Charlie+P.+-GC-+FA12

Grover Cleveland

March 18, 1837 (Caldwell, NJ) - June 24, 1908 (Princeton, NJ)

Political Party: Democrat

Terms: March 4, 1885 - March 4, 1889 and March 4, 1893 - March 4, 1897

Vice President: Thomas Andrews Hendricks (first term) and Adlai Ewing Stevenson (second term)

At the time of Grover Cleveland’s original assumption of power, the country was in the midst of a median era in United States history: the Gilded Age. This period in history is known as “covered in gold”, literally, because it was a time of change from nationally understood currency into hard money, predominantly gold. Figuratively speaking, this age seemed golden from the outside, and in some ways was, but at the end of the day achieving a great new source of American personality was a trying ordeal. As such, a relevant theme when reflecting this time period is American identity. The nation was beginning to turn away from its old, traditional way of living and turned instead to a new, original identity, authentically Americanized. This new “wealth” of ideals owed largely to the technological advancements in the Gilded age. From the railroad track to the telegraph line, new inventions ran like wildfire across the frontier. Railroads received generous grants of land which ultimately united the west and the east and transported raw goods, materials, and different perspectives of American life. The union of a single, Americanized way of life owed largely to the railroads. Other groundbreaking inventions such as the telegraph line (telephone) and typewriter provoked the boom of women entering the workforce as secretaries and factory workers. American identity was undoubtedly changing. While this change appeared “golden” from the outside, there were drawbacks. In the beginning of Cleveland’s second term, an unfortunate economic panic took place, invariably leading to a four-year depression in the states. Some causes of the panic included rapidly dwindling gold reserves, industrial overexpansion, poor crop harvests in the south and west, and an economic slump in Europe. Many businesses and large corporations, including railroads went bankrupt during this period. Riots broke out in the streets of Chicago and Washington. Coxey’s Army led a riot of over 500 unemployed, able-bodied men into Washington in 1894. All-in-all, it is a fair assessment to say that the Gilded age was socially and economically progressive, but did not lack counterproductive mainstays on the economic front.

Grover Cleveland, a man born of New Jersey with a solid mind for law, was an honest, decent, and morally profound political figure. Once Cleveland ceded the presidential seat for the first time in 1884 the conditions of the nation were relatively calm. The president needed to keep the nation at an equilibrium stage, hoping to not waver his stances and keep the nation feeling satisfied. In theory, this seemed like a decent idea, but in practice proved unexceptional. Much like the conditions of the nation in the early Gilded age, President Cleveland himself was subpar. He kept the nation where it needed to be in order to succeed, but at the end of the day, he was not outstanding. He regulated American commerce by issuing the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887, he satisfied the nation’s need for imports and exports by being anti-Tariff, and showed his support of agricultural development by issuing the Hatch Act in 1887. These major points in his administration were decent acts made by a decent man, but were by no means outstanding acts of executive power. Because of his astute yet lackluster actions in office, Grover Cleveland earns a B- for his two terms in office.

 Much of Cleveland’s goals involved strictly clinging to the guidelines of the constitution. Johnson-like in theory, these ideals seemed outdated and flawed. But confident Cleveland was not about to give up his dear ruling standards. He outlines the importance of American involvement in politics--a stereotypical democrat’s stance of the time. What he really wants to do in America is what he ends up doing, and for that he is a decent and honest man. His plans to know and follow hard after the constitution were fulfilled in his presidency as he kept the nation at an equilibrium stage and keep the citizens involved in the government. A more specific example of his peace-keeping is seen in the Hatch Act of 1887. This action was an extension of the Morill Act. It essentially showed his support for agriculture and promoted his support for the lower class. This stirred up political support for Cleveland from rural areas and also was a constitutional measure, albeit relatively unexceptional. This action was the epitome of Cleveland’s subpar administration.

Cleveland’s relationship with Congress was not bad, but it was not great either. He, like Johnson stuck very close to the constitution, and was not easily wavered by the opinions of his advisers. Cleveland vetoed probably about as much as president Johnson, but was not as overtly arrogant as him. Basically, he understood the importance of constitutional acceptance but was not determined outright to always get his way. As seen in his veto of the 1887 bill for providing seeds for drought-ravaged Texas farmers, he was a direct and tactless ruler. He stated “Though the people support the government, the government should not support the people.” Obviously, president Cleveland knows what he wants and is indeed willing to veto and go against the will of Congress. In conclusion, the firm right hand of Cleveland was unbending, but was also yielding; he was strong but he knew his bounds. Thus his relationship with Congress was so-so.

One action taken by President Cleveland which had the most positive outcome was the Wilson-Gorman Act of 1894. This tariff act slightly reduced the national tariff from 48% to 41%. While this small decrease seems unimportant from a number standpoint it was quite helpful to the American economy. It was very important because it imposed the first ever peacetime income tax, the purpose of which was to make up for revenue that would be lost by tariff reductions. While the legacy of this action was short-lived, it was important for the time being. It affirmed Cleveland’s confidence that he could lower the tariff and still maintain national revenue. On the other hand, an action taken by the president which had a negative outcome was the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This action alienated Cleveland from the general public interest, specifically the populist party. In this action, Cleveland hoped to guarantee a stable currency through the maintenance of a national gold standard. He believed that the repeal of the silver purchase act would end the decline of the gold reserves. He was poorly mistaken, and his failed assertion resulted in the downfall of his public interest because this made the financial crisis all the worse for the nation.

A decision made by President Cleveland which greatly influenced the administration of later presidents was his involvement in the Venezuela border dispute. In many ways, this decision led the United States into its next great era: the era of Imperialism. America’s involvement in this dispute put a foothold in the door of foreign policy for the next 10 or so years. Even though concessions from the resolution of this dispute played largely in Britain’s favor, it was an important move for the U.S. It helped President Roosevelt decide his next place of striking for American cession of land. Latin America played a huge role in the Imperialism era. Between Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia, this region was integral in the development of American identity in the next era of history.

In conclusion, Grover Cleveland was a wishy-washy sort of president. His intentions were everywhere and he didn’t exactly know what he wanted. Through every legislation passed and legislation vetoed, Cleveland was clearly subpar in planning and execution. He maintained and prospered, but he was not outstanding. Because of his astute yet lackluster actions in office, Grover Cleveland earns a B- for his two terms in office.

Bibliography

Degregorio, William A.. "Grover Cleveland." The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. 6th edition ed. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, Inc., 2005. Print.

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant. 12th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.

"Age of Great Inventions." //Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources, Test Prep//. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. .

"Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. .