WEBVTT

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Welcome, Deep Divers. Picture this. A politician

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serves as president of the United States, loses

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their bid for reelection, and then four years

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later, against all odds, stages a monumental

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comeback to reclaim the White House. It's a political

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comeback story that's not just rare, it's virtually

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unique in American history. It truly is a remarkable

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feat. I mean, such a journey speaks volumes about

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a leader's resilience, yes, but also about the

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incredible fluidity and shifting political tides

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of the era. that made such an unprecedented return

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possible. Absolutely. And that's precisely what

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we're diving into today. We're taking a deep

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dive into the utterly fascinating, complex, and

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frankly often contradictory life of Steven Grover

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Cleveland, who holds the distinction of being

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both the 22nd and the 24th president of the United

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States. He is the only president ever to serve

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nonconsecutive terms. And that fact alone tells

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you we're in for a captivating story. Indeed.

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Our mission this deep dive is to meticulously

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unpack the entire journey of this truly unique

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leader will trace his path from, well, surprisingly

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humble beginnings, through the cutthroat world

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of New York politics. right to the pinnacle of

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the highest office in the land. Right. We'll

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thoroughly explore the key policies he championed,

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the personal controversies that dog him, and

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the complex, often polarizing legacy that defines

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his two distinct presidencies. And you'll discover

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why he became something of an icon for conservatives

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of his time, yet managed to profoundly anger

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many within his own Democratic party. It's quite

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the paradox. It really is. And to guide us through

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this intricate narrative, our sources today are

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drawn from a rich tapestry of comprehensive biographical

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materials, incisive political analyses, and detailed

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historical accounts. This gives us a profound

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and I think nuanced insight into both Cleveland's

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public and his surprisingly dramatic private

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life. Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there. So

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buckle up because we're about to jump right in.

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Let's do it. Grover Cleveland's story begins

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in Caldwell, New Jersey. He was born Steven Grover

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Cleveland on March 18th, 1837, the fifth of what

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would eventually be nine children. Nine children,

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wow. Yeah. His parents were Ann Neal and Richard

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Folley Cleveland, a man deeply committed to his

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faith, serving as a congregational and Presbyterian

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minister. Interestingly, he was actually named

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Steven Grover in honor of the first pastor of

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his father's church. But as he matured, he became

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known simply as Grover. Ah, okay. And his family

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tree is quite a mix, which is often the case

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in early American history. On his father's side,

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you have English roots with the family having

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emigrated from Ipswich, England way back in 1635.

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Right, early settlers. Exactly. His mother, Anne,

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brought a fascinating blend of Anglo -Irish Protestants

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and German Quakers from Philadelphia into the

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lineage. When for a fun little historical Easter

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egg, he was... believe it or not, distantly related

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to General Moses Cleveland. No kidding. Yeah,

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the very man who gave his name to the city of

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Cleveland, Ohio. Small world, isn't it? That's

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a fantastic little connection. And when you look

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at his childhood, it wasn't exactly what you

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might expect for a future president. In 1841,

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his family relocated to Fayetteville, New York,

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where he spent a good chunk of his formative

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years. Neighbors from that period remembered

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him as full of fun and inclined to play pranks.

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And he apparently had a great love for outdoor

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sports. It sounds like a fairly idyllic, if bustling,

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childhood for a time. But those carefree days,

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unfortunately, didn't last. The family moved

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again in 1850, this time to Clinton, New York,

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because his father took on missionary work. And

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as you can imagine, a minister's income, especially

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with nine children, wasn't always sufficient.

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Right. Money must have been tight. Exactly. This

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financial strain forced Young Grover to leave

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school. He undertook a two -year mercantile apprenticeship

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in Fayetteville, essentially, you know, working

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in a shop. He did return to schooling in Clinton

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after that, which tells you something about his

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desire for education. But his academic pursuits

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were tragically cut short again in 1853. His

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father died from a gastric ulcer. And in a rather

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poignant detail, he actually learned the news

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from a newspaper boy. Oh, wow. What a jarring

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and sudden way to learn such devastating news.

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That profound loss, losing his father at such

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a young age, once again forced Cleveland to leave

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school to help support his now much more vulnerable

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family. Yeah, he had to step up. For a period,

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he found work as an assistant teacher at the

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New York Institute for the Blind in New York

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City, thanks to the connections of his older

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brother, William. It really highlights the immediate

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and direct impact of financial hardship on his

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early life, pushing him into the workforce far

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sooner than he might have intended. OK, let's

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unpack this journey for a moment. We have a minister's

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son forced out of school by financial hardship,

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then declining an offer to have his college education

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paid for if he chose to follow in his father's

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footsteps and become a minister. That's right.

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He turned it down. Instead, he decides to move

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west in 1855 and, almost serendipitously, ends

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up in law. What a completely unexpected path

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for a future president, wouldn't you say? It

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really is, and it speaks volumes about his independent

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spirit. He wasn't afraid to forge his own way.

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He lands in Buffalo, New York, where fate, or

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perhaps family connections, played a significant

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role. His influential uncle -in -law, Louis F.

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Allen, provided him with a clerical job, which

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was crucial. And more importantly, Allen introduced

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him to the prestigious law firm of Rogers, Bowen,

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and Rogers. This wasn't just any firm, it was

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a well -respected institution. And that firm

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had a remarkable history itself, didn't it? Millard

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Fillmore, the 13th U .S. president, had actually

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worked there earlier in his career. Wow, presidential

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pedigree. Exactly. So Cleveland took a clerkship,

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immersed himself in legal studies, and by 1859

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he was admitted to the New York bar. His early

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legal career took a significant step when he

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left the Rogers Firm in 1862 to establish his

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own practice, which shows a certain confidence.

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Definitely. Then in January 1863, he secured

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an appointment as Assistant District Attorney

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of Erie County, New York, really getting his

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feet wet in public service. This period, of course,

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overlaps directly with the tumult of the American

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Civil War. Congress passed the Conscription Act

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of 1863, which meant able -bodied men were subject

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to being drafted into the Union Army. Right.

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However, The law allowed for a loophole. If you

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could afford it, you could pay a substitute to

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serve in your place. Cleveland, like many others

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who had the means, chose this option. He paid

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$150, which, to give you a sense of scale, is

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equivalent to over $3 ,800 in today's money to

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George Boninski, a Polish immigrant to serve

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for him. Thankfully, Boninski survived the war.

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Ah, that's good. Now, this decision, while perfectly

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legal at the time, would become a point of contention

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and scrutiny later in his political career. You

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can bet his opponents brought it up. Oh, I'm

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sure. It's a detail that really crystallizes

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the era, showing the disparities even in wartime

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service. As a lawyer, Cleveland quickly developed

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a reputation for single -minded concentration

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and dedication to hard work. He took on some

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rather interesting and significant cases. For

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instance, he successfully defended a group of

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Irish -American nationalists known as Fenian

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Raiders Pro Bono in 1866, offering his services

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free of charge. Wow, Pro Bono for Fenians, that's

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notable. You're right. These were men who had

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launched cross -border attacks into Canada, hoping

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to pressure Britain regarding Ireland, and Cleveland's

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defense of them was certainly something. Then,

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in 1868, he won a libel suit defense for Buffalo's

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commercial advertiser, which boosted his professional

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standing. Despite his growing income, he maintained

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a surprisingly simple, almost austere lifestyle

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in a boarding house, dedicating much of his earnings

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to support his mother and sisters. Very beautiful.

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Yet, he wasn't a complete recluse. He also enjoyed

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an active social life in hotel lobbies and saloons,

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deliberately shunning Buffalo's more exclusive

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high society. It paints a picture of a man both

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dedicated to duty and yet quite grounded, almost

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plain spoken. What's truly fascinating here,

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and I think it's a critical through line for

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understanding Cleveland, is how these early experiences,

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his financial struggles, the early loss of his

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father, and even his pragmatic choice to hire

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a substitute during the Civil War, all profoundly

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shaped his later views. Yeah, because I see the

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connections. They instilled in him a deep sense

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of personal responsibility, a strong aversion

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to what he saw as government overreach or unnecessary

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handouts, and a belief in individual self -reliance.

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This raises an important question for us. How

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much did these seemingly disparate early life

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events truly define the foundational principles

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of the president he would become? Right. It seems

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these were not just isolated incidents, but rather

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crucial lessons that cemented his political philosophy

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long before he ever held the highest office.

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That's a powerful point. Those early struggles

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and decisions absolutely laid the groundwork

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for the leader he would become. Moving into his

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political life, Cleveland clearly aligned with

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the Democratic Party from his earliest involvement,

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developing a decided aversion to Republicans.

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like John Fremont and Abraham Lincoln. In 1865,

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he ran for district attorney, but actually lost

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narrowly to his friend and roommate, Republican

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Lyman K. Bass. It's interesting how intertwined

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his personal and political life were from the

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start. Definitely. His next significant step

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into public office came in 1870 when, with the

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help of his close friend, Oscar Folsom. Remember

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that name? Folsom. Okay, Oscar Folsom. Got it.

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He secured the Democratic nomination for Sheriff

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of Erie County, New York. He won that election

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by a rather narrow 303 vote margin, taking office

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at the relatively young age of 33. Pretty young

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for a sheriff. Yeah. And this was quite a financially

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rewarding position for him. The fees associated

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with the office yielded him up to $40 ,000, which,

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to put it into perspective for today, is over

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a million dollars over his two -year term. It

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was a significant financial rainfall. Wow. Now,

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this period of his life, while financially prosperous,

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also involved a particularly controversial and

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rather, well, grim incident that tells us something

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about his sense of duty. Ah yes, the executions.

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Exactly. As sheriff, Cleveland was directly responsible

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for carrying out executions. Despite his personal

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reservations about capital punishment, which

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he certainly expressed, he chose to personally

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execute two murderers. Patrick Morrissey in September

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1872, and John Gaffney in February 1873. He pulled

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the lever himself. He did. He did this rather

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than paying a deputy to do it, stating it was

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his responsibility. It was a stark example of

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his belief in fulfilling his duties, no matter

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how unpleasant. Biographer Rexford Tugwell, however,

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described this period as politically wasteful,

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noting that Cleveland was aware of graft and

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corruption within the office, but chose not to

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directly confront it during his tenure as sheriff.

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Yeah, it's a complex picture of duty. or maybe

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just focusing on the explicit duties, not the

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systemic ones yet. Perhaps. Yeah. After his term

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as sheriff, Cleveland returned to his private

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law practice, opening a firm with his former

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opponent, Lyman K. Bass and Wilson S. Bissell.

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Right. And it was during this return to private

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life, the deeply personal and controversial episode

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unfolded, one that would cast a long shadow over

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his future political ambitions involving a woman

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named Maria Halpin. OK, here's where it gets

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really interesting and frankly quite salacious.

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For the time, this deeply personal and controversial

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episode would dramatically impact his first presidential

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campaign. Oh, definitely. Halpin accused Cleveland

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of raping her, though early historical reports

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make it unclear whether their relationship was

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consensual or not. What we do know is that in

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1876, Cleveland accused Halpin of alcoholism

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and had her child, Oscar Folsom Cleveland, born

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in 1874, removed and placed in the Protestant

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orphan asylum, and he paid for his stay. And

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he also had Halpin briefly admitted to Providence

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Asylum, where she was, importantly, deemed not

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insane. Right. That's a key point. Later, he

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even provided financial support for her to start

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a business outside Buffalo. However, the existence

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of this child and the circumstances surrounding

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Maria Hoppin became a major campaign issue in

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his first presidential election. Absolutely.

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Republicans tried to smear him as immoral for

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not raising the child himself. It was a brutal

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attack on his character. And this kind of personal

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attack in what's known as the Gilded Age of American

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politics was, well, par for the course, right?

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Absolutely. But let's shift to how he built public

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image despite these personal shadows. The 1870s

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and early 1880s saw rampant corruption in Buffalo's

00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.179
municipal government with both Democratic and

00:12:40.179 --> 00:12:42.980
Republican machines deeply entrenched in the

00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:45.279
spoils system. Right, total gridlock and graft.

