The Conflict Between Republicans And Democrats In The Late 19th Century

Political conflict between Republicans and Democrats in the late 19th century is similar to the late 20th century. Trends in political polarization, economic debate, and social issues of the 1880s, 1890s, 1980s, and 1990s demonstrated this reality. The parallels imply that some political issues in America are firmly ingrained philosophically, span generations, and cause constant conflict. During the 1880s, the division between Republicans and Democrats shaped political legislation. A key debate over the issue of civil service reform maintained division. The spoils system, in which elected leaders gave their supporters government positions, became viewed as corrupt and ineffective by many politicians and reformers. Republicans sought to create

Tariffs brought significant amounts of revenue from imported goods to the United States government. However, a debate began on what an appropriate level of tariff would be. Others pushed for low tariffs to promote free trade and decrease consumer costs, while some economists called for high tariffs to protect U.S. industry. High tariffs became advocated on the grounds that they would promote local manufacturing and industry and help shield American businesses from foreign competition. Additionally, they thought that tariffs were essential to safeguard American workers from being undercut by cheap foreign labor. An educated group of reformers in the 1880s, the Mugwumps, focused their work on promoting low tariffs, limited government, and civil service reform. The Mugwumps additionally helped to garner support for Grover Cleveland, whose platform opposed high tariffs. The debate over high or low tariffs in the 1880s persisted and beliefs of superior economic policy reflected the conflict between Republicans and Democrats. Eventually, the debate climaxed when William McKinley, a Republican, passed the McKinley Tariff which raised tariffs to a historical high. Similar to the 1880s, in the 1980s Ronald Reagan and his administration controversially pursued a trade policy that focused on reducing imports and increasing exports. The Reagan administration believed in shielding

Susan B. Anthony, an African American woman, founded the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890 alongside Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The organization yearned for women to possess the right to vote, and dedicated its work to accomplishing that task. Women argued that they deserved the same rights as men. Not only did women seek to be able to vote, but to hold elected office. The women’s suffrage movement raged and flamed and mustered support nationally. Additionally, the movement mustered significant opposition from traditionalists and conservatives. Both politicians and public citizens argued against the cry of women and supported the idea that their place was in the home and that political power such as voting and holding office would upset gender roles and the family. Nevertheless, women continued to platform their position and the issue came to the people in power. Eventually, in the early 20th century, women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, but only after nearly a decade of activism. This activism revealed deeper tensions regarding gender roles and the role of women in American society. Accordingly, political philosophies and therefore political parties aligned and created conflict and debate between Republicans and Democrats. Similarly, in the 1990s, women continued to demand more equality. In the case of the 90s, the cry sounded for equal pay and equal opportunity in the