After a controversial election within the ohio legislature, hanna was reappointed to the senate in 1898. The presidential campaign of 1896 was one of the most exciting in american history. The 1896 united states presidential election was the 28th quadrennial presidential election, held on tuesday, november 3, 1896. How did the panic of 1893 affect the outcome of the election.
Mark hanna september 24, 1837 february 15, 1904, american. Governor asa bushnell appointed mark hanna as senator, march 5, 1897, pending a meeting of the ohio legislature. Cq press the presidential election of 1896 sage knowledge. The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few. The triumph of william mckinley, by karl rove the new. Rove plays down the role of mckinleys campaign manager, mark hanna, often seen. Marcus alonzo hanna was born in new lisbon, ohio, in 1837. Why the election of 1896 still matters kindle edition by rove, karl. The presidential election of 1896 is one of those that deserves to be ranked in that select category. Marcus alonzo hanna september 24, 1837 february 15, 1904, best known as mark hanna, was an american industrialist and republican politician from cleveland, ohio.
The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few that brought about fundamental. He married the daughter of a wealthy coal magnate, and before long he controlled that enterprise, too. View full size plain dealer file cleveland kingpin mark hanna in 1904 going to. The first major innovation conceived by mckinley and hanna was the very. Horner illustrates how a concentrated campaign by segments of the media. But their sacrifice would be made in vain because republican bill mckinley, propelled by millionaire mark hanna s historically. Ever since the election of 1800, american presidential contests had, on some level, been a referendum on whether the country should be governed by agrarian interests rural indebted farmersthe countrysidemain street or industrial interests businessthe city. Chicago record, 1896 a great exhibition, but rather trying on the man in the middle. Republican candidate william mckinley ran on continuing the reliance on gold for the. Upon mckinleys death in 1901, hanna remained one of the nations most powerful republicans. Louis city hall in saint louis, missouri, from june 16 to june 18, 1896. New voting patterns replaced old, a new majority party came to power, and national policies shifted to reflect new realities.
Presidential election of 1896 in a wellfunded political campaign and subsequently became one of the most. Why the election of 1896 still matters, karl rove has taken the past, in this case a past presidential election of 120 years ago, and with insight as a political strategist and operative, demonstrated how that election, the election of 1896, has impacted american political history from then. William mckinley was the republican candidate who many saw as a puppet of ohio party boss mark hanna. United states presidential election of 1896 united states.
The united states presidential election of november 3, 1896, saw republican william mckinley defeat democrat william jennings bryan in a campaign considered by historians to be one of the most dramatic and complex in american history. Ohios kingmaker is a wellwritten and engaging book, and the central. His family moved to the growing city of cleveland in his teenage years, where he attended high sch. Dayton daily news a fine new study of the 25th president and his election in 1896.
Mar 27, 20 in this book by southern methodist university professor r. Mckinley, bryan, and the remarkable election of 1896 with bonus 1900 coverage. Hanna thus supervised the first modern political campaign. The presidential election of 1896 has a deep influence on american culture. Roves fascination with and understanding of how the political process has worked throughout our history shines through in his new book, the triumph of william mckinley. His victory was marred, however, by a charge of bribery. Having runand wontwo presidential campaigns, karl rove knows elections. Jan 24, 2016 the triumph of william mckinley, by karl rove. Perhaps the best example of this lucrative relationship comes from the 1896 presidential election. The threat of william jennings bryan s perceived radicalism enabled hanna to raise huge sums of cash from frightened businessmen. Most important, mckinley had mark hanna, the most celebrated campaign.
But williams also provides new interpretations of william jennings bryan, mark hanna, and grover cleveland. With that obstacle removed, hanna built mckinleys campaign organization through 1895 and 1896. He helped william mckinley win the ohio governors race in 1892 and saw him nominated as the republican presidential candidate in 1896. With each election, hannas influence grew, but his true political genius emerged in 1896 when he managed the presidential campaign of ohio governor william mckinley. He rose to fame as the campaign manager of the successful republican presidential candidate, william mckinley, in the u. To be cutting edge in this presidential election, you have to learn the lessons of the 96 campaign. Part of the university press of kansass american presidential elections series, realigning america continues what historians have posited for years the 1896 election was a watershed event in american politics. Hanna raised an election fund for mckinley from wealthy. Portrayed as the puppet master controlling the weakwilled william mckinl. A vivid, intriguing and compellingly modern rendering of one of the most underappreciated episodes in american political history.
