22nd President: Grover Cleveland(1885-1889) First Term Political Party: Democrat Grover Cleveland was born in born in New Jersey in 1837, and was raised with 9 other siblings in upstate New York. As a young lawyer in Buffalo, Cleveland was noted for his single-minded concentration upon any issue he faced, a characteristic that would follow him to the White House years later. He entered politics at a time later than most political aspirants, but rapidly ascended a path that would take him to the White House 3 years later. At age 44, he was elected mayor of Buffalo, and later, Governor of New York. Cleveland was elected to the Presidency in 1884 as the first Democrat since the end of the Civil War. He was the only President to leave the White House and return again in another election. During his first term, he courted 21-year-old Frances Folsom, and became the only President to be married in the White House. As President, Cleveland abhorred special interest groups seeking federal favor. He was staunchly against an excessive and over-reaching federal government, which became the cornerstone of his first administration. He vetoed a bill that would have given federal aid to drought-stricken farmers in Texas. In doing so, be proclaimed, “Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character…..” He angered the railroads by ordering an investigation in federal land grants they had received, forcing them to return 81 million acres. He signed the Interstate Commerce Act which authorized federal regulation of the railroads. In December of 1887 he called on Congress to reduce high protective tariffs, a move that angered his Democratic base and gave the Republican fodder to return their party to the White House. Cleveland lost the election of 1888 to Benjamin Harrison after winning popular vote, but received fewer electoral votes. He was elected again to the Presidency in 1892.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 00:24:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015