00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:49.620
Exactly. In 1881, the Democrats, seeing an opportunity

00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:52.419
due to unusually disreputable Republican nominees,

00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:55.379
approached Cleveland. He agreed to run for mayor,

00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:57.360
but only on the condition that the rest of the

00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:59.519
ticket was to his liking, emphasizing his focus

00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.539
on reform. Setting his terms early. Yes. He was

00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:05.039
elected with a significant margin, a clear mandate

00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.600
for change. His term as mayor of Buffalo, though

00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.000
relatively brief, was absolutely defined by his

00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.059
fierce fight against these entrenched political

00:13:12.059 --> 00:13:14.460
machines. He quickly earned the nickname veto

00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:17.399
mayor, and for good reason. His most famous act

00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:20.659
was vetoing a street cleaning bill where the

00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:24.700
common council awarded a staggering $422 ,000

00:13:24.700 --> 00:13:27.620
contract to the highest bidder, despite a much

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:30.350
lower bid being available for $100 ,000. less

00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:33.230
purely due to political connection. Just blatant

00:13:33.230 --> 00:13:36.289
cronyism. Totally. His veto message was unsparing,

00:13:36.309 --> 00:13:38.990
calling it a bare -faced, impudent, and shameless

00:13:38.990 --> 00:13:41.049
scheme to betray the interests of the people

00:13:41.049 --> 00:13:43.450
and to worse than squander the public money.

00:13:43.529 --> 00:13:46.590
Wow, strong words. And it worked. The council,

00:13:46.789 --> 00:13:49.190
faced with such public condemnation, actually

00:13:49.190 --> 00:13:51.870
reversed course and awarded the contract to the

00:13:51.870 --> 00:13:54.570
lowest bidder. He also requested the state legislature

00:13:54.570 --> 00:13:57.169
form a commission to develop a lower -cost sewer

00:13:57.169 --> 00:13:59.460
system plan for Buffalo, which was adopted. So

00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:02.100
he was getting results. Definitely. These actions

00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:04.600
quickly gained him a reputation for fearlessly

00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:06.820
purging government corruption, extending his

00:14:06.820 --> 00:14:09.659
recognition well beyond just Erie County. Impressed

00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:12.759
by his integrity and decisive record, Democratic

00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:15.519
Party officials, with Daniel Manning playing

00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.220
a crucial role, quickly began to consider him

00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:22.179
for governor of New York. In 1882, amidst a split

00:14:22.179 --> 00:14:24.700
Republican Party, Cleveland was nominated as

00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:27.259
a compromise candidate after other leading Democrats

00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:30.169
deadlocked. Right place, right time. Partly,

00:14:30.210 --> 00:14:32.830
but also the right reputation. He went on to

00:14:32.830 --> 00:14:35.129
win by the largest margin in a contested New

00:14:35.129 --> 00:14:37.929
York election at the time, securing significant

00:14:37.929 --> 00:14:41.110
Democratic gains in the state legislature. As

00:14:41.110 --> 00:14:43.649
governor, he continued his unwavering fiscal

00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:46.669
conservatism, famously sending eight vetoes in

00:14:46.669 --> 00:14:48.830
his first two months alone. Eight vetoes in two

00:14:48.830 --> 00:14:51.570
months. Yeah. This wasn't just political grandstanding.

00:14:51.710 --> 00:14:53.929
It was a consistent application of his core belief

00:14:53.929 --> 00:14:56.539
in limited government spending. One of his most

00:14:56.539 --> 00:14:58.779
notable and, at the time, highly controversial

00:14:58.779 --> 00:15:01.639
actions as governor was vetoing a popular bill

00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.240
to reduce fares on New York City elevated trains

00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:07.259
to five sets. Ah yes, the Jay Gould fight. Exactly.

00:15:07.740 --> 00:15:10.259
The owner of the elevated lines, Jay Gould, was

00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:13.240
incredibly unpopular and his fare increases were

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.879
widely denounced. Yet Cleveland, ever the man

00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:18.899
of principle, saw the bill as fundamentally unjust.

00:15:19.220 --> 00:15:22.379
Why? What was his reasoning? He argued that Gould

00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:24.980
had taken over a failing system and made it solvent

00:15:24.980 --> 00:15:27.399
and that altering his franchise would violate

00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:29.559
the contract clause of the federal constitution.

00:15:30.340 --> 00:15:33.120
The legal argument. Right. And in a surprising

00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.919
turn, newspapers, which typically cited with

00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:38.639
public sentiment against big business, actually

00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.600
praised his principled stance. It really showcased

00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.840
his willingness to stand firm even when it was

00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.080
unpopular, if he believed it was legally and

00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.539
morally right. And here's where we see a fascinating

00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:51.590
and crucial political alignment forming. His

00:15:51.590 --> 00:15:54.070
defiance of the corrupt elements, particularly

00:15:54.070 --> 00:15:56.409
Tammany Hall, the powerful New York City political

00:15:56.409 --> 00:15:59.830
organization, earned him their fierce enmity.

00:15:59.970 --> 00:16:02.049
They hated him. Oh, yeah. But paradoxically,

00:16:02.070 --> 00:16:04.389
it garnered him the crucial support of reform

00:16:04.389 --> 00:16:07.509
minded Republicans, including none other than

00:16:07.509 --> 00:16:09.909
assembly minority leader Theodore Roosevelt.

00:16:10.129 --> 00:16:12.169
TR and Cleveland working together. That's something.

00:16:12.429 --> 00:16:15.549
It is. Their unexpected cooperation on municipal

00:16:15.549 --> 00:16:19.370
reform legislation truly gained Cleveland national

00:16:19.370 --> 00:16:22.120
recognition. If we connect this to the bigger

00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:24.779
picture, Cleveland's actions as mayor and governor

00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:27.399
were absolutely pivotal. They solidified his

00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:30.539
national image as an unyielding reformer and

00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:33.500
a staunch fiscal conservative. This is crucial

00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:35.980
context for understanding his presidential campaigns.

00:16:36.500 --> 00:16:38.399
He wasn't just another politician climbing the

00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.080
ranks. He had a proven track record of fighting

00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:43.980
corruption and upholding principles, even when

00:16:43.980 --> 00:16:46.580
it meant standing alone. That's a critical point.

00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.720
He had established a reputation for integrity

00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.279
that cut across party lines, making him a unique

00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:54.059
figure. Cleveland's assent to the presidency

00:16:54.059 --> 00:16:57.019
in 1884 was almost tailor -made for him, a direct

00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:59.679
result of the specific political climate. The

00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:02.679
Republican nominee, James G. Blaine, had alienated

00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:05.240
many within his own party, a distinct faction

00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.460
known as the Mugwams. Right, the reformers. Exactly.

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:11.680
They viewed him as overly ambitious and morally

00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:14.910
questionable. tainted by past scandals. This

00:17:14.910 --> 00:17:17.430
opened a clear, wide path for the Democrats,

00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:19.950
a party that had struggled nationally for decades.

00:17:20.990 --> 00:17:24.289
Samuel J. Tilden, the party's 1876 nominee, was

00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:26.349
initially considered but declined due to ill

00:17:26.349 --> 00:17:28.710
health, leaving the door open for a new face.

00:17:30.009 --> 00:17:32.410
Despite continued opposition from Tammany Hall,

00:17:32.589 --> 00:17:35.390
which still resented his reform efforts, quickly

00:17:35.390 --> 00:17:37.730
emerged as the leading Democratic contender.

00:17:38.190 --> 00:17:39.809
It's one of those great ironies of politics.

00:17:40.390 --> 00:17:42.349
The very enemies he made by fighting corruption

00:17:42.349 --> 00:17:44.569
in New York ironically made him friends among

00:17:44.569 --> 00:17:47.049
reformers nationally, seeing him as a rare beacon

00:17:47.049 --> 00:17:49.930
of honesty. Huh. So his enemies helped him, in

00:17:49.930 --> 00:17:52.599
a way. In a way, yes. He was nominated on the

00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:54.599
second ballot, a relatively quick ascent for

00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:56.859
an outsider, with Thomas A. Hendricks chosen

00:17:56.859 --> 00:17:59.319
as his running mate to balance the ticket geographically

00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:02.109
and ideologically. The campaign against Blaine

00:18:02.109 --> 00:18:05.329
was absolutely brutal, defined by an intensity

00:18:05.329 --> 00:18:07.609
of negative campaigning that would shock even

00:18:07.609 --> 00:18:11.049
today's voters. Its central issue, however, was

00:18:11.049 --> 00:18:13.789
political corruption, and Cleveland's hard -won

00:18:13.789 --> 00:18:16.170
reputation as an honest opponent of corruption

00:18:16.170 --> 00:18:18.829
was, without a doubt, his strongest asset. Yeah,

00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:21.950
that was his brand. His campaign famously adopted

00:18:21.950 --> 00:18:25.349
the slogan created by William C. Hudson, a public

00:18:25.349 --> 00:18:29.089
office is a public trust. It perfectly encapsulated

00:18:29.089 --> 00:18:32.269
his appeal. And those reform -minded Republicans,

00:18:32.769 --> 00:18:35.430
the Mugwumps. Yeah, great name. Right. Figures

00:18:35.430 --> 00:18:38.349
like Carl Schertz and Henry Ward Beecher actually

00:18:38.349 --> 00:18:40.970
crossed party lines to support Cleveland, driven

00:18:40.970 --> 00:18:43.349
by a desperate desire for civil service reform

00:18:43.349 --> 00:18:45.849
and greater government efficiency. But the mudslinging

00:18:45.849 --> 00:18:48.369
was truly relentless from both sides. Democrats

00:18:48.369 --> 00:18:50.950
attacked Blaine for questionable deals with railroads,

00:18:51.369 --> 00:18:53.380
often ending their rally and cry with burned

00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:55.960
this letter referring to incriminating correspondents

00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:58.140
that exposed his alleged financial improprieties.

00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.859
Ugh. In response, Republicans unearthed the highly

00:19:01.859 --> 00:19:05.259
personal Maria Halpin scandal, champing the infamous,

00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:08.099
ma, ma, where's my pa? Going to the White House.

00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:11.299
Ha ha ha. It was a direct, deeply personal attack.

00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:14.440
Just brutal. How did Cleveland handle that? Cleveland,

00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:17.359
to his credit, responded remarkably by instructing

00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:19.720
his supporters to, above all, tell the truth,

00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:22.769
openly admitting to paying child support. And

00:19:22.769 --> 00:19:25.210
an affidavit from Halpin, published shortly before

00:19:25.210 --> 00:19:27.529
the election, further stated that Cleveland's

00:19:27.529 --> 00:19:30.109
paternity was undisputed, a strategic move by

00:19:30.109 --> 00:19:32.549
his campaign to, you know, get ahead of the story.

00:19:32.769 --> 00:19:35.089
Why? Imagine campaigning for the highest office

00:19:35.089 --> 00:19:37.230
in the land while a scandal about an alleged

00:19:37.230 --> 00:19:39.609
illegitimate child is front and center, being

00:19:39.609 --> 00:19:41.990
weaponized by your opponents. It just shows you

00:19:41.990 --> 00:19:44.589
how incredibly intense and personally invasive

00:19:44.589 --> 00:19:47.299
Gilded Age politics could be. Absolutely. The

00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:49.400
election itself hinged on a few crucial swing

00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:52.039
states, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut.

00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.000
Despite Tammany Hall's deep dislike for Cleveland,

00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:57.079
they ultimately supported the Democratic ticket,

00:19:57.240 --> 00:19:59.319
which was absolutely vital for securing New York.

00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:01.680
They held their noses and voted Democrat. Pretty

00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.059
much. And in a monumental gaffe that proved devastating

00:20:05.059 --> 00:20:07.819
for the Republicans, a Republican speechmaker

00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:10.720
infamously denounced Democrats as the party of

00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.140
rum, Romanism, and rebellion. Oh, no. Yeah. That

00:20:14.140 --> 00:20:16.700
profoundly alienated many Irish American voters

00:20:16.700 --> 00:20:19.500
in those crucial swing states, directly impacting

00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:22.410
the outcome. Cleveland narrowly won all four

00:20:22.410 --> 00:20:24.670
swing states, including New York, by just 1 ,200

00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:27.750
votes. So close. Unbelievably close. He secured

00:20:27.750 --> 00:20:30.130
the popular vote by a mere one -quarter of a

00:20:30.130 --> 00:20:33.960
percent in the Electoral College 2019 -182. The

00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:36.279
famous repost to the Republican chant quickly

00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:38.960
became, gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha,

00:20:39.099 --> 00:20:41.059
confirming his dramatic victory. What a race.

