Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving nonconsecutive terms from 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897.
Panic of 1893: A severe economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and lasted through much of the decade. The depression defined Cleveland’s second term and prompted his controversial response to unemployment and financial panic.
Benjamin Harrison: The 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893 between Cleveland’s two terms. Harrison defeated Cleveland in 1888, then lost to him in the rematch four years later.
Erie County Sheriff: The elected law-enforcement office in Erie County, New York, which Grover Cleveland held from 1871 to 1873. Cleveland’s first major public office helped establish his reputation for enforcing the law impartially.
Free Silver: A monetary-policy movement advocating unlimited coinage of silver alongside gold at a legally fixed ratio. Cleveland defended the gold standard against the free-silver position that gained strength among Democrats.
Chinese Exclusion Act: A 1882 United States law suspending Chinese immigration, later extended and amended by Congress. Cleveland signed an 1888 measure restricting Chinese residents’ return, intensifying exclusionary immigration policy.
Pullman Strike: A nationwide railroad strike in 1894, suppressed by federal troops after disrupting rail traffic. Cleveland sent troops to end the strike, expanding federal intervention in labor conflict.
William McKinley: The 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 to 1901. McKinley succeeded Cleveland after the 1896 election, amid a national shift toward protectionist and pro-gold policies.
Mayor of Buffalo: The chief executive office of Buffalo, New York, which Grover Cleveland held in 1882. His brief mayoralty drew statewide attention for fiscal restraint and resistance to political patronage.
Gold Standard: A monetary system in which a currency’s value is defined by a fixed quantity of gold. Cleveland treated preservation of gold-backed currency as essential during the 1893 financial crisis.
Coxey's Army: A 1894 protest march of unemployed men to Washington, D.C., demanding public works during the depression. The march exposed the desperation of the unemployed during Cleveland’s second term and the limits of federal relief.