Grantism
Encyclopedia
The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant
in the United States was marred by many scandals, including Black Friday
, Whiskey Ring
, and Crédit Mobilier
. Although Grant was not directly involved with these scandals, his associations with persons of questionable character and his reliance on cronyism
, nepotism
, and political patronage led up to "Grantism."
in a speech on May 31, 1872, during a Presidential election year. It was made to create a distinction between what Sumner believed between the Republican Party
and Ulysses S. Grant. Sumner and Grant had been at political enmity
ever since Sumner's refusal to annex Santo Domingo to the United States. Sumner accused Grant of political patronage, nepotism
, and being an autocrat like Julius Caesar
.
Sumner accused Grant of hindering African American
rights with the annexation proposal of Santo Domingo, although it is now believed Grant wanted to annex Santo Domingo as a refuge for African Americans. Sumner was also angry that Grant used his personal secretary to establish international relations with Santo Domingo, rather than through the State Department and Congress. In essence Sumner summed up Grantism as a despotic government of "one man and his personal will." The lengthy speech was used as the political platform for the Liberal Republican Party
and launched the political career of Horace Greeley
as the party's Presidential candidate in 1872.
assumed a majority in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1881. The Democratic Party after assuming control of the House would go onto launching a series of corruption investigations into the Grant Administration from 1875 to 1876. Today, Grantism is defined as any political corruption and greed in government after the Ulysses S. Grant Administration. During Grant's presidency many of his associates took part in price skimming
and tax evasion
. Grantism also refers to big business undermining control of local and national government.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
in the United States was marred by many scandals, including Black Friday
Black Friday (1869)
Black Friday, September 24, 1869 also known as the Fisk/Gould scandal, was a financial panic in the United States caused by two speculators’ efforts to corner the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. It was one of several scandals that rocked the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant...
, Whiskey Ring
Whiskey Ring
In the United States, the Whiskey Ring was a scandal, exposed in 1875, involving diversion of tax revenues in a conspiracy among government agents, politicians, whiskey distillers, and distributors. The Whiskey Ring began in St...
, and Crédit Mobilier
Crédit Mobilier of America scandal
The Crédit Mobilier scandal of 1872 involved the Union Pacific Railroad and the Crédit Mobilier of America construction company in the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad. The distribution of Crédit Mobilier shares of stock by Congressman Oakes Ames along with cash bribes to...
. Although Grant was not directly involved with these scandals, his associations with persons of questionable character and his reliance on cronyism
Cronyism
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy....
, nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, and political patronage led up to "Grantism."
Origins
The term "Grantism" was originally coined by Senator Charles SumnerCharles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
in a speech on May 31, 1872, during a Presidential election year. It was made to create a distinction between what Sumner believed between the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Ulysses S. Grant. Sumner and Grant had been at political enmity
Enmity
Enmity is a Avant-Garde Metal band from Cape Town, South Africa and has been active since 2007. Their debut full-length album, is a concept album exploring the lives of different serial killers from around the world.- History :...
ever since Sumner's refusal to annex Santo Domingo to the United States. Sumner accused Grant of political patronage, nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, and being an autocrat like Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
Sumner accused Grant of hindering African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
rights with the annexation proposal of Santo Domingo, although it is now believed Grant wanted to annex Santo Domingo as a refuge for African Americans. Sumner was also angry that Grant used his personal secretary to establish international relations with Santo Domingo, rather than through the State Department and Congress. In essence Sumner summed up Grantism as a despotic government of "one man and his personal will." The lengthy speech was used as the political platform for the Liberal Republican Party
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
and launched the political career of Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
as the party's Presidential candidate in 1872.
Modern definitions
The Liberal Republicans defined "corruption in government" to mean Grantism from 1873 to 1875. The Liberal Republican Party ceased to exist after the reforming Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
assumed a majority in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1881. The Democratic Party after assuming control of the House would go onto launching a series of corruption investigations into the Grant Administration from 1875 to 1876. Today, Grantism is defined as any political corruption and greed in government after the Ulysses S. Grant Administration. During Grant's presidency many of his associates took part in price skimming
Price skimming
Price skimming is a pricing strategy in which a marketer sets a relatively high price for a product or service at first, then lowers the price over time. It is a temporal version of price discrimination/yield management...
and tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. Grantism also refers to big business undermining control of local and national government.