00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.700
OK, so Cleveland's first presidency, 1885 to

00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:46.220
1889, what were the hallmarks? It truly became

00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.279
a living testament to his commitment to reform

00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:50.920
and his unwavering philosophy of limited government.

00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:53.859
On civil service reform, which was a huge issue

00:20:53.859 --> 00:20:56.319
for the mugwamps who helped elect him, he firmly

00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:58.660
opposed the spoils system. Right. A public office

00:20:58.660 --> 00:21:02.109
is a public trust. Exactly. He declared publicly

00:21:02.109 --> 00:21:04.529
that he wouldn't fire competent Republicans simply

00:21:04.529 --> 00:21:07.029
to make room for Democrats, nor would he make

00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:10.190
appointments solely based on party service. He

00:21:10.190 --> 00:21:12.269
actively used his appointment powers to reduce

00:21:12.269 --> 00:21:14.930
the number of federal employees, believing many

00:21:14.930 --> 00:21:17.230
departments were bloated with political time

00:21:17.230 --> 00:21:21.539
servers. Though, we should note, later in his

00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:23.599
term, under increasing pressure from his own

00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:26.539
party, eager for patronage, he did replace more

00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:29.460
partisan Republican officeholders. Still, his

00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:31.500
administration made more merit -based appointments

00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:34.099
than his predecessors, marking a significant

00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:38.279
step towards reform. He also signed several truly

00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.799
landmark pieces of legislation and famously wielded

00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:44.279
his vetoed power with unprecedented frequency.

00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:47.619
Oh yeah, the vetoes. In 1887, he signed the Interstate

00:21:47.619 --> 00:21:50.140
Commerce Act, a really significant moment because

00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:52.160
it made the railroad industry the first in the

00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:54.519
nation to be subject to federal regulation by

00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:56.940
a regulatory body. Huge deal. First regulatory

00:21:56.940 --> 00:22:00.299
agency. Right. This was a response to widespread

00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:03.099
public outcry over railroad abuses and it laid

00:22:03.099 --> 00:22:05.710
the groundwork for future federal oversight of

00:22:05.710 --> 00:22:08.930
industry. He also signed the Dawes Act, a policy

00:22:08.930 --> 00:22:11.309
intended to encourage the cultural assimilation

00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:14.529
of Native Americans. A very controversial one

00:22:14.529 --> 00:22:17.450
in hindsight. Extremely. Cleveland genuinely

00:22:17.450 --> 00:22:20.069
believed that by subdividing their communal tribal

00:22:20.069 --> 00:22:22.690
lands into individual allotments, he was helping

00:22:22.690 --> 00:22:25.109
them integrate and lift themselves out of poverty.

00:22:25.529 --> 00:22:28.210
But the tragic irony is that this policy, designed

00:22:28.210 --> 00:22:30.710
with what he saw as good intentions, actually

00:22:30.710 --> 00:22:33.009
led to Native Americans ceding control of about

00:22:33.009 --> 00:22:35.869
two -thirds of their land. a staggering 100 million

00:22:35.869 --> 00:22:39.849
acres between 1887 and 1934 and drastically weakened

00:22:39.849 --> 00:22:42.009
their tribal governments. Yeah, it's a stark

00:22:42.009 --> 00:22:44.309
reminder that even well -meaning policies can

00:22:44.309 --> 00:22:47.529
have devastating unintended consequences, a classic

00:22:47.529 --> 00:22:49.930
example of good intentions colliding with disastrous

00:22:49.930 --> 00:22:52.130
results. And speaking of his use of power, his

00:22:52.130 --> 00:22:54.589
wielding of the veto pen was truly extraordinary.

00:22:54.890 --> 00:22:58.470
Absolutely. He used it an astonishing 414 times

00:22:58.470 --> 00:23:00.450
in his first term alone, which was more than

00:23:00.450 --> 00:23:03.839
four times any previous president. What was he

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:06.400
vetoing? A lot of it was private pension bills

00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:09.299
for Civil War veterans. He argued that Congress

00:23:09.299 --> 00:23:11.680
shouldn't just override rejections from the Pension

00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:15.140
Bureau. He also famously vetoed a general pension

00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:17.220
bill that would grant pensions for disabilities

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:20.299
not directly caused by military service, fearing

00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:23.180
it would open the hudgates to fraud and unnecessary

00:23:23.180 --> 00:23:26.019
government expense. Sticking to his limited government

00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:28.500
guns. Consistently. And his most well -known

00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:31.480
veto, the one that really solidified his image

00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:34.180
as a champion of limited government, was certainly

00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:37.960
the Texas seed bill in 1887. After a severe drought,

00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:41.259
Congress appropriated $100 ,000 for seed grain

00:23:41.259 --> 00:23:44.259
for struggling Texas farmers. Seems reasonable

00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:47.619
enough. Not to Cleveland. He vetoed it, delivering

00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:49.779
a message that became a defining statement of

00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:52.660
his political philosophy. I can find no warrant

00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:54.680
for such an appropriation in the Constitution,

00:23:55.019 --> 00:23:57.160
and I do not believe that the power and duty

00:23:57.160 --> 00:23:58.940
of the general government ought to be extended

00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:01.519
to the relief of individual suffering. Though

00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:03.460
the people support the government, the government

00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:06.400
should not support the people. Wow. That's a

00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:09.099
clear statement. It absolutely set a precedent

00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:11.920
or at least a powerful rhetorical framework for

00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:15.099
future debates on federal aid. He argued federal

00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:17.200
aid would weaken national character and prevent

00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:19.480
private charity. There wasn't just a political

00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:21.579
decision. It was a foundational philosophical

00:24:21.579 --> 00:24:24.579
statement about American self -reliance. A debate

00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:27.839
we definitely still have today. For sure. He

00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:30.279
also asserted executive power quite forcefully

00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:32.740
against what he saw as congressional overreach,

00:24:33.059 --> 00:24:34.940
particularly with the Tenure of Office Act of

00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:38.089
1867. Ah, the thing that tripped up Andrew Johnson.

00:24:38.690 --> 00:24:41.650
Exactly. This act required Senate approval for

00:24:41.650 --> 00:24:44.509
presidential dismissals. Cleveland objected to

00:24:44.509 --> 00:24:47.130
it vehemently on principle, viewing it as an

00:24:47.130 --> 00:24:49.609
unconstitutional infringement on executive authority.

00:24:50.269 --> 00:24:52.730
His steadfast refusal to abide by it ultimately

00:24:52.730 --> 00:24:55.730
led to its repeal in 1887, marking a significant

00:24:55.730 --> 00:24:58.190
victory for presidential power. OK, so reform,

00:24:58.589 --> 00:25:00.750
limited government, executive power. What about

00:25:00.750 --> 00:25:03.279
the economy? Big issues there too, right? Oh,

00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:05.539
huge. Perhaps none was more contentious than

00:25:05.539 --> 00:25:08.539
the fierce silver debate of the 1880s. Proponents

00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:10.980
of free silver, primarily Western Republicans

00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:13.799
and Southern Democrats, advocated for currency

00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:17.059
backed by both gold and silver. Why silver? Their

00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:20.180
goal was to inflate a deflating currency, which

00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:22.140
they believed would help debtors and farmers.

00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:25.519
On the other side, gold standard proponents,

00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:27.619
mostly from Northeast and from both parties,

00:25:28.200 --> 00:25:30.920
wanted currency backed by gold alone. believing

00:25:30.920 --> 00:25:33.380
it ensured monetary stability. In Cleveland?

00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:36.099
Cleveland and his treasury secretary, Daniel

00:25:36.099 --> 00:25:38.460
Manning, were firmly in the gold standard camp.

00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:42.180
They tried, unsuccessfully, to repeal the Bland

00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:45.680
-Allison Act of 1878, which it required the government

00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:49.119
to coin silver. This highly divisive issue remained

00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:52.039
largely unresolved throughout his term, a simmering

00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:54.880
tension that would soon boil over. Another major

00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:57.460
financial issue was the protective tariff. High

00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:59.660
tariffs, originally temporary measures from the

00:25:59.660 --> 00:26:02.359
Civil War, had created a massive and embarrassing

00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:04.420
government surplus. Right. Too much money coming

00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:07.059
in. Exactly. Cleveland, like most Democrats,

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:09.539
favored a significant reduction in tariffs for

00:26:09.539 --> 00:26:12.119
revenue only, meaning tariffs should simply cover

00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:14.900
necessary government expenses, not protect specific

00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:17.539
domestic industries. Republicans, conversely,

00:26:17.859 --> 00:26:19.980
favored high tariffs to shield nascent American

00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:22.440
industries from foreign competition. The classic

00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:26.130
debate. In his powerful 1887 message to Congress,

00:26:26.589 --> 00:26:29.089
Cleveland highlighted the indefensible extortion

00:26:29.089 --> 00:26:31.210
of collecting more money than was needed from

00:26:31.210 --> 00:26:34.289
the public. While a bill to reduce tariffs did

00:26:34.289 --> 00:26:37.130
pass the House, it ultimately died in the Republican

00:26:37.130 --> 00:26:39.809
controlled Senate, setting the stage for future

00:26:39.809 --> 00:26:42.390
presidential campaigns and defining party lines

00:26:42.390 --> 00:26:45.789
for decades. So tariffs and silver, big unresolved

00:26:45.789 --> 00:26:48.549
fights. What about foreign policy? In foreign

00:26:48.549 --> 00:26:51.170
and military policy during his first term, Cleveland

00:26:51.170 --> 00:26:53.950
was a committed non -interventionist, a stark

00:26:53.950 --> 00:26:56.529
contrast to some of the expansionist sentiments

00:26:56.529 --> 00:27:00.170
of the era. He vehemently opposed expansion and

00:27:00.170 --> 00:27:02.910
imperialism, famously refusing to promote the

00:27:02.910 --> 00:27:05.150
previous administration's Nicaragua Canal Treaty,

00:27:05.170 --> 00:27:07.930
for example. His secretary of state, Thomas F.

00:27:08.069 --> 00:27:10.650
Bayard, adopted a remarkably conciliatory approach

00:27:10.650 --> 00:27:12.710
in negotiations with the United Kingdom over

00:27:12.710 --> 00:27:15.490
fishing rights off Canada, prioritizing diplomacy

00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:18.309
and de -escalation. But he wasn't neglecting

00:27:18.309 --> 00:27:20.329
the military, right? You mentioned modernization

00:27:20.329 --> 00:27:23.089
earlier. Not at all. And this commitment to principle

00:27:23.089 --> 00:27:25.349
extended to his approach to national defense.

00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:28.579
Beyond the diplomatic chessboard, Cleveland also

00:27:28.579 --> 00:27:31.460
methodically prioritized self -defense and modernization

00:27:31.460 --> 00:27:34.900
for the military. He appointed the Board of Fortifications,

00:27:35.259 --> 00:27:37.740
more commonly known as the Endicott Board, in

00:27:37.740 --> 00:27:40.960
1885 to recommend a brand new coastal defense

00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.960
system for the nation. Why the coastal defenses?

00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:48.160
Their 1886 report proposed a massive $127 million

00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:51.339
program which, to put it into context, would

00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:57.170
be over $4 .4 billion in 2024 terms. for 29 vital

00:27:57.170 --> 00:27:59.690
harbors, a plan that was largely implemented

00:27:59.690 --> 00:28:02.750
by 1910. Wow, a huge investment. And furthermore,

00:28:02.789 --> 00:28:04.930
his energetic secretary of the Navy, William

00:28:04.930 --> 00:28:07.990
C. Whitney, spearheaded a significant modernization

00:28:07.990 --> 00:28:11.170
effort for the Navy, ordering 16 new steel hulled

00:28:11.170 --> 00:28:13.829
warships, including the second class battleships,

00:28:14.109 --> 00:28:16.950
Maine and Texas, by 1888. The Maine and the Texas,

00:28:16.990 --> 00:28:19.029
those have become very important later. Absolutely

00:28:19.029 --> 00:28:21.170
crucial for the Spanish -American War a decade

00:28:21.170 --> 00:28:23.269
later, demonstrating Cleveland's foresight in

00:28:23.269 --> 00:28:25.450
military preparation, even if he was an anti

00:28:25.450 --> 00:28:28.529
-imperialist. Shifting to civil rights, the period

00:28:28.529 --> 00:28:30.849
saw limited gains for African Americans under

00:28:30.849 --> 00:28:34.109
Cleveland's administration. Like many northerners

00:28:34.109 --> 00:28:36.490
and white southerners of his time, he viewed

00:28:36.490 --> 00:28:39.529
reconstruction as a failed experiment and was

00:28:39.529 --> 00:28:41.750
reluctant to use federal power to enforce the

00:28:41.750 --> 00:28:44.950
15th Amendment, which guaranteed voting rights.

