rico.  

Though not a candidate in 1892, Blaine received nearly 200 votes on the first ballot.  After the election Blaine's health failed rapidly, and he died in Washington, on Jan. 27, 1893.

Though not a candidate in 1892, Blaine received nearly 200 votes on the first ballot.  After the election Blaine's health failed rapidly, and he died in Washington, on Jan. 27, 1893.