UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 



THE UNITED STATES IN 1852 

 The vast Western territories are indicated, with the dates of their organization as such. 

 East West Virginia had not been organized, and was still a part of Virginia. 



In the 



height when Johnson dismissed Edwin M. Stan- 

 ton, the Secretary of War, thus violating the 

 Tenure of Office Act, which originally had been 

 passed over his veto. This action led to his 

 impeachment for "high crimes and misdemean- 

 ors." The feeling in Congress was very bitter, 

 and he was acquitted by only one vote. 



At the end of his term Johnson was a po- 

 litical outcast; the Republicans hated him, and 

 the Democrats would have nothing to do with 

 him because he had deserted the party during 

 the war. The Republicans, casting about for a 

 suitable candidate, nominated General Grant, 

 formerly a Democrat but allied to the Repub- 

 lican leaders since his break with Johnson 

 over Stanton's dismissal. Grant's war popu- 

 larity in the North and the large negro Repub- 

 lican vote in the "reconstructed" states gave 

 him an easy victory over Horatio Seymour, the 

 Democratic candidate. One event of Johnson's 

 administration of great consequence was the 

 purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. 



Grant was a great soldier, but he had had no 

 training as a politician or statesman. His two 

 administrations, from 1869 to 1877, were 

 troubled. The government's policy was gener- 

 ally controlled by self-seeking men, of little 

 ability and occasionally even lacking in or- 

 dinary honesty. Perhaps the most important 

 event in his first administration was the set- 



tlement of the Alabama Claims by arbitration 

 (see ALABAMA, THE). Another notable event 

 was the completion of the Union Pacific rail- 

 roads, not, however, without scandal and cor- 

 ruption (see CREDIT MOBILIER). The Congres- 

 sional reconstruction policy led to serious 

 conflicts and the use of troops in the South (see 

 FORCE BILLS; KU-KLUX KLAN). The growing 

 discontent over the harsh reconstruction policy 

 and the scandals affecting the Republican party 

 led to the formation of a new party, the Liberal 

 Republican, in 1872. The leaders of this new 

 movement included many of the men most 

 prominent in the old Republican party Hor- 

 ace Greeley, Charles Sumner, Carl Schurz, 

 Charles Francis Adams. Greeley was nomi- 

 nated for President, and this nomination was 

 later endorsed by the Democratic convention. 

 Grant's personal popularity, however, was suffi- 

 cient to reelect him by a large majority. 



This second administration was even more 

 stormy than the first; there was trouble on 

 every hand. The Virginius massacre nearly 

 caused a war with Spain, and there were con- 

 stant campaigns against the Modoc and the 

 Sioux Indians (see CUSTER, GEORGE A.). The 

 Patrons of Industry, or Grangers, were voicing 

 their discontent, which was not lessened by 

 the great financial panic of 1873 and the con- 

 sequent period of depression. The contro- 