00:28:45.329 --> 00:28:47.630
Believing it was a state issue. Pretty much.

00:28:47.809 --> 00:28:49.910
Believing it was a state rather than a federal

00:28:49.910 --> 00:28:53.210
matter. While he did allow the prominent abolitionist

00:28:53.210 --> 00:28:55.849
Frederick Douglass to retain his post as recorder

00:28:55.849 --> 00:28:59.069
of deeds in Washington DC, he appointed another

00:28:59.069 --> 00:29:01.849
black man as his replacement upon Douglass's

00:29:01.849 --> 00:29:04.690
resignation, a decision that caused some outrage,

00:29:05.049 --> 00:29:07.009
but which Cleveland justified by claiming to

00:29:07.009 --> 00:29:09.569
know the man personally. Hmm. What about other

00:29:09.569 --> 00:29:12.289
groups? Chinese immigrants, Native Americans.

00:29:12.369 --> 00:29:14.210
Regarding Chinese immigrants, Cleveland held

00:29:14.210 --> 00:29:16.509
beliefs that, by modern standards, are certainly

00:29:16.509 --> 00:29:18.660
problematic. He believed they were unwilling

00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:21.900
to assimilate into white American society. His

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:24.779
secretary of state Bayard negotiated an extension

00:29:24.779 --> 00:29:27.279
to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which had already

00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:29.339
severely restricted Chinese immigration. Right.

00:29:29.380 --> 00:29:32.259
That act was already in place. Yes. Cleveland

00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:34.920
actively lobbied Congress to pass the Scott Act

00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:37.759
in 1888, which went even further, preventing

00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:39.819
Chinese immigrants who had temporarily left the

00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:41.859
U .S. from returning. He signed this into law

00:29:41.859 --> 00:29:45.359
on October 1st, 1888, solidifying a discriminatory

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:49.299
stance. And Native Americans, we mentioned the

00:29:49.299 --> 00:29:52.039
Dawes Act. Right. For Native American policy,

00:29:52.359 --> 00:29:55.480
Cleveland viewed them primarily as wards of the

00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:58.640
state rather than sovereign nations. He advocated

00:29:58.640 --> 00:30:01.059
for what he saw as their uplift through cultural

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:04.200
assimilation, primarily via the Dawes Act, which,

00:30:04.339 --> 00:30:07.559
as we discussed, fragmented tribal communal landholdings

00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:09.700
into individual allotments. With devastating

00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:13.200
results. Exactly. While this policy was surprisingly

00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:15.059
endorsed by some native leaders who believed

00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:17.700
it would help them, the vast majority disapproved,

00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:20.220
and it ultimately led to significant land loss

00:30:20.220 --> 00:30:22.660
and severely weakened tribal governments. However,

00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:24.960
on a more positive note, He did demonstrate a

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:27.380
commitment to existing treaties when he rescinded

00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:29.480
President Chester A. Arthur's executive order,

00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:32.140
opening four million acres of Winnebago and Crow

00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:34.720
Creek lands to white settlement. Believing it

00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:37.140
violated those treaties, he sent army troops

00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:40.079
to enforce the treaties and ordered an investigation,

00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:42.859
showing that his adherence to law could sometimes

00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:45.259
work in Native Americans' favor. So a very mixed

00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:48.579
record there. On a more personal note, Cleveland

00:30:48.579 --> 00:30:51.339
entered office as a bachelor. He did. His sister

00:30:51.339 --> 00:30:53.500
Rose Cleveland initially serving as his White

00:30:53.500 --> 00:30:56.559
House hostess. However, he didn't remain a bachelor

00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:59.920
for long. In a truly unique White House wedding,

00:31:00.380 --> 00:31:03.160
he married Frances Folsom. Folsom. There's that

00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.700
name again. Oscar Folsom's daughter. The very

00:31:05.700 --> 00:31:08.619
same. He married Frances Folsom on June 2nd,

00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:12.099
1886 in the White House Blue Room. He was 49

00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:15.539
and she was just 21. Wow, quite an age gap. Youngest

00:31:15.539 --> 00:31:17.799
First Lady ever. Youngest First Lady in history.

00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:20.559
Incredibly popular. The marriage was somewhat

00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:23.119
unusual as Cleveland had actually been the executor

00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:25.539
of her father's estate and it supervised her

00:31:25.539 --> 00:31:27.680
upbringing after her father's death. That is

00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:30.839
interesting. Yes. But the public, perhaps charmed

00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:33.279
by Francis, generally took no exception to the

00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:36.019
age difference with the circumstances. The Clevelands

00:31:36.019 --> 00:31:38.319
went on to have five children together. Ruth,

00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:41.859
Esther, Marion, Richard, and Francis. Baby Ruth.

00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:45.160
Was the candy bar named after her? That was the

00:31:45.160 --> 00:31:47.660
claim later asserted, though it's debated. And

00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:50.579
of course, Cleveland also acknowledged his paternity

00:31:50.579 --> 00:31:53.380
of Oscar Folsom Cleveland, the child born to

00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:56.799
Maria Halpin in 1874, a lingering shadow of his

00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:58.849
earlier life. Always there in the background.

00:31:59.170 --> 00:32:01.269
Did he make an impact on the courts in this first

00:32:01.269 --> 00:32:04.230
term? He certainly did. He made a lasting impact

00:32:04.230 --> 00:32:07.069
on the judiciary, successfully nominating two

00:32:07.069 --> 00:32:10.390
Supreme Court justices. Lucius QC Lamar, confirmed

00:32:10.390 --> 00:32:14.230
by a narrow 32 -28 vote, and Chief Justice Melville

00:32:14.230 --> 00:32:17.450
Fuller, confirmed 41 -20. Appointing a Chief

00:32:17.450 --> 00:32:20.069
Justice is a big deal. Huge. He was only the

00:32:20.069 --> 00:32:22.049
second Democrat to appointed chief justice after

00:32:22.049 --> 00:32:24.630
Andrew Jackson. He also nominated a substantial

00:32:24.630 --> 00:32:27.609
41 lower federal court judges, solidifying his

00:32:27.609 --> 00:32:29.809
influence on the federal bench for years to come.

00:32:30.410 --> 00:32:33.009
So summing up this first term, it truly showcases

00:32:33.009 --> 00:32:36.369
Cleveland's core values in action. His unwavering

00:32:36.369 --> 00:32:39.309
fiscal conservatism, his dedication to limited

00:32:39.309 --> 00:32:41.390
government and his strong sense of executive

00:32:41.390 --> 00:32:44.990
power often asserted against congressional overreach.

00:32:45.369 --> 00:32:48.000
This raises an important question for us. How

00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:50.500
did these very principles, which earned him considerable

00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:52.839
praise and a reputation for integrity and strength,

00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:56.380
also, perhaps paradoxically, lay the groundwork

00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:59.019
for his later unpopularity? Right. As the country

00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:01.579
faced new and increasingly complex challenges

00:33:01.579 --> 00:33:04.900
and demands, his steadfastness, while admirable

00:33:04.900 --> 00:33:08.000
to some, would prove inflexible and even frustrating

00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.019
to others who sought more proactive government

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:12.099
intervention. That's a crucial tension, isn't

00:33:12.099 --> 00:33:14.319
it? The very qualities that made him a hero to

00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:17.339
some became a liability to others. And now for

00:33:17.339 --> 00:33:19.500
the ultimate political plot twist in American

00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:23.119
history, the election of 1888. The rematch. Exactly.

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:26.240
Cleveland was naturally renominated by the Democrats,

00:33:26.579 --> 00:33:28.700
with Alan G. Thurman chosen as his running mate

00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:30.740
after Vice President Hendricks had sadly died

00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:33.799
in office in 1885. The Republicans, looking for

00:33:33.799 --> 00:33:36.019
their own comeback, nominated Benjamin Harrison.

00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:39.000
This campaign saw the Republicans gain a significant

00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:41.619
upper hand. campaigning heavily and effectively

00:33:41.619 --> 00:33:44.599
on the protective tariff issue, which, as we

00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:47.420
discussed, was a major point of contention and

00:33:47.420 --> 00:33:49.920
resonated strongly with voters in key industrial

00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:52.660
states. The tariff comes back to bite him. It

00:33:52.660 --> 00:33:56.240
does. Furthermore, the Democratic Party in Cleveland's

00:33:56.240 --> 00:33:59.140
crucial home state of New York was deeply divided

00:33:59.140 --> 00:34:01.759
over the controversial gubernatorial candidacy

00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:04.539
of David B. Hill, weakening Cleveland's support

00:34:04.539 --> 00:34:06.980
right where he needed it most. Tribble at home.

00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:10.380
And to make matters worse. A scandal erupted

00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:13.179
involving the British ambassador, who foolishly

00:34:13.179 --> 00:34:15.440
expressed support for Cleveland, inadvertently

00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:17.460
costing the president crucial Irish -American

00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:19.699
votes in New York and other swing states. Oh,

00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:21.820
the Murchison letter. Yeah, that was bad. Really

00:34:21.820 --> 00:34:24.019
bad timing. Talk about a plot twist. Winning

00:34:24.019 --> 00:34:26.239
the popular vote but ultimately losing the election,

00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:28.559
it's a tale as old as time. Or at least as old

00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:30.739
as American presidential elections. It happens.

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:33.639
Cleveland, despite his national appeal, won the

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:37.099
popular vote with 48 .6 % compared to Harrison's

00:34:37.099 --> 00:34:40.880
47 .8%. clear plurality. But crucially, he lost

00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:46.539
the Electoral College, 168 -233. He lost New

00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:51.739
York by only 14 ,373 votes, a truly agonizingly

00:34:51.739 --> 00:34:54.000
close defeat in a state that was crucial for

00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:58.030
an electoral victory. And to add insult to injury,

00:34:58.269 --> 00:35:00.230
the Republicans were widely believed to have

00:35:00.230 --> 00:35:02.869
won Indiana through fraudulent voting practices,

00:35:03.409 --> 00:35:05.409
specifically employing a tactic known as blocks

00:35:05.409 --> 00:35:08.289
of five. Right. Buying votes. Basically, where

00:35:08.289 --> 00:35:10.289
voters were paid five dollars for their vote,

00:35:10.389 --> 00:35:13.469
it was a bitter, hard fought loss. But the story

00:35:13.469 --> 00:35:16.050
doesn't end there, of course, as Francis Cleveland

00:35:16.050 --> 00:35:18.130
famously told a staff member upon leaving the

00:35:18.130 --> 00:35:20.429
White House after the defeat in a remarkably

00:35:20.429 --> 00:35:23.380
prescient moment. Now Jerry, I want you to take

00:35:23.380 --> 00:35:24.960
good care of all the furniture and ornaments

00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.260
in the house, for I want to find everything just

00:35:27.260 --> 00:35:30.139
as it is now when we come back again. Wow. And

00:35:30.139 --> 00:35:32.780
did Jerry ask when? He apparently did, likely

00:35:32.780 --> 00:35:35.400
with some surprise. She simply responded, we

00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:37.639
are coming back four years from today. What an

00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:40.340
astonishing, almost defiant prediction to have

00:35:40.340 --> 00:35:42.539
that kind of certainty, that unshakable belief

00:35:42.539 --> 00:35:46.099
after such a stinging defeat. It really speaks

00:35:46.099 --> 00:35:48.059
to an incredible sense of conviction, doesn't

00:35:48.059 --> 00:35:50.409
it? Oh, absolutely. It's not just a prophecy.

00:35:50.789 --> 00:35:53.829
It's a profound window into their mindset, a

00:35:53.829 --> 00:35:57.170
refusal to accept the outcome as permanent. It

00:35:57.170 --> 00:35:59.690
sets the stage for what would be one of the most

00:35:59.690 --> 00:36:02.150
remarkable comebacks in American political history.

