Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland was the first president in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms in office, and remained the only president to be elected to a second non-consecutive term until Donald Trump in 2024. He won the popular vote for three presidential elections—in 1884, 1888, and 1892—and was one of two Democrats (followed by Woodrow Wilson in 1912) to be elected president during the era of Republican presidential domination dating from 1861 to 1933.
In 1881, Cleveland was elected mayor of Buffalo, and in 1882, he was elected governor of New York. He was the leader of the pro-business Bourbon Democrats who opposed high tariffs, free silver, inflation, imperialism, and subsidies to business, farmers, or veterans. His crusade for political reform and fiscal conservatism made him an icon for American conservatives of the era. Cleveland won praise for his honesty, self-reliance, integrity, and commitment to the principles of classical liberalism. He fought political corruption, patronage, and bossism. As a reformer, Cleveland had such prestige that the like-minded Republicans, called "Mugwumps", largely bolted the Republican Party's presidential ticket and swung to his support in the 1884 election. One year into his first presidency, he married Frances Folsom on June 2, 1886. Cleveland was 49 and Folsom was 21, making her the youngest first lady in American history. As his second administration began, disaster hit the nation when the Panic of 1893 produced a severe national depression. It ruined the Democratic Party, opening the way for a Republican landslide in 1894 and for the agrarian and silverite seizure of the Democratic Party in 1896. The result was a political realignment that ended the Third Party System and launched the Fourth Party System and the Progressive Era.
Cleveland was a formidable policymaker, and he also drew corresponding criticism. His intervention in the Pullman Strike of 1894 to keep the railroads moving angered labor unions nationwide in addition to the party in Illinois; his support of the gold standard and opposition to free silver alienated the agrarian wing of the Democratic Party. Critics complained that Cleveland had little imagination and seemed overwhelmed by the nation's economic disasters—depressions and strikes—in his second term. Even so, his reputation for probity and good character survived the troubles of his second term. Biographer Allan Nevins wrote, "[I]n Grover Cleveland, the greatness lies in typical rather than unusual qualities. He had no endowments that thousands of men do not have. He possessed honesty, courage, firmness, independence, and common sense. But he possessed them to a degree other men do not." By the end of his second term, public perception showed him to be one of the most unpopular U.S. presidents, and he was by then rejected even by most Democrats. Today, Cleveland is considered by most historians to have been a successful leader, and has been praised for honesty, integrity, adherence to his morals, defying party boundaries, and effective leadership.
Heroic Acts[]
- Vetoing Pensions: Cleveland became known as the "veto president" for his willingness to veto bills that he deemed wasteful or unnecessary.
- Pushing for Lower Tariffs: Cleveland advocated for lower tariffs on imported goods, which he believed would benefit consumers and promote free trade.
- Defending Hawaiian Rights: Cleveland was an advocate for Hawaiian rights and worked to protect their land and sovereignty mostly in vain.
- Appointing African American Postmasters: Cleveland appointed several African American postmasters, breaking with the segregationist policies of his predecessors.
- Cleaning up the Postal Service: Cleveland was the first president to take on the task of cleaning up the U.S. Postal Service, which was plagued by corruption and inefficiency. He appointed a commission to investigate and implement reforms, which led to improvements in service and a reduction in corruption.
- Fighting against political patronage: Cleveland was a strong opponent of political patronage, the practice of awarding government jobs to political allies regardless of their qualifications. He tried to reform the civil service system and limit the number of patronage jobs, but faced resistance from Congress.
- Breaking up corrupt monopolies: Cleveland was a strong proponent of competition and believed that monopolies were bad for consumers and the economy. He used the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up several monopolies, including Standard Oil and the American Tobacco Company.
- Fighting against bribery and corruption: Cleveland was known for his honesty and integrity and took a strong stance against bribery and corruption. He once famously declared, "Public office is a public trust," and worked to root out corruption wherever he found it.
Trivia[]
- He was the only President of the United States to win a second term, nonconsecutively, until Donald Trump in 2024, 132 years later.