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Political Parties In The 19th Century Essay

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After Reconstruction, Republicans backed away from their recently activist positions and party lines became significantly blurred. The only notable difference between the two parties was that Republicans were winning elections. This can be seen by the way Republicans dominated the presidential seat from 1869-1893, with the exception of Grover Cleveland’s term which was from 1885-1889. This Gilded Age of America was plagued by greed and widespread corruption along all party lines and was rooted deeply much of the government. Richard Hofstadter believed that the political parties in the late nineteenth century were based on “patronage, not principle”. Hofstadter firmly expresses that the differences between the Republican Party and the Democratic …show more content…

Republicans had all the money they need for elections during the gilded age. Why was that? It is due to the widespread corruption of Republican office holders. Republicans and Capitalists were virtually joined by the hip due to their constant interactions. On more than one occasion during “The Era of Good Stealings” was an office holders bribed with money or shares in a particular company so that they can overlook the questionable actions of that company or companies. This was best illustrated in the Crédit Mobilier scandal, where Oakes Ames, a congressman who had stocks in Union Pacific, gave fellow influential congressman stocks in Union Pacific so that they would ignore the wrong doings of Union Pacific and Crédit Mobilier. Most of the corruption stemmed from the Social Darwinist belief that only the fit would survive. Most companies would repeatedly look for ways to have an advantage over their competitors due to the fear that they would be beaten. The most popular way that these companies would try and gain an advantage over each other would be to have office holders in their pockets, which could get them land grants and other benefits at the drop of a dime. This was just one type of corruption that was going on under Republican office. During Ulysses S. Grants administration, scandals rocked the very core of the executive offices. Grants Secretary of War, William W. Belknap, resigned prior to impeachment because he was selling appointments to army posts and Indian

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Texas the second most populous state of USA had its political development since its independence from Mexico. Because they were represented as an independent nation, the Republic of Texas, there weren 't any sort of political activities or parties. But during the 18th century, the democratic party came into existence in Texas. They were the most dominant political party and held thier reign until 20th century. They rarley had any competitors against them during those times, sos thye had their control over 60 years of a centruy and rarely had challenges against The Republican party or occasionally against thierd parties known as The Populists.

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