00:36:02.730 --> 00:36:05.309
So what did he do in those four years off? In

00:36:05.309 --> 00:36:08.530
the interim, between presidencies from 1889 to

00:36:08.530 --> 00:36:11.670
1893, the Cleveland's moved to New York City

00:36:11.670 --> 00:36:13.730
where the former president joined a law firm.

00:36:14.170 --> 00:36:16.690
His practice brought a moderate income, though

00:36:16.690 --> 00:36:18.949
he made sure to carve out considerable time for

00:36:18.949 --> 00:36:21.889
his true passion. Fishing at his vacation home,

00:36:22.190 --> 00:36:24.789
Grey Gables in Massachusetts became a real obsession

00:36:24.789 --> 00:36:27.070
for him. A fisherman president. He also sold

00:36:27.070 --> 00:36:29.809
his Washington, D .C. estate, Oakview, for a

00:36:29.809 --> 00:36:32.690
considerable sum, $140 ,000, which is over $4

00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:35.210
.3 million in today's money. This area later

00:36:35.210 --> 00:36:37.889
became known as Cleveland Park. Ah, okay, and

00:36:37.889 --> 00:36:39.550
family life. While living in New York, their

00:36:39.550 --> 00:36:42.289
first child, Ruth, was born in 1891, the daughter

00:36:42.289 --> 00:36:44.829
who would later... maybe inspire the famous candy

00:36:44.829 --> 00:36:47.349
bar. Politically, Cleveland kept a watchful eye

00:36:47.349 --> 00:36:49.769
on the Harrison administration, and he was deeply

00:36:49.769 --> 00:36:51.889
troubled by their policies. Like the McKinley

00:36:51.889 --> 00:36:54.329
Tariff. Exactly. The aggressively protectionist

00:36:54.329 --> 00:36:56.789
McKinley Tariff and the Sherman Silver Purchase

00:36:56.789 --> 00:36:59.010
Act, which significantly increased the amount

00:36:59.010 --> 00:37:01.929
of money backed by silver. These were policies

00:37:01.929 --> 00:37:04.789
Cleveland profoundly deplored, seeing them as

00:37:04.789 --> 00:37:06.969
antithetical to his principles of sound money

00:37:06.969 --> 00:37:09.050
and free trade. Did he speak out right away?

00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:11.539
Initially, he refrained from public criticism,

00:37:11.800 --> 00:37:14.079
demonstrating a certain statesmanlike restraint.

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:17.659
But by 1891, he felt compelled to speak out.

00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:20.340
He addressed his concerns in a widely published

00:37:20.340 --> 00:37:22.920
silver letter to a meeting of reformers in New

00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:25.579
York, effectively thrusting him back into the

00:37:25.579 --> 00:37:28.260
political spotlight just as the 1892 election

00:37:28.260 --> 00:37:31.250
cycle was beginning to heat up. He couldn't stay

00:37:31.250 --> 00:37:34.110
silent. The comeback begins. His return to the

00:37:34.110 --> 00:37:35.869
political spotlight, combined with his recent

00:37:35.869 --> 00:37:38.809
pronouncements on critical monetary issues, immediately

00:37:38.809 --> 00:37:40.769
made him a leading contender for the Democratic

00:37:40.769 --> 00:37:44.550
nomination in 1892. However, he faced strong

00:37:44.550 --> 00:37:46.769
opposition from New York Senator David B. Hill,

00:37:47.090 --> 00:37:48.969
who was a formidable political operator. Hill

00:37:48.969 --> 00:37:52.829
again? Yes. Hill successfully united all the

00:37:52.829 --> 00:37:54.789
anti -Gleveland elements within the Democratic

00:37:54.789 --> 00:37:58.269
Party. the Silverites who opposed his gold standard

00:37:58.269 --> 00:38:01.070
stance, the protectionists who disliked his tariff

00:38:01.070 --> 00:38:03.230
use, and, of course, Tammany Hall, which he had

00:38:03.230 --> 00:38:05.349
consistently fought. But Cleveland prevailed.

00:38:05.710 --> 00:38:09.030
He did. Despite Hill's various political maneuvers

00:38:09.030 --> 00:38:11.969
and attempts to block him, Cleveland, riding

00:38:11.969 --> 00:38:14.389
a wave of national support for his reformist

00:38:14.389 --> 00:38:17.170
image, secured the nomination on the very first

00:38:17.170 --> 00:38:19.809
ballot at the party convention in Chicago. First

00:38:19.809 --> 00:38:23.000
ballot. decisive. Very. To balance the ticket

00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:24.860
and appease some of the Silverite wing of the

00:38:24.860 --> 00:38:28.139
party, Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois, who was

00:38:28.139 --> 00:38:30.480
known to be a Silverite, was chosen as his running

00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:33.659
mate. It was a strategic choice to unite a somewhat

00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:37.099
fractured party. So 1892, the rematch, Cleveland

00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:39.820
versus Harrison again, but different this time.

00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:42.420
Very different. The campaign was notably described

00:38:42.420 --> 00:38:44.800
as the cleanest quietest and most creditable

00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:47.519
election in recent memory. This somber atmosphere

00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:49.599
is largely due to the tragic circumstance of

00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:51.800
President Harrison's wife, Caroline, dying of

00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:53.780
tuberculosis shortly before the election. Oh,

00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:56.719
that's sad. Yeah. I'd respect all the candidates

00:38:56.719 --> 00:38:59.300
ceased campaigning, creating a period of national

00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:01.840
mourning and reflection rather than political

00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:04.599
bickering. Beyond the somber tone, the key issues

00:39:04.599 --> 00:39:07.739
had also fundamentally shifted since 1888. The

00:39:07.739 --> 00:39:10.179
McKinley Tariff, which Harrison had signed into

00:39:10.179 --> 00:39:13.599
law, had made imported goods so expensive that

00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:16.019
many voters were now turning decisively towards

00:39:16.019 --> 00:39:19.019
tariff reform and growing deeply skeptical of

00:39:19.019 --> 00:39:21.340
big business. So the tariff was hurting Harrison

00:39:21.340 --> 00:39:25.119
now. Exactly. This economic discontent significantly

00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:28.079
hurt Harrison's re -election chances. We also

00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:30.900
saw a significant defection of many Westerners

00:39:30.900 --> 00:39:33.619
who traditionally leaned Republican to James

00:39:33.619 --> 00:39:35.719
B. Weaver, the candidate of the new populist

00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:38.849
party. populist rise. Weaver's platform promised

00:39:38.849 --> 00:39:42.150
appealing solutions, free silver, generous veterans

00:39:42.150 --> 00:39:45.030
pensions, and an eight hour workday tapping into

00:39:45.030 --> 00:39:47.650
widespread economic frustration. What's truly

00:39:47.650 --> 00:39:49.750
fascinating here, and if we connect this to the

00:39:49.750 --> 00:39:52.210
bigger picture, it highlights the immense volatility

00:39:52.210 --> 00:39:54.889
of public opinion during this period. The political

00:39:54.889 --> 00:39:57.710
landscape shifted dramatically in just four short

00:39:57.710 --> 00:40:00.650
years, allowing Cleveland to stage this unprecedented

00:40:00.650 --> 00:40:02.710
comeback. And the Democrats were more united

00:40:02.710 --> 00:40:05.760
this time. Crucially, yes. The Democratic front,

00:40:05.900 --> 00:40:08.420
which had been so fractured in 1888, was united

00:40:08.420 --> 00:40:11.179
this time. Tammany Hall, despite his previous

00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:13.679
opposition, saw the writing on the wall, supported

00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:16.199
the national ticket, ensuring a strong Democratic

00:40:16.199 --> 00:40:19.199
showing in New York. Furthermore, many populists

00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:22.039
and labor supporters, disillusioned by the brutal

00:40:22.039 --> 00:40:24.239
crackdowns on strikes like the Homestead and

00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:27.199
Tennessee coal and Iron Co. conflicts, ultimately

00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:30.099
endorsed Cleveland, seeing him as a lesser evil

00:40:30.099 --> 00:40:33.039
or perhaps a more pragmatic choice. So the coalition

00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:36.139
shifted. Completely. The final result was a decisive

00:40:36.139 --> 00:40:38.719
victory for Cleveland, securing wide margins

00:40:38.719 --> 00:40:41.219
in both the popular and electoral votes. This

00:40:41.219 --> 00:40:44.099
marked his third consecutive popular vote plurality,

00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:47.219
an incredible achievement, and most famously

00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:49.840
cemented his place in history as the first and

00:40:49.840 --> 00:40:52.400
only U .S. president to sue two nonconsecutive

00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:54.880
terms. He had returned to the White House. The

00:40:54.880 --> 00:40:57.840
comeback complete, but the second term wasn't

00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:00.239
exactly smooth sailing, was it? Oh, far from

00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:03.579
it. Cleveland's second presidency from 1893 to

00:41:03.579 --> 00:41:06.199
1897 was immediately thrown into the deep end

00:41:06.199 --> 00:41:09.139
of crisis. Just one month after his inauguration,

00:41:09.280 --> 00:41:12.300
the panic of 1893 struck with devastating force,

00:41:12.500 --> 00:41:14.940
sparking a severe national depression. Right.

00:41:15.139 --> 00:41:17.280
One of the worst in U .S. history up to that

00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:20.199
point. Absolutely. This economic downturn was

00:41:20.199 --> 00:41:23.019
significantly worsened by a critical gold shortage,

00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:25.380
which was widely attributed to the increased

00:41:25.380 --> 00:41:27.960
coinage of silver mandated by the Sherman Silver

00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:31.119
Purchase Act. Cleveland, ever the decisive leader,

00:41:31.619 --> 00:41:33.880
swiftly called Congress into a special session

00:41:33.880 --> 00:41:36.699
to address what had become a national emergency.

00:41:36.840 --> 00:41:39.059
And the fight was over silver again? Primarily

00:41:39.059 --> 00:41:41.900
yes. The debate over coinage was once again heated

00:41:41.900 --> 00:41:44.360
and fiercely partisan. However, the sheer severity

00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:46.300
of the panic and the visible suffering across

00:41:46.300 --> 00:41:49.159
the nation pushed many moderates, even some who

00:41:49.159 --> 00:41:51.500
had previously supported silver, to back the

00:41:51.500 --> 00:41:54.380
repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, recognizing

00:41:54.380 --> 00:41:56.579
the immediate need for stability. Did he get

00:41:56.579 --> 00:41:59.940
it repealed? He did. After 15 weeks of intense

00:41:59.940 --> 00:42:02.679
and often acrimonious debate, the House passed

00:42:02.679 --> 00:42:05.780
the repeal. Cleveland personally lobbied Congress,

00:42:06.059 --> 00:42:08.239
working tirelessly to convince enough Democrats,

00:42:08.639 --> 00:42:10.639
combined with Eastern Republicans, to secure

00:42:10.639 --> 00:42:14.179
the repeal in the Senate by a 48 -37 vote. A

00:42:14.179 --> 00:42:16.340
big win for him, but did it fix the economy?

00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:19.719
Not entirely. It was a monumental political victory

00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:21.940
for him, but it also marked the beginning of

00:42:21.940 --> 00:42:24.820
the end of silver as a primary basis for American

00:42:24.820 --> 00:42:27.579
currency, cementing the gold standard for decades.

00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:30.960
Despite this, gold reserves continued to deplete,

00:42:31.260 --> 00:42:33.340
necessitating further bond issues to shore up

00:42:33.340 --> 00:42:35.980
the nation's finances, indicating the deep -seated

00:42:35.980 --> 00:42:38.760
nature of the economic woes. So the crisis continued.

00:42:38.800 --> 00:42:40.639
What about the tariff? He wanted reform there,

00:42:40.679 --> 00:42:43.000
too. He did. Having tackled the immediate silver

00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:46.019
crisis, Cleveland, true to his long -held conditions,

00:42:46.219 --> 00:42:48.710
once again sought tariff reform. to reverse the

00:42:48.710 --> 00:42:50.610
aggressively protectionist effects of the McKinley

00:42:50.610 --> 00:42:53.090
tariff. Representative William L. Wilson introduced

00:42:53.090 --> 00:42:55.969
a bill in December 1893 for moderate downward

00:42:55.969 --> 00:42:58.530
revisions, especially on raw materials, and crucially

00:42:58.530 --> 00:43:00.969
proposed a 2 % income tax on incomes over $4

00:43:00.969 --> 00:43:04.090
,000 to offset any potential revenue loss. An

00:43:04.090 --> 00:43:07.090
income tax? That's new. Relatively new, yes.

