The 1890 United States elections occurred in the middle of

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

's term. Members of the

52nd United States Congress The 52nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1891, ...

were chosen in this election. The Republicans suffered major losses due to the

Panic of 1890 Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reactio ...

and the unpopularity of the

McKinley Tariff The Tariff Act of 1890, commonly called the McKinley Tariff, was an act of the United States Congress, framed by then Representative William McKinley, that became law on October 1, 1890. The tariff raised the average duty on imports to almost fift ...

. The Populist Party also emerged as an important third party. Republicans suffered massive losses to Democrats in the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, and the Democrats took control of the chamber. In the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, Democrats made minor gains, but Republicans kept control of the chamber. The

Populists Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...

joined the Senate for the first time, electing two senators.

References

* Cooper, William J. "Economics or Race: An Analysis of the Gubernatorial Election of 1890 in South Carolina." ''South Carolina Historical Magazine'' 73.4 (1972): 209–219
online
* Holmes, William F. "The Southern Farmers' Alliance and the Georgia Senatorial Election of 1890." ''Journal of Southern History'' 50.2 (1984): 197–224. * Jensen, Richard J. ''The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896'' (1971). pp. 89–153
online
* Reed, Thomas B. "The Federal Control of Elections." ''The North American Review'' 150.403 (1890): 671–680
online
* Valelly, Richard M. "Partisan Entrepreneurship and Policy Windows: George Frisbie Hoar and the 1890 Federal Elections Bill." in ''Formative Acts: American Politics In The Making.'' (2007): 126–149. * Wyman, Roger E. "Wisconsin ethnic groups and the election of 1890." ''Wisconsin Magazine of History'' (1968): 269–293. 1890 elections in the United States

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

United States midterm elections {{US-election-stub

See also

References

Further reading