Why the election of 1896 still matters, rove perceptively explains how softspoken ohioan william mckinley used a commitment to principle and an ability to get along with nearly everybody to succeed as a member of the house, as governor of ohio and finally as a presidential candidate. As a senator, hanna was president mckinleys strongest ally in the congress. The republicans, mark hanna, and labor vassar college. Senator mark hanna, mckinley won the 1896 presidential election and was inaugurated on march 4, 1897. Why the election of 1896 still matters, rove perceptively explains how softspoken ohioan william mckinley used a commitment to principle and an ability to get along with nearly everybody to succeed as a member of the house, as governor of ohio and finally as a. As early as 1892, mckinley and hanna began to prepare for the 1896 campaign. In the election of 1896, hanna served as the chairman of the republican national committee and used more than.
The presidential election of 1896 stanley llewellyn jones. Mark hanna, often seen as the elections backstage machiavelli. Article about mark hanna from ohio historical society journal. Roves account of william mckinleys 1896 campaign presents him as an. Hal williams, as part of the university press of kansas series on american presidential elections, the 1896 election is presented as the one that marked a major change in the way americans treated presidential elections. The election of 1896 set the tone for modern elections, and the strategies developed by william mckinley and his winning campaign are still in use today. Former governor william mckinley, the republican candidate, defeated democrat william jennings bryan. The 1896 campaign is often considered by political scientists to. The triumph of william mckinley is a deeply informed and highly engaging account of one of the seminal elections in american history, the 1896 victory that ushered in more than a generation of republican dominance.
Mark hanna, american industrialist and prototype of the political kingmaker. With the republicans star on the rise and the democrats banished to the south and the cities, the 1896 election was more than a victory of one party over another, it marked the emergence of new ways of politicking that makes this campaign especially relevant for twentyfirstcentury readers. To get mckinley nominated, hanna used every means possible to sway delegates. His greatest success was convincing the congress to build the panama canal. A friend and political ally of president william mckinley, hanna used his wealth and business skills to successfully manage mckinleys presidential campaigns in 1896 and 1900. William mckinley 1896 presidential campaign wikipedia.
Some historians wrongly credit mckinleys winning the white house in 1896 to marcus alonzo mark hanna, a wealthy iron and coal magnate turned political power broker. What does mckinleys election in 1896 teach us about today. Mckinley and his campaign manager, the businessman mark hanna, would go on to write the book on modern campaigning. Mark hanna died in 1904 on the eve of what may have been a titanic struggle against roosevelt for control of the republican party. That success caught the eye of mark hanna, a cleveland industrialist. The 1896 election had two lasting impacts on american life. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. The depression of the 1890s and episodes like the pullman strike made the election of 1896 shape up as. Aug 09, 2016 presidential election of 1896 topics in chronicling america newspaper and current periodical reading room, library of congress. Reed tried to present himself as a candidate, but he came from a small state maine, and he was considered too abrasive to appeal to a national. Mark hanna marcus alonzo hanna, september 2, 1837 february 15, 1904 was a leader of the us republican party who rose to fame as the campaign manager of the successful republican presidential candidate william mckinley in the realigning presidential election of 1896, in the first modern political campaign. Portrayed as the puppet master controlling the weakwilled william mckinley, hanna was loved by most republicans and reviled by democrats, in large part because of the way he was portrayed by the media of the day. He was very involved in politics and is now considered a political genius but was most noticed when he was the campaign manager of william mckinley. United states presidential election of 1896 united.
Frank baum, first published in 1900, may have been an allegory of the election. The 1896 national convention of the republican party of the united states was held in a temporary structure south of the st. The 1896 mckinley presidential election campaign is regarded as the first modern campaign because of the organised, systematic and exemplary use of campaign tactics by mckinley and hanna. Bryan did well in the south and the west, but lacked appeal with unmortgaged farmers and especially the eastern urban laborer. Hanna s bestknown political contribution came in 1896 when he engineered mckinley s presidential nomination and election. The presidential election of 1896 revolved around the money question, or the debate over the gold standard. Immediately after hanna s election, however, disgruntled legislators appointed a committee to investigate whether hanna had offered a bribe to an assembly member.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Mark hanna 1901 major william mckinley was the last veteran of the civil war to be nominated for president by any party. Mckinley, bryan, and the remarkable election of 1896 american presidential elections williams, r. Ever since the election of 1800, american presidential contests had, on some level, been a referendum on whether the country should be governed by agrarian interests rural indebted farmersthe countrysidemain street or industrial interests businessthe citywall street. Cartoons from around the country and from three parties in the election republican, democratic, and populistwith party platforms, contemporary comment, and explorations of campaign themes. Personal insolvency would have removed mckinley as a factor in the 1896 campaign, but he was rescued from this by businessmen who supported him, led by his friend and political manager, mark hanna. Others are content to overlook mckinley, instead spotlighting his second vice president and successor, theodore roosevelt. One key to the republican victory in the 1896 presidential election was the huge amount of money raised by mark hanna.