00:43:07.550 --> 00:43:09.750
It passed the House by a considerable margin,

00:43:10.190 --> 00:43:12.389
riding the wave of anti -tariff sentiment. But

00:43:12.389 --> 00:43:16.429
the Senate. Ah. The Senate. The bill faced relentless

00:43:16.429 --> 00:43:19.449
and powerful opposition there. It was led by

00:43:19.449 --> 00:43:22.550
Arthur Pugh Gorman of Maryland, a seasoned political

00:43:22.550 --> 00:43:24.789
operator who insisted on more protection for

00:43:24.789 --> 00:43:27.829
his state's industries. The lobbying efforts

00:43:27.829 --> 00:43:30.750
were intense, particularly from powerful special

00:43:30.750 --> 00:43:33.630
interests like the Sugar Trust. Exactly. The

00:43:33.630 --> 00:43:36.090
bill ultimately passed the Senate with over 600

00:43:36.090 --> 00:43:39.050
amendments, which effectively nullified most

00:43:39.050 --> 00:43:41.630
of the original reforms and transformed it into

00:43:41.630 --> 00:43:44.849
a protectionist measure. The Sugar Trust, in

00:43:44.849 --> 00:43:47.010
particular, notably lobbied for changes that

00:43:47.010 --> 00:43:49.429
significantly favored their interests. So Cleveland

00:43:49.429 --> 00:43:52.190
didn't get his tariff reform. Not really. Cleveland

00:43:52.190 --> 00:43:54.449
was absolutely outraged, denouncing the final

00:43:54.449 --> 00:43:57.090
product as a disgraceful product of the control

00:43:57.090 --> 00:43:59.309
of the Senate by trusts and business interests.

00:44:00.630 --> 00:44:02.349
Despite his strong feelings, he believed it was

00:44:02.349 --> 00:44:04.190
still a marginal improvement over the McKinley

00:44:04.190 --> 00:44:07.150
tariff and, as a protest, allowed it to become

00:44:07.150 --> 00:44:09.670
law without his signature. Let it become law

00:44:09.670 --> 00:44:12.719
without signing. A strong message. A very strong

00:44:12.719 --> 00:44:15.579
message. It was a bitter, partial victory at

00:44:15.579 --> 00:44:18.239
best, showcasing the formidable power of special

00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:20.780
interests. What about voting rights during this

00:44:20.780 --> 00:44:24.199
term? Any changes? On the crucial matter of voting

00:44:24.199 --> 00:44:26.820
rights, Cleveland's actions continue to trend

00:44:26.820 --> 00:44:29.780
away from federal protection. He had campaigned

00:44:29.780 --> 00:44:32.659
vigorously against the Lodge Bill in 1892, which

00:44:32.659 --> 00:44:34.320
would have strengthened voting rights protections

00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:36.920
for African Americans through federal supervisors.

00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:41.400
Right. He opposed that. Then, in 1894, he successfully

00:44:41.400 --> 00:44:44.599
repealed the Enforcement Act of 1871, which had

00:44:44.599 --> 00:44:46.860
previously provided detailed federal overseeing

00:44:46.860 --> 00:44:49.619
of elections. This marked a significant pendulum

00:44:49.619 --> 00:44:51.920
swing away from protecting voting rights and

00:44:51.920 --> 00:44:54.460
further rooted federal oversight in an era when

00:44:54.460 --> 00:44:57.119
southern states were increasingly enacting discriminatory

00:44:57.119 --> 00:44:59.579
voting laws like poll taxes and literacy tests.

00:45:00.519 --> 00:45:02.920
So, a step backward for voting rights protection.

00:45:03.079 --> 00:45:05.039
The economy was still struggling, right? Did

00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:08.139
that lead to unrest? Absolutely. The Panic of

00:45:08.139 --> 00:45:11.260
1893 severely damaged labor conditions across

00:45:11.260 --> 00:45:14.059
the country, fostering widespread unrest and

00:45:14.059 --> 00:45:17.900
economic hardship. In 1894, a group of working

00:45:17.900 --> 00:45:21.039
men known as Coxie's Army, led by Jacob S. Coxie,

00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:23.579
organized a protest march to Washington, D .C.

00:45:23.639 --> 00:45:25.639
Coxie's Army, I've heard of them. What did they

00:45:25.639 --> 00:45:29.039
want? They wanted to express their anger at Cleveland's

00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:31.820
policies. They advocated for a national roads

00:45:31.820 --> 00:45:34.860
program to create jobs and a weakened currency

00:45:34.860 --> 00:45:37.469
to help farmers struggling with debt. Yeah. Only

00:45:37.469 --> 00:45:40.110
a few hundred actually reached DC and their leaders

00:45:40.110 --> 00:45:42.150
were promptly arrested for walking on the Capitol

00:45:42.150 --> 00:45:44.469
lawn, effectively dispersing the group. Arrested

00:45:44.469 --> 00:45:47.230
for walking on the grass. Yep. Though perhaps

00:45:47.230 --> 00:45:49.329
not a direct threat to the government, it was

00:45:49.329 --> 00:45:51.730
a clear and public signal of growing Western

00:45:51.730 --> 00:45:54.210
dissatisfaction with Eastern monetary policies

00:45:54.210 --> 00:45:56.429
and the federal government's perceived inaction

00:45:56.429 --> 00:45:58.650
on unemployment. And then came the Pullman strike.

00:45:58.730 --> 00:46:01.389
That was much bigger. Oh, much bigger and far

00:46:01.389 --> 00:46:04.150
more impactful. The Pullman strike later that

00:46:04.150 --> 00:46:07.469
same year. This began as a strike against the

00:46:07.469 --> 00:46:10.090
Pullman Company over low wages and incredibly

00:46:10.090 --> 00:46:13.409
long hours for its workers. It quickly escalated

00:46:13.409 --> 00:46:16.769
into massive sympathy strikes, led by the charismatic

00:46:16.769 --> 00:46:19.329
American railway union leader, Eugene V. Debs.

00:46:20.690 --> 00:46:24.750
By June 1894, an astonishing 125 ,000 railroad

00:46:24.750 --> 00:46:27.469
workers were on strike, effectively paralyzing

00:46:27.469 --> 00:46:30.340
commerce across the nation. It was an unprecedented

00:46:30.340 --> 00:46:32.280
challenge to the country's infrastructure and

00:46:32.280 --> 00:46:34.679
economy. How did Cleveland respond to that? Cleveland

00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:37.619
believed a federal solution was absolutely necessary,

00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:40.320
arguing that the disruption impacted interstate

00:46:40.320 --> 00:46:43.039
commerce and the carrying of federal mail, and

00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:45.500
that some railroads were even in federal receivership.

00:46:46.079 --> 00:46:48.320
He obtained a federal court injunction to force

00:46:48.320 --> 00:46:50.460
the workers back to their jobs. An injunction

00:46:50.460 --> 00:46:53.050
against the strike. Yes. When the strikers refused

00:46:53.050 --> 00:46:56.210
to obey it, he made a decisive and highly controversial

00:46:56.210 --> 00:46:59.289
move. He sent federal troops into Chicago and

00:46:59.289 --> 00:47:01.550
20 other rail centers to break the strike. Federal

00:47:01.550 --> 00:47:05.110
troops against strikers? Yes. He famously declared,

00:47:05.449 --> 00:47:07.869
if it takes the entire Army and Navy of the United

00:47:07.869 --> 00:47:10.969
States to deliver a postcard in Chicago, that

00:47:10.969 --> 00:47:14.010
card will be delivered. Wow. How was that received?

00:47:14.329 --> 00:47:17.280
It was deeply polarizing. This intervention,

00:47:17.380 --> 00:47:20.219
while restoring order, deeply angered Illinois

00:47:20.219 --> 00:47:23.179
Democrats, including Governor John P. Altgeld,

00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:25.280
who felt the federal government was overstepping

00:47:25.280 --> 00:47:28.480
its bounds. More importantly, it solidified the

00:47:28.480 --> 00:47:31.280
animosity of labor unions nationwide, hardening

00:47:31.280 --> 00:47:33.670
their attitude toward his administration. So

00:47:33.670 --> 00:47:36.230
what does this all mean for the working people

00:47:36.230 --> 00:47:38.690
of America at the time? Cleveland was hailed

00:47:38.690 --> 00:47:41.250
by some for restoring order, but others saw him

00:47:41.250 --> 00:47:43.730
as a tool of big business. That's exactly right.

00:47:44.150 --> 00:47:46.489
Cleveland was hailed by some, especially industrialists

00:47:46.489 --> 00:47:48.750
and conservative elements, for restoring order

00:47:48.750 --> 00:47:50.750
and upholding the rule of law, protecting private

00:47:50.750 --> 00:47:52.849
property, and the flow of commerce. They saw

00:47:52.849 --> 00:47:55.289
him as a decisive leader during a crisis. But

00:47:55.289 --> 00:47:58.559
others... Particularly labor unions, their sympathizers,

00:47:58.619 --> 00:48:01.659
and many agrarian populists saw him as a callous

00:48:01.659 --> 00:48:04.500
tool of big business, prioritizing corporate

00:48:04.500 --> 00:48:07.079
interests and property rights over the desperate

00:48:07.079 --> 00:48:10.000
plight of the working class. It fundamentally

00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:12.320
shaped how many Americans viewed his presidency

00:48:12.320 --> 00:48:14.820
and the role of government in labor disputes.

00:48:15.280 --> 00:48:17.969
A defining moment, for sure. Let's shift to foreign

00:48:17.969 --> 00:48:20.309
policy in the second term. Hawaii was a big issue.

00:48:20.469 --> 00:48:23.369
Huge. In foreign policy during his second term,

00:48:23.869 --> 00:48:26.190
Cleveland adopted a firm and consistent anti

00:48:26.190 --> 00:48:28.909
-imperialist stance, a position that would become

00:48:28.909 --> 00:48:31.630
particularly significant regarding Hawaiian annexation.

00:48:32.230 --> 00:48:34.269
In his first term, he had supported free trade

00:48:34.269 --> 00:48:36.590
with the Hawaiian kingdom and even a naval station

00:48:36.590 --> 00:48:39.929
at Pearl Harbor. Okay. However, in 1893, just

00:48:39.929 --> 00:48:42.070
before he took office for his second term, a

00:48:42.070 --> 00:48:45.130
controversial coup had overthrown Queen Liliuokalani.

00:48:45.309 --> 00:48:48.150
orchestrated by European and American businessmen

00:48:48.150 --> 00:48:50.429
with the clear involvement of U .S. Marines.

00:48:51.489 --> 00:48:53.590
This presented Cleveland with an immediate and

00:48:53.590 --> 00:48:55.909
thorny diplomatic challenge. So the Queen was

00:48:55.909 --> 00:48:58.309
overthrown right before he came back. Exactly.

00:48:58.530 --> 00:49:00.769
Just five days after taking office for his second

00:49:00.769 --> 00:49:04.190
term, Cleveland acted decisively, withdrawing

00:49:04.190 --> 00:49:06.670
the annexation treaty that the previous administration

00:49:06.670 --> 00:49:09.889
had submitted to the Senate. He then sent former

00:49:09.889 --> 00:49:12.269
Congressman James Henderson Blount to Hawaii

00:49:12.269 --> 00:49:15.750
to conduct a thorough investigation. Blount's

00:49:15.750 --> 00:49:18.090
investigation, what did it find? Blount's report

00:49:18.090 --> 00:49:21.429
was damning. It found that Native Hawaiians overwhelmingly

00:49:21.429 --> 00:49:24.349
opposed annexation and highlighted significant

00:49:24.349 --> 00:49:26.769
U .S. diplomatic and military involvement in

00:49:26.769 --> 00:49:30.510
the coup. Cleveland, a staunch anti -imperialist,

00:49:30.909 --> 00:49:33.329
agreed with Blount's findings. He openly opposed

00:49:33.329 --> 00:49:36.070
American actions, condemned the coup as a substantial

00:49:36.070 --> 00:49:38.829
wrong and an act of war, and called for the Queen's

00:49:38.829 --> 00:49:40.860
restoration. He wanted to put the Queen back

00:49:40.860 --> 00:49:43.260
on the throne. He did. He emphasized America's

00:49:43.260 --> 00:49:45.340
policy of non -intervention in the domestic affairs

00:49:45.340 --> 00:49:47.900
of foreign countries. He felt there was a grave

00:49:47.900 --> 00:49:50.460
injustice. Did Congress agree? It was divided.

