Henry Moore Teller
Encyclopedia
Henry Moore Teller was a U.S. politician
. Secretary of the Interior
between 1882 and 1885.
question, beginning in 1880. During that time, he did much in and out of Congress with tongue and pen. In 1892, he was instrumental in securing in the Republican National Convention a declaration in favor of bimetallism, and he was a conspicuous actor in the prolonged fight in the senate against unconditional repeal. His standing in the Republican party, together with his great ability and high character, made him the leader of the Silver Republican Party
.
At the Republican National Convention of 1896 in St. Louis, he was at the head of the revolt against the Republican platform and his withdrawal from the party that year cost the Republican candidate thousands of votes. The silver Republicans favored his nomination for the Presidency, and his state of Colorado
voted for him on the first ballot in the Democratic Convention. After the nomination had been made he joined with other leading Silver Republicans in an address supporting the Democratic ticket. Unlike many other Silver Republicans, Teller never returned to the Republican Party and served as a Democratic senator for the rest of his career, becoming one of few politicians to switch parties
. Teller helped the Democratic Party gain more power in Colorado, which was previously dominated by Republicans.
Historically, Teller is probably best known for sponsoring an amendment to the Joint Resolution for war with Spain
, passed by the House and Senate on April 19, 1898.
Teller died February 23, 1914, and is buried at Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver, CO
.
of Indian
land. Allotment was a process by which communal ownership of Indian lands would be ended and the land portioned out to individual Indians, the "excess" to be sold to the government. In 1881, Teller said that allotment was a policy "to despoil the Indians of their lands and to make them vagabonds on the face of the earth." Teller also said, "the real aim [of allotment] was "to get at the Indian lands and open them up to settlement. The provisions for the apparent benefit of the Indians are but the pretext to get at his lands and occupy them....If this were done in the name of Greed, it would be bad enough; but to do it in the name of Humanity...is infinitely worse." Teller would be proven correct. Land owned by Indians decreased from 138 million acres (558,466.7 km²) in 1887 to 48 million acres (194,249.3 km²) in 1934.
Teller's defense of Indian land rights conflicts with his stance on traditional Indian customs. As Secretary of the Interior in 1883, he promulgated a "Code of Indian Offenses" which sought to prohibit Native American
ceremonial activity throughout the United States. Customs, dances, plural marriage, and other practices were to be prosecuted by a "Court of Indian Offenses" with authority to impose penalties of up to 90 days imprisonment and withholding government rations. The clear intent of the Code was to eliminate Indian culture on reservations. The Five Civilized Tribes
were exempt from the code.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
between 1882 and 1885.
Biography
He served in the Senate and Cabinet for over thirty years, and was connected with the Free SilverFree Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
question, beginning in 1880. During that time, he did much in and out of Congress with tongue and pen. In 1892, he was instrumental in securing in the Republican National Convention a declaration in favor of bimetallism, and he was a conspicuous actor in the prolonged fight in the senate against unconditional repeal. His standing in the Republican party, together with his great ability and high character, made him the leader of the Silver Republican Party
Silver Republican Party
The Silver Republican Party was a United States political faction active in the 1890s. It was so named because it split from the Republican Party over the issues of "Free Silver" and bimetallism. The main Republican Party supported the gold standard....
.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
voted for him on the first ballot in the Democratic Convention. After the nomination had been made he joined with other leading Silver Republicans in an address supporting the Democratic ticket. Unlike many other Silver Republicans, Teller never returned to the Republican Party and served as a Democratic senator for the rest of his career, becoming one of few politicians to switch parties
Party switching
Party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office.In many countries, party-switching takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties in coalition governments...
. Teller helped the Democratic Party gain more power in Colorado, which was previously dominated by Republicans.
Historically, Teller is probably best known for sponsoring an amendment to the Joint Resolution for war with Spain
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, passed by the House and Senate on April 19, 1898.
Teller died February 23, 1914, and is buried at Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver, CO
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
Teller and Indian Rights
Teller was one of the most outspoken opponents of the allotmentDawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
of Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
land. Allotment was a process by which communal ownership of Indian lands would be ended and the land portioned out to individual Indians, the "excess" to be sold to the government. In 1881, Teller said that allotment was a policy "to despoil the Indians of their lands and to make them vagabonds on the face of the earth." Teller also said, "the real aim [of allotment] was "to get at the Indian lands and open them up to settlement. The provisions for the apparent benefit of the Indians are but the pretext to get at his lands and occupy them....If this were done in the name of Greed, it would be bad enough; but to do it in the name of Humanity...is infinitely worse." Teller would be proven correct. Land owned by Indians decreased from 138 million acres (558,466.7 km²) in 1887 to 48 million acres (194,249.3 km²) in 1934.
Teller's defense of Indian land rights conflicts with his stance on traditional Indian customs. As Secretary of the Interior in 1883, he promulgated a "Code of Indian Offenses" which sought to prohibit Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
ceremonial activity throughout the United States. Customs, dances, plural marriage, and other practices were to be prosecuted by a "Court of Indian Offenses" with authority to impose penalties of up to 90 days imprisonment and withholding government rations. The clear intent of the Code was to eliminate Indian culture on reservations. The Five Civilized Tribes
Five Civilized Tribes
The Five Civilized Tribes were the five Native American nations—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole—that were considered civilized by Anglo-European settlers during the colonial and early federal period because they adopted many of the colonists' customs and had generally good...
were exempt from the code.