Grover Cleveland
The Progressive Era was a time of change and forward movement for the country. As the United States came to such a crucial time in its history, immersing into the Gilded Age, it called upon a great leader to take the reins and control the country with an iron fist. Although many great presidents emerged during this time and it could be argued that Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft were the most influential presidents, when all the facts are analyzed and considered, Grover Cleveland is obviously the most important person in this time period. Although he was never considered a great president, Grover Cleveland’s ability to combat the events during his terms and keep the country from ultimate turmoil show his strength …show more content…
As Grover Cleveland moved into the election of 1884, he faced both strong opposition and support, which put him at a standstill, but he got a leg-up due to John Blaine’s, the Republican candidate, poor social standings. Grover Cleveland is the only president in American history to serve two terms consecutively. His first presidential term was served from 1884 to 1888, as the 22nd president of the United States. He ran against James Blaine, who many viewed as immoral and corrupt (Boyer). Cleveland won the Democratic election, regardless of his enemies, and campaigned with running mate Thomas A. Hendricks. After a hard battle with Thomas Blaine, Cleveland came out on top and became the president of the United States. During his first term, Cleveland made a lasting impression (Garraty). He was the first democratic president to be put into office since 1840. He also won by the smallest margin of the popular vote in history, about 30,000 votes (Garraty). Aside from breaking a streak of Republican rule, Cleveland paved the way for many Democrats to follow. He set the tone …show more content…
However, he is not always considered great. After analyzing this evidence, and the impact he had on America and this time period, it is difficult not to consider among one of the more influential presidents. Not only did Cleveland set the tone for presidents to come, by leading with strong democratic rule, he also strengthened the executive branch. As aforementioned, Cleveland set a record high for the number of presidential vetoes executed while in office (Boyer). This reinforced the duty and abilities of the executive branch for presidents to come and reinforced that presidents are not meant to simply be figureheads. This laid out a new form of running the country and created a clear division between old and new styles of democracy (Garraty). Being one of the two democratic presidents to be in office from 1840 to 1930, Cleveland demonstrated his true influence as a Democratic leader. It also shows his evident ability to run the country. In a time of majorly Republican feelings, Cleveland broke through with Democratic ideas, not once, but twice (Grover Cleveland). While many argue that he was a sub par president, the time period in which he was in office must also be taken into consideration. Not only was he in charge during the Panic of 1893 (Boyer), but he was an anti-imperialist in a time where many were pro-imperialism. Allen Nevins properly summarizes Cleveland’s success. He writes, “[I]n Grover Cleveland the greatness lies in
The Progressive Era was a time of change and forward movement for the country. As the United States came to such a crucial time in its history, immersing into the Gilded Age, it called upon a great leader to take the reins and control the country with an iron fist. Although many great presidents emerged during this time and it could be argued that Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft were the most influential presidents, when all the facts are analyzed and considered, Grover Cleveland is obviously the most important person in this time period. Although he was never considered a great president, Grover Cleveland’s ability to combat the events during his terms and keep the country from ultimate turmoil show his strength …show more content…
As Grover Cleveland moved into the election of 1884, he faced both strong opposition and support, which put him at a standstill, but he got a leg-up due to John Blaine’s, the Republican candidate, poor social standings. Grover Cleveland is the only president in American history to serve two terms consecutively. His first presidential term was served from 1884 to 1888, as the 22nd president of the United States. He ran against James Blaine, who many viewed as immoral and corrupt (Boyer). Cleveland won the Democratic election, regardless of his enemies, and campaigned with running mate Thomas A. Hendricks. After a hard battle with Thomas Blaine, Cleveland came out on top and became the president of the United States. During his first term, Cleveland made a lasting impression (Garraty). He was the first democratic president to be put into office since 1840. He also won by the smallest margin of the popular vote in history, about 30,000 votes (Garraty). Aside from breaking a streak of Republican rule, Cleveland paved the way for many Democrats to follow. He set the tone …show more content…
However, he is not always considered great. After analyzing this evidence, and the impact he had on America and this time period, it is difficult not to consider among one of the more influential presidents. Not only did Cleveland set the tone for presidents to come, by leading with strong democratic rule, he also strengthened the executive branch. As aforementioned, Cleveland set a record high for the number of presidential vetoes executed while in office (Boyer). This reinforced the duty and abilities of the executive branch for presidents to come and reinforced that presidents are not meant to simply be figureheads. This laid out a new form of running the country and created a clear division between old and new styles of democracy (Garraty). Being one of the two democratic presidents to be in office from 1840 to 1930, Cleveland demonstrated his true influence as a Democratic leader. It also shows his evident ability to run the country. In a time of majorly Republican feelings, Cleveland broke through with Democratic ideas, not once, but twice (Grover Cleveland). While many argue that he was a sub par president, the time period in which he was in office must also be taken into consideration. Not only was he in charge during the Panic of 1893 (Boyer), but he was an anti-imperialist in a time where many were pro-imperialism. Allen Nevins properly summarizes Cleveland’s success. He writes, “[I]n Grover Cleveland the greatness lies in