12 Video Views·Mar 12, 2025 #potus #ushistory #presidents Can a president who lost reelection return to the White House for a nonconsecutive term? One man did just that. Wilfred McClay, professor of history at Hillsdale College, shares the remarkable life and career of Grover Cleveland.
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Script:
In 1881, Grover Cleveland was an obscure Buffalo, New York attorney. In 1885, he was President of the United States.
No one in public life has ever risen higher faster.
He did it, not by dint of a great fortune or great connections but by virtue of his virtue. He was a man of unassailable integrity–he did what he thought was right no matter the political cost.
In an era notorious for rampant corruption, Cleveland’s integrity drove his fellow politicians crazy—and made him a hero to voters. The proof? He won the popular vote in three consecutive presidential elections–a feat accomplished by only two other presidents: Andrew Jackson and Franklin Roosevelt.
Cleveland also won the Electoral College vote in the first and third of those elections, making him the twenty-second and twenty-fourth President of the United States.
Born on March 18, 1837, in Caldwell, New Jersey, Cleveland was the fifth of nine children. His father was a minister from a line of ministers, stretching back at least four generations.
But Cleveland took up the law, where his indefatigable work habits and attention to detail served him well.
By his mid-twenties, he had established himself as a leading attorney in Buffalo.
He was a workaholic, and he seems to have had little interest in marriage or family. He preferred to spend his free time visiting Buffalo taverns for beer and bratwurst.
It was in one such tavern that his political career began. There, Cleveland was dragooned by local Democratic power brokers into running for city mayor–a privilege better-connected prospects had already turned down. The mayor’s office was known to be a sinkhole of corruption. That, as it turned out, made it the right job for Cleveland.
In a matter of months, Cleveland took on the city’s entrenched interests, canceling bad contracts and cutting wasteful spending.
Could Cleveland take his “clean-up-the-city” act to the state level? Democratic Party leaders thought so. After only a year as Buffalo’s mayor, he was the Democrats’ candidate for governor of New York. Drawing voters from both parties, he won that election in a landslide.
He did for New York what he did for Buffalo: slashing budgets, vetoing pork barrel spending, and refusing to appoint machine lackeys to government positions.
What was left to conquer? Well, the Democrats hadn’t won a presidential election since 1856—almost three decades. Could Cleveland get them back to the White House?
The answer was yes: just like the voters of New York, the American people wanted someone to clean up Washington. But first, he had to get elected, and that wouldn’t be easy. The Republicans had uncovered a skeleton in Cleveland’s closet: a plausible allegation that he had fathered a child out of wedlock in Buffalo.
True to character, Cleveland never denied it. And much to the Republicans’ surprise, it actually strengthened Cleveland’s reputation—he would not lie.
Cleveland won the 1884 election, but just barely.
Fifteen months into his term, at age 49, he finally took a wife, marrying the daughter of his late law partner—the only president to marry in the White House.
Cleveland governed with the same unyielding integrity he had shown in Buffalo and Albany. He issued 414 vetoes, many of them for spending that he deemed unnecessary.
His fealty to the law was almost absolute. When white settlers agitated to break a treaty with the Winnebago and Crow Creek tribes in the Dakota territory, Cleveland said no.
Such principled positions, and the inflexible way he pursued them, did not help him when he ran for reelection in 1888. He failed to carry even his own state of New York, and lost to the Republican, Benjamin Harrison.
His wife, Frances, however, was confident they would return. She told the White House butler “Take good care of all the furniture... We are coming back four years from today.”
Four years later, in 1893, they did. The American people had missed Cleveland’s dedication to limited and honest government.
His moment of vindication, however, didn’t last long. When the railroad boom went bust and commodity prices collapsed, the Panic of 1893 was on. It was the worst economic depression in American history until the Great Depression of the 1930s.