This book is an indepth look at the election of 1896. Mark hanna, the ohio republican presidentmaker, believed that the prime function of government was to. In 1896 he won the republican presidential nomination with mark hanna, his main supporter. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the triumph of william mckinley. Humorous putdowns of the opposition are a staple of every presidential campaign, and in 1896 those putdowns found their fullest expression in cartoon caricatures, such as those of mckinley campaign manager mark hanna in a dollarsign suit, devilishlooking populists holding pitchforks, and bryan as a hotair balloon.
The presidential election of 1896 is widely acknowledged as one of only a few that brought about fundamental realignments in american politics. The book swings back and forth from fascinating insights into how mckinley ran his organization and the changes he made to they electioneering processes to dull, dreary accounts of who met with who where, when, and why. For a decade straddling the turn of the twentieth century, mark hanna was one of the. See the article in its original context from december 27, 1896, page 2 buy reprints view on timesmachine timesmachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The election of 1896 is seen as the beginning of a new era in american politics, or a realignment election. By the day of the election, the fight to determine mark hanna s fate had disintegrated into the bitterest political contest in ohio history. The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the panic of 1893, was a realigning election that ended the old third party system and began the fourth party system. The 1896 campaign, which took place during an economic depression known as the panic of 1893, was a realigning. In january 1898, the ohio general assembly voted to return hanna to the senate. At age 15 he moved to cleveland, where his father established a grocery business. Humorous putdowns of the opposition are a staple of every presidential campaign, and in 1896 those putdowns found their fullest expression in cartoon caricatures, such as those of mckinley campaign manager mark hanna in a dollarsign suit, devilishlooking. Mark hanna, often seen as the election s backstage machiavelli. The triumph of william mckinley, by karl rove the new york times. So the election of 1896 brought an end to the populist party.
Dec 09, 2015 what does mckinleys election in 1896 teach us about today. The strongest ally of mark hanna and the republicans in the 1896 presidential election was fear of the alleged radicalism of william jennings bryan and his free silver cause. With the strategic counsel of mark hanna and charles dawes, his. Mark hanna marcus alonzo hanna, september 2, 1837 february 15, 1904 was a leader of the republican party who rose to fame as the campaign manager of the successful republican presidential candidate william mckinley in the realigning presidential election of 1896. For a decade straddling the turn of the twentieth century, mark hanna was one of the most famous men in america. Mark hanna the ohio republican president maker believed that. Ohio politician mark hanna, who ran william mckinleys successful 1896. Marcus alonzo hanna was a wealthy cleveland industrialist that showed support to the republican party. With the strategic counsel of mark hanna and charles dawes, his leading advisers, mckinley advanced a platform for the protection of.
The 1896 election might offer a kind of instruction book. The strongest ally of mark hanna and the republicans in the 1896 presidential election was c fear of the alleged radicalism of william jennings bryan and his free silver cause the indians battled withes for all the following reasons except. Presidential election of 1896 topics in chronicling america. With each election, hannas influence grew, but his true political genius emerged in 1896 when he managed the presidential campaign of ohio governor william.
United states presidential election of 1896, american presidential election held on november 3, 1896, in which republican william mckinley defeated democratpopulist william jennings bryan. Marcus alonzo hanna was an american businessman and republican politician, who served as a united states senator from ohio as well as chairman of the republican national committee. Sep 14, 2017 the presidential election of 1896a contest between republican governor william mckinley of ohio and william jennings bryan, his democratic opponenthas been widely described as the first modern election, and many of the strategies and tactics pioneered on those campaigns are still in use today. Paul kleppner, a professor of history and political science at northern illinois university, wrote a book about the 1896 campaign. Mckinley in the election of 1896 and personified the growing influence of big. The 1896 campaign is often considered by political scientists to be a realigning election that ended the old. On january 12, 1898, the ohio legislature met in joint session and reelected hanna by one vote.
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