00:49:51.059 --> 00:49:54.440
This principled stance led to a significant congressional

00:49:54.440 --> 00:49:57.380
divide. The House of Representatives adopted

00:49:57.380 --> 00:49:59.900
a resolution against annexation and censured

00:49:59.900 --> 00:50:01.840
the U .S. minister who was involved in the coup.

00:50:02.420 --> 00:50:05.300
However, the Senate despite being under Democratic

00:50:05.300 --> 00:50:08.340
control, opposed Cleveland's views and his efforts

00:50:08.340 --> 00:50:10.480
to restore the Queen. The Senate opposed him

00:50:10.480 --> 00:50:13.079
again. Yep. They reduced their own report, known

00:50:13.079 --> 00:50:15.960
as the Morgan Report, which strikingly contradicted

00:50:15.960 --> 00:50:18.400
Blount's findings, claiming the overthrow was

00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:20.780
an internal affair and that U .S. troops acted

00:50:20.780 --> 00:50:24.639
quietly and respectfully. This report even referenced

00:50:24.639 --> 00:50:28.639
the 1887 Bayonet Constitution as an act of abdication

00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:31.019
by the Queen, attempting to legitimize the new

00:50:31.019 --> 00:50:34.019
regime. So what happened in the end? Ultimately,

00:50:34.019 --> 00:50:36.659
facing a divided Congress and the practical reality

00:50:36.659 --> 00:50:38.619
of the new government, Cleveland reluctantly

00:50:38.619 --> 00:50:41.199
dropped his push to restore the Queen and recognize

00:50:41.199 --> 00:50:43.679
the new Republic of Hawaii under President Dole,

00:50:43.880 --> 00:50:46.480
maintaining diplomatic relations, but never endorsing

00:50:46.480 --> 00:50:48.800
the annexation he so vehemently opposed. What

00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:51.099
principled stand, but ultimately unsuccessful

00:50:51.099 --> 00:50:53.739
in reversing the coup? What about closer to home?

00:50:53.980 --> 00:50:56.880
Venezuela. Right, the Venezuela boundary dispute.

00:50:57.300 --> 00:50:59.820
Closer to home, Cleveland adopted a broad and

00:50:59.820 --> 00:51:02.039
assertive interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine.

00:51:02.519 --> 00:51:04.639
When Britain and Venezuela became embroiled in

00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:07.239
a heated boundary dispute, Cleveland and his

00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:10.440
Secretary of State Richard Olney protested forcefully,

00:51:10.800 --> 00:51:13.139
asserting American national interest in preventing

00:51:13.139 --> 00:51:15.199
European encroachment in the Western Hemisphere.

00:51:15.369 --> 00:51:18.170
Asserting the Monroe Doctrine strongly. Very

00:51:18.170 --> 00:51:20.730
strongly. This vigorous stance eventually led

00:51:20.730 --> 00:51:23.949
to an international arbitration in 1899, which

00:51:23.949 --> 00:51:26.429
awarded most of the disputed territory to British

00:51:26.429 --> 00:51:29.469
Guiana. But significantly, it improved relations

00:51:29.469 --> 00:51:31.909
with Latin American countries who appreciated

00:51:31.909 --> 00:51:34.670
the U .S. standing up to a European power and

00:51:34.670 --> 00:51:36.969
encouraged arbitration as a method for resolving

00:51:36.969 --> 00:51:39.829
international disputes. It solidified America's

00:51:39.829 --> 00:51:42.210
position as a regional power. And the military

00:51:42.210 --> 00:51:44.960
modernization continued. It did. Cleveland's

00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:47.179
second administration continued the modernization

00:51:47.179 --> 00:51:49.940
efforts that had begun in his first term. Construction

00:51:49.940 --> 00:51:52.900
on the Masset Endicott program for coastal fortifications

00:51:52.900 --> 00:51:55.360
carried on, strengthening America's defenses.

00:51:56.059 --> 00:51:57.920
The U .S. Army finalized the adoption of the

00:51:57.920 --> 00:52:00.559
Krag -Jurgensen rifle, a significant technological

00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:03.519
upgrade, as it was the Army's first bolt -action

00:52:03.519 --> 00:52:06.179
repeating rifle. Improving firepower. Definitely.

00:52:06.349 --> 00:52:09.050
and his secretary of the Navy, Hilary A. Herbert,

00:52:09.630 --> 00:52:12.010
fully embracing Alfred Thayer Mahon's aggressive

00:52:12.010 --> 00:52:15.269
naval strategy, advocating for a powerful offensive

00:52:15.269 --> 00:52:17.949
fleet, proposed ordering five new battleships

00:52:17.949 --> 00:52:21.769
and 16 torpedo boats. This would significantly

00:52:21.769 --> 00:52:24.269
expand the Navy's offensive capabilities, though

00:52:24.269 --> 00:52:26.030
many of these ships weren't actually completed

00:52:26.030 --> 00:52:28.570
until after Cleveland left office, laying the

00:52:28.570 --> 00:52:30.869
groundwork for America's rise as a naval power.

00:52:31.199 --> 00:52:34.440
Now here's a truly extraordinary and, at the

00:52:34.440 --> 00:52:36.739
time, completely secret event from his second

00:52:36.739 --> 00:52:38.840
term that speaks volumes about the pressures

00:52:38.840 --> 00:52:40.639
of the president. Ah yes, the secret surgery.

00:52:40.980 --> 00:52:43.500
Amidst the intense fight for silver repeal and

00:52:43.500 --> 00:52:46.699
the raging economic depression in 1893, Cleveland

00:52:46.699 --> 00:52:49.179
sought medical advice for persistent soreness

00:52:49.179 --> 00:52:52.500
and an ulcer on his hard palate. Clinical samples

00:52:52.500 --> 00:52:55.420
sent anonymously to avoid public alarm were diagnosed

00:52:55.420 --> 00:52:57.960
as an epithelium, which was later confirmed to

00:52:57.960 --> 00:53:01.250
be a varicose carcinoma. a low -grade epithelial

00:53:01.250 --> 00:53:04.449
cancer. Cancer, while president, during a crisis,

00:53:04.650 --> 00:53:07.489
wow. Exactly. Cleveland made the remarkable and

00:53:07.489 --> 00:53:09.849
ethically complex decision to have surgery in

00:53:09.849 --> 00:53:12.230
complete secrecy, fearing that any public knowledge

00:53:12.230 --> 00:53:14.750
of his cancer would plunge the already reeling

00:53:14.750 --> 00:53:17.429
financial markets into an even deeper depression.

00:53:17.590 --> 00:53:19.949
How'd they keep it secret? The surgery took place

00:53:19.949 --> 00:53:23.570
on July 1st, 1893 aboard a private yacht, the

00:53:23.570 --> 00:53:26.369
Oneida, disguised as a vacation cruise off Long

00:53:26.369 --> 00:53:28.860
Island. The surgeons operated through his mouth

00:53:28.860 --> 00:53:31.219
to avoid any visible scars on his face, removing

00:53:31.219 --> 00:53:33.960
parts of his upper left jaw and hard palate under

00:53:33.960 --> 00:53:36.840
nitrous oxide and ether on a yacht. Incredible.

00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:39.840
A hard rubber dental prosthesis was then meticulously

00:53:39.840 --> 00:53:41.659
fitted to correct his speech and restore his

00:53:41.659 --> 00:53:43.960
appearance, and a meticulously crafted cover

00:53:43.960 --> 00:53:46.500
story about two bad teeth was used to placate

00:53:46.500 --> 00:53:49.079
the inquisitive press. So the public had no idea?

00:53:49.219 --> 00:53:52.559
None. The full dramatic details of this covert

00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:56.519
operation were not revealed until 1917, long

00:53:56.519 --> 00:53:58.699
after Cleveland had lived many years following

00:53:58.699 --> 00:54:01.159
the successful surgery by one of the participating

00:54:01.159 --> 00:54:05.059
surgeons, Dr. William Williams Keen. This raises

00:54:05.059 --> 00:54:07.679
an incredibly important question about leadership,

00:54:08.440 --> 00:54:10.639
transparency and the perceived stability of a

00:54:10.639 --> 00:54:14.119
nation during times of national crisis. What's

00:54:14.119 --> 00:54:16.579
your take on a president taking such extreme

00:54:16.579 --> 00:54:18.860
measures to keep his health a secret from the

00:54:18.860 --> 00:54:21.360
public, even if it was done with the intention

00:54:21.360 --> 00:54:24.050
of preventing further economic panic? It's tough,

00:54:24.289 --> 00:54:26.869
isn't it? On one hand, you can absolutely understand

00:54:26.869 --> 00:54:29.329
the fear of triggering an even worse economic

00:54:29.329 --> 00:54:31.829
collapse. The markets were incredibly fragile,

00:54:32.150 --> 00:54:33.829
and the perception of presidential health could

00:54:33.829 --> 00:54:36.190
have been catastrophic. But on the other, it

00:54:36.190 --> 00:54:38.530
represents such a profound withholding of information

00:54:38.530 --> 00:54:40.829
from the American people, from whom he derived

00:54:40.829 --> 00:54:43.710
his power. It makes you wonder, where's the line

00:54:43.710 --> 00:54:46.269
between protecting the nation and being accountable

00:54:46.269 --> 00:54:49.429
to it? Yeah. It's a debate we still have today,

00:54:49.570 --> 00:54:52.030
just with different technologies and expectations.

00:54:52.750 --> 00:54:55.730
A stark contrast to our modern expectations of

00:54:55.730 --> 00:54:58.269
immediate transparency, but it really underscores

00:54:58.269 --> 00:55:00.630
how much the office of the president was seen,

00:55:01.090 --> 00:55:04.269
then as now, as a symbol of stability. And how

00:55:04.269 --> 00:55:06.789
easily that trust could be eroded by perceived

00:55:06.789 --> 00:55:09.699
weakness or uncertainty. And speaking of challenges,

00:55:10.000 --> 00:55:12.260
Cleveland also experienced significant trouble

00:55:12.260 --> 00:55:14.260
with the Senate regarding his judicial appointments

00:55:14.260 --> 00:55:16.300
in his second term. Oh yeah, more fights with

00:55:16.300 --> 00:55:19.159
the Senate. In 1893, he nominated William B.

00:55:19.320 --> 00:55:21.639
Hornblower to the Supreme Court, but Hornblower

00:55:21.639 --> 00:55:24.980
was rejected by the Senate, 2430, largely due

00:55:24.980 --> 00:55:27.519
to Senator David B. Hill's continued opposition,

00:55:27.920 --> 00:55:29.659
partly because Cleveland hadn't sufficiently

00:55:29.659 --> 00:55:32.079
consulted senators beforehand. Hill again, blocking

00:55:32.079 --> 00:55:35.059
him. Exactly. Frustrated but undeterred, Cleveland

00:55:35.059 --> 00:55:37.679
then nominated Wheeler Hazard Peckham, another

00:55:37.679 --> 00:55:39.670
new New York attorney, who, like Hornblower,

00:55:39.809 --> 00:55:43.110
had openly opposed Hill's powerful machine. And

00:55:43.110 --> 00:55:45.550
predictably, Peckham, too, was rejected by the

00:55:45.550 --> 00:55:48.690
Senate, 3241, cementing a pattern of senatorial

00:55:48.690 --> 00:55:50.489
obstruction. Wow, two rejections that are out.

00:55:50.719 --> 00:55:53.440
Facing this unprecedented defiance, Cleveland

00:55:53.440 --> 00:55:56.739
acquiesced in an inoffensive choice, as one historian

00:55:56.739 --> 00:55:59.639
put it, nominating Senator Edward Douglas White,

00:55:59.920 --> 00:56:02.119
who is finally confirmed unanimously, ending

00:56:02.119 --> 00:56:04.300
the deadlock. And to pick a senator to get confirmed.