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#potus #ushistory #presidents
in 1881 Grover Cleveland was an obscure
Buffalo New York attorney in 1885 he was
President of the United States no one in
public life has ever risen higher faster
he did it not by Dent of a great fortune
or great connections but by virtue of
his virtue he was a man of unassailable
integrity he did what he thought was
right no matter the political CA in an
era notorious for rampant corruption
Cleveland's int it drove his fellow
politicians crazy and made him a hero to
voters the proof he won the popular vote
in three consecutive presidential
elections a feat accomplished by only
two other presidents Andrew Jackson and
Franklin Roosevelt Cleveland also won
the Electoral College vote in the first
and third of those elections making him
the 22nd and 24th President of the
United States born on March 18th 1837
and called with New Jersey Cleveland was
a fifth of nine children his father was
a minister from a line of ministers
stretching back at least four
generations but Cleveland took up the
law where his indefatigable work habits
and attention to detail served him well
by his mid 20s he' established himself
as a leading attorney in Buffalo he was
a workaholic and seems to have had
little interest in marriage or family he
preferred to spend his free time
visiting Buffalo taverns for beer and
brought worst it was in one such Tavern
that his political career began there
Cleveland was dragoned by local
Democratic power Brokers into running
for city mayor a privilege that better
connected prospects had already turned
down the mayor's office was known to be
a sinkhole of corruption that as it
turned out made it the right job for
Cleveland in a matter of months
Cleveland took on the city's entrenched
interests cancelling bad contracts and
cutting wasteful spending could
Cleveland take this clean up the city
act to the state level Democratic Party
leaders thought so after only a year as
Buffalo's mayor he was a democrat's
candidate for governor of New York
drawing voters from both parties he won
that election in a landslide he did for
New York what he did for Buffalo
slashing budgets vetoing pork barrel
spending and refusing to appoint machine
Lackey to government positions what was
left to conquer well the Democrats
hadn't won a presidential election since
1856
almost three decades could Cleveland get
them back to the White House the answer
was yes just like the voters of New York
the American people wanted someone to
clean up Washington but first he had to
get elected and that wouldn't be easy
the Republicans had uncovered a skeleton
in Cleveland's closet a plausible
allegation that he' fathered a child out
of wedlock in Buffalo true to character
Cleveland never denied it and much to
the Republican surprise it actually
strengthened in Cleveland's reputation
he would not lie Cleveland won the 1884
election but just barely 15 months into
his term at age 49 he finally took a
wife marrying the daughter of his late
law partner he was the only president to
marry in the White House Cleveland
governed with the same unyielding
Integrity he'd shown in Buffalo and
Albany he issued 414 vetos many of them
for spending that he deemed unnecessary
his falty to the law was almost absolute
when white settlers agitated to break a
treaty with the Winnebago and Crow Creek
tribes in the Dakota territory Cleveland
said No Such principled positions and
the inflexible way he pursued them did
not help him when he ran for re-election
in 1888 he failed to carry even his own
state of New York and lost to the
Republican Benjamin Harrison his wife
Francis however was confident they would
return she told the White House Butler
take good care of all the furniture
we're coming back four years from today
four years later in 1893 they did the
American people had missed Cleveland's
dedication to limited and honest
government his moment of indication
however didn't last long when the
railroad boom went bust and commodity
prices collapsed the Panic of 1893 was
on it was the worst economic depression
in American history until the Great
Depression of the 1930s the Panic
completely overwhelmed Cleveland's
second term his party believed that the
way out of the crisis was to coin more
silver but Cleveland had always been a
strong defender of the gold standard he
wasn't going to change now by the time
1896 rolled around Cleveland no longer
represented the views of his own party
their loyalty had shifted to people like
William Jennings Bryan the leader of the
pro- silver movement it was a sad ending
to an admirable political career he had
been defeated Twice first by Harrison
and then by the economy and yet
Cleveland is a sterling example of what
principled and impartial dedication to
Public Service looks like journalist HL
manin who rarely had a nice word to say
about anyone had a nice word for
Cleveland he came into office his own
man and he went out without yielding
anything of that character how many
politicians are remembered like that I'm
Wilfred mlay professor of history at
Hillsdale College and author of Land of
Hope for Prager
University thank you for watching this
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