Notice: You are currently previewing Unit 9: Industry and Migration
1872 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1872 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | President Ulysses Grant was still popular after four years in office, and won reelection easily in 1872. He faced several Democratic candidates. His closest competition came from Horace Greeley, who also had the support of liberal Republicans opposed to Grant's policies. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1876 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1876 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | By 1876, economic decline and reports of corruption weakened Republican chances for reelection. They nominated Ohio governor Rutherford B. Hayes, who promised he would not seek a second term if elected. The Democrats nominated New York governor Samuel Tilden, a reformer popular for bringing down the popular Tweed ring. Although Tilden won the popular vote, there were disputed election returns from Oregon, Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina. A special Electoral Commission, consisting of 8 Republicans and 7 Democrats, awarded the disputed electoral votes, and thus the election, to Hayes. Despite the controversial election, Hayes took office two days later. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1880 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1880 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | The 1880 election pitted the Republican James A Garfield against the Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock, a hero of the Civil War. The candidates shared many views, and the race was very close. Although Garfield won the election, both candidates won 19 states, and Garfield won the popular vote by less than 10,000 votes. As with many elections in this era, New York proved to be the swing state that decided the election. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1884 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1884 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | During the 1884 election, President Chester A. Arthur, who had fallen ill, made only a half-hearted attempt at the Republican nomination. The party instead nominated Maine's James G. Blaine. The Democrats selected Grover Cleveland, a man with a solid reputation for reform. The campaigns included attacks on Blaine's integrity in public office and criticisms of Cleveland having a child out of wedlock. Cleveland ultimately won a close election, winning only a plurality of the popular vote. As with many elections in this era, New York proved to be the swing state that decided the election. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1888 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1888 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | In the 1888 election, incumbent President Grover Cleveland faced off against Republican Benjamin Harrison, grandson of former President William Henry Harrison. One of the central issues of the race was the tariff, but the legacy of the Civil War also played an important role given Harrison's service as a Union general. Cleveland actually won nearly 100,000 more popular votes than Harrison, but the Republican candidate won the electoral vote and thus the presidency. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1892 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1892 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | When Democrat Grover Cleveland faced off against incumbent President Benjamin Harrison in 1892, it was the first race between two men who had both been President. Harrison's actions in office had alienated many in his party as well as a number of voters. Cleveland won both the popular and electoral vote, becoming the first and so far only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms. A third party, the Populists, also ran a candidate. James Weaver, an advocate of the free coinage of silver, won more than one million popular votes. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1896 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1896 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | After the Economic Panic of 1893, the Republicans were in a position to reclaim the presidency. The Republican candidate, William McKinley, campaigned on issues including protective tariffs and expanding America's influence. The Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan, the free silver advocate who also had the support of Populists. By controlling the Northeast and Midwest, McKinley was able to win the popular and electoral votes. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
1900 Presidential Election
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| Title: | 1900 Presidential Election |
| Caption: | The 1900 election was a rematch of four years earlier, with incumbent president William McKinley taking on Democratic challenger William Jennings Bryan. The American victory in the Spanish-American War, combined with a return to economic prosperity, had improved McKinley's popularity. McKinley defeated Bryan by a wider margin than he had in 1896. |
| Source: | The National Map, United States Geological Survey |