00:56:04.559 --> 00:56:08.239
Seems like it. Later, in 1895, another vacancy

00:56:08.239 --> 00:56:10.760
allowed him to nominate Rufus Wheeler Peckham,

00:56:10.960 --> 00:56:13.280
Wheeler's brother, who was perhaps ironically

00:56:13.280 --> 00:56:15.900
easily confirmed, showing how much political

00:56:15.900 --> 00:56:18.929
tides could shift. Politics is strange. On a

00:56:18.929 --> 00:56:21.489
more positive and unifying note, Utah became

00:56:21.489 --> 00:56:25.409
the 45th state on January 4th, 1896, after Congress

00:56:25.409 --> 00:56:28.190
passed an enabling act in 1894, adding another

00:56:28.190 --> 00:56:30.429
star to the union during its second term. So

00:56:30.429 --> 00:56:34.070
this second term, it truly illustrates the immense

00:56:34.070 --> 00:56:36.929
and unrelenting pressure Cleveland faced from

00:56:36.929 --> 00:56:39.389
a severe economic depression and widespread labor

00:56:39.389 --> 00:56:42.489
unrest to complex international incidents and

00:56:42.489 --> 00:56:44.349
a hostile obstructionist Senate. Yeah, it sounds

00:56:44.349 --> 00:56:46.269
exhausting. If we connect this to the bigger

00:56:46.269 --> 00:56:49.489
picture. It clearly explains why he left office

00:56:49.489 --> 00:56:52.590
severely unpopular, even among many within his

00:56:52.590 --> 00:56:55.670
own Democratic party. His rigid adherence to

00:56:55.670 --> 00:56:58.010
principles while earning him admiration from

00:56:58.010 --> 00:57:00.969
some for his consistency alienated others who

00:57:00.969 --> 00:57:03.170
felt his policies neglected the suffering of

00:57:03.170 --> 00:57:05.889
ordinary Americans and failed to adapt to the

00:57:05.889 --> 00:57:08.130
rapidly evolving needs of an industrializing

00:57:08.130 --> 00:57:11.590
nation. By 1896, Cleveland found himself politically

00:57:11.590 --> 00:57:15.059
isolated, almost a man without a party. His agrarian

00:57:15.059 --> 00:57:17.360
and silverite enemies had gained firm control

00:57:17.360 --> 00:57:19.920
of state Democratic parties, and the National

00:57:19.920 --> 00:57:22.920
Democratic Party explicitly repudiated his administration

00:57:22.920 --> 00:57:25.519
and his cherished gold standard. Right. The party

00:57:25.519 --> 00:57:27.699
platform rejected him. They went on to nominate

00:57:27.699 --> 00:57:30.519
the eloquent and fiery William Jennings Bryan

00:57:30.519 --> 00:57:33.340
on a free silver platform, signaling a dramatic

00:57:33.340 --> 00:57:35.619
ideological shift for the party. The Cross of

00:57:35.619 --> 00:57:39.360
Gold speech era. Exactly. Cleveland, deeply disheartened,

00:57:39.619 --> 00:57:41.760
silently supported the Gold Democrats, a third

00:57:41.760 --> 00:57:43.900
-party ticket formed to defend the gold standard

00:57:43.900 --> 00:57:46.119
in limited government, which were his core principles.

00:57:46.739 --> 00:57:48.980
However, he wisely declined their nomination

00:57:48.980 --> 00:57:51.579
for a third term, knowing it was a futile effort.

00:57:51.980 --> 00:57:53.960
Smart move, probably. They only managed to win

00:57:53.960 --> 00:57:57.159
about 100 ,000 votes, a clear sign of his diminished

00:57:57.159 --> 00:57:59.969
political capital. The Republican nominee William

00:57:59.969 --> 00:58:03.170
McKinley ultimately triumphed over Brian in a

00:58:03.170 --> 00:58:05.230
campaign largely fought over the gold versus

00:58:05.230 --> 00:58:07.610
silver standard, marking the end of Cleveland's

00:58:07.610 --> 00:58:11.190
era. So retirement, where did he go? After leaving

00:58:11.190 --> 00:58:14.349
the White House on March 4th, 1897, Cleveland

00:58:14.349 --> 00:58:16.369
retired to his Westland mansion in Princeton,

00:58:16.429 --> 00:58:19.230
New Jersey. He remained intellectually active,

00:58:19.610 --> 00:58:21.570
elected to the American Philosophical Society

00:58:21.570 --> 00:58:24.730
in 1897, and served as a trustee of Princeton

00:58:24.730 --> 00:58:28.130
University. Ah, Princeton. He famously sided

00:58:28.130 --> 00:58:31.269
with Dean Andrew Fleming West in a dispute over

00:58:31.269 --> 00:58:34.070
the graduate school with then university president

00:58:34.070 --> 00:58:37.030
Woodrow Wilson, a battle of academic titans.

00:58:37.269 --> 00:58:39.369
Cleveland versus Wilson at Princeton. Right.

00:58:39.630 --> 00:58:41.530
He even consulted occasionally with President

00:58:41.530 --> 00:58:44.230
Theodore Roosevelt on national matters, showcasing

00:58:44.230 --> 00:58:46.429
his enduring influence, but couldn't accept the

00:58:46.429 --> 00:58:48.849
chairmanship of the coal strike of 1902 commission

00:58:48.849 --> 00:58:51.230
due to financial reasons. Interesting. Did he

00:58:51.230 --> 00:58:54.230
comment on social issues? He did. Cleveland also

00:58:54.230 --> 00:58:56.469
publicly weighed in on social issues, sometimes

00:58:56.469 --> 00:58:58.849
in ways that would be deeply controversial today.

00:58:59.389 --> 00:59:02.389
In a 1905 Ladies Home Journal article, he expressed

00:59:02.389 --> 00:59:04.630
his very traditional views on women's suffrage,

00:59:05.050 --> 00:59:07.269
writing that sensible and responsible women do

00:59:07.269 --> 00:59:09.829
not want to vote. The relative positions to be

00:59:09.829 --> 00:59:11.889
assumed by men and women in the working out of

00:59:11.889 --> 00:59:14.769
our civilization were assigned long ago by a

00:59:14.769 --> 00:59:17.369
higher intelligence. Yeah, definitely a product

00:59:17.369 --> 00:59:20.369
of his time on that one. Very much so. In 1906,

00:59:20.469 --> 00:59:23.269
he was briefly promoted for a U .S. Senate candidacy

00:59:23.269 --> 00:59:26.130
by some New Jersey Democrats, but he ultimately

00:59:26.130 --> 00:59:29.030
did not run content with his retirement. So how

00:59:29.030 --> 00:59:32.039
did his life end? His health, which he had famously

00:59:32.039 --> 00:59:34.360
kept secret during his presidency, began to decline

00:59:34.360 --> 00:59:37.300
over several years. In the autumn of 1907, he

00:59:37.300 --> 00:59:40.440
fell seriously ill. Grover Cleveland died peacefully

00:59:40.440 --> 00:59:44.059
on June 24th, 1908 at the age of 71 in Princeton,

00:59:44.059 --> 00:59:46.699
New Jersey from a heart attack. His final words

00:59:46.699 --> 00:59:49.079
are incredibly poignant and I think encapsulates

00:59:49.079 --> 00:59:51.119
his entire public life. For better or worse,

00:59:51.539 --> 00:59:53.840
his last words were, I have tried so hard to

00:59:53.840 --> 00:59:57.380
do right. Wow, what a powerful final statement.

00:59:57.539 --> 00:59:59.519
It really does encapsulate his entire public

00:59:59.519 --> 01:00:01.800
life, for better or worse. A powerful statement

01:00:01.800 --> 01:00:04.179
of conviction and self -assessment, even on his

01:00:04.179 --> 01:00:07.000
deathbed. He is buried, fittingly, at Princeton

01:00:07.000 --> 01:00:09.780
Cemetery. Cleveland's legacy is of course also

01:00:09.780 --> 01:00:12.179
marked by numerous honors and memorials across

01:00:12.179 --> 01:00:14.699
the country. Many places are named after him,

01:00:14.880 --> 01:00:16.940
reflecting his impact. Grover Cleveland Hall

01:00:16.940 --> 01:00:19.980
at Buffalo State University, Grover Cleveland

01:00:19.980 --> 01:00:22.079
Middle School in his birthplace of Caldwell,

01:00:22.219 --> 01:00:24.780
New Jersey, Grover Cleveland High School in Buffalo,

01:00:24.880 --> 01:00:27.039
New York, the town of Cleveland, Mississippi,

01:00:27.260 --> 01:00:29.880
and even Mount Cleveland in Alaska. He also holds

01:00:29.880 --> 01:00:32.519
a truly unique place in media history as the

01:00:32.519 --> 01:00:34.840
first U .S. president ever to be filmed. back

01:00:34.840 --> 01:00:38.239
in 1895. First film president. Cool detail. Yeah.

01:00:38.500 --> 01:00:40.440
He's been featured on U .S. postage stamps in

01:00:40.440 --> 01:00:44.519
1923, 1938 and 1986. His portrait famously graced

01:00:44.519 --> 01:00:47.900
the $1 ,000 bill of series in 1928 and 1934,

01:00:48.260 --> 01:00:51.099
as well as the $20 Federal Reserve notes. And

01:00:51.099 --> 01:00:53.119
appropriately given his two distinct terms, he

01:00:53.119 --> 01:00:55.039
was featured on two separate dollar coins in

01:00:55.039 --> 01:00:58.079
2012 as both the 22nd and 24th president. Two

01:00:58.079 --> 01:01:01.159
coins for two terms. Fitting. In 2013, he was

01:01:01.159 --> 01:01:03.420
posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall

01:01:03.420 --> 01:01:05.989
of Fame. So what does this all mean for us today?

01:01:06.360 --> 01:01:09.579
Grover Cleveland stands as a truly unique figure

01:01:09.579 --> 01:01:12.280
in American presidential history, the only one

01:01:12.280 --> 01:01:15.360
to serve two non -consecutive terms. He was a

01:01:15.360 --> 01:01:17.900
man of immense personal conviction, a champion

01:01:17.900 --> 01:01:20.099
of fiscal conservatism and limited government,

01:01:20.599 --> 01:01:23.139
famous for his numerous vetoes and his fierce

01:01:23.139 --> 01:01:26.519
opposition to corruption and imperialism, especially

01:01:26.519 --> 01:01:29.579
regarding Hawaii. He was a leader who rigidly

01:01:29.579 --> 01:01:31.900
adhered to his principles, often at odds with

01:01:31.900 --> 01:01:34.039
both his own party and the prevailing political

01:01:34.039 --> 01:01:37.110
currents of his time. His story also reminds

01:01:37.110 --> 01:01:39.130
us of the profound challenges of leadership.

01:01:39.610 --> 01:01:41.989
He presided over a severe economic depression

01:01:41.989 --> 01:01:44.570
and made decisions such as the Dawes Act and

01:01:44.570 --> 01:01:46.550
his unwavering handling of the Pullman strike

01:01:46.550 --> 01:01:49.429
that drew widespread criticism and made him deeply

01:01:49.429 --> 01:01:51.429
unpopular by the end of his second term. Right.

01:01:51.510 --> 01:01:53.969
The unpopularity is key, too. His career highlights

01:01:53.969 --> 01:01:56.369
the incredible resilience required in politics,

01:01:56.369 --> 01:01:59.670
but also the immense difficulties of adhering

01:01:59.670 --> 01:02:02.829
to rigid principles in the face of shifting public

01:02:02.829 --> 01:02:06.690
sentiment and complex national crises. His life

01:02:06.690 --> 01:02:09.510
invites us to consider can a leader truly do

01:02:09.510 --> 01:02:12.190
right if their definition of right alienates

01:02:12.190 --> 01:02:14.730
the very people they govern or overlooks the

01:02:14.730 --> 01:02:17.369
suffering caused even unintentionally by their

01:02:17.369 --> 01:02:20.090
policies What happens when deeply held beliefs

01:02:20.090 --> 01:02:22.829
clash with the evolving sometimes desperate needs

01:02:22.829 --> 01:02:24.989
of a nation? Those are powerful questions that

01:02:24.989 --> 01:02:27.389
resonate even today reminding us that the path

01:02:27.389 --> 01:02:30.320
of leadership is rarely straightforward Thank

01:02:30.320 --> 01:02:32.239
you for joining us on this deep dive into the

01:02:32.239 --> 01:02:34.960
fascinating, complex, and utterly unique life

01:02:34.960 --> 01:02:37.179
of Grover Cleveland. We'll see you next time

01:02:37.179 --> 01:02:39.099
for another journey into the stories that shape

01:02:39.099 --> 01:02:39.599
our world.