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Bourbon Democrats in United States political history refers to conservative or reactionary Democrats of the late 19th century. The term was used from 1876 to 1904 to characterize conservative Democrats all over the country, especially those who supported President Grover Cleveland in 1884-1896, and Alton J. Parker in 1904. They represented business interests, supported banking and railroad goals, promoted laissez-faire, opposed imperialism and overseas expansion, fought for the gold standard, and opposed Bimetallism. They strongly supported reform movements such as Civil Service Reform and opposed corruption of city bosses, leading the fight against the Tweed Ring. Besides Cleveland the leading Bourbons included Samuel J. Tilden. David Bennett Hill and William C. Whitney of New York, Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland, Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, William F. Vilas of Wisconsin, J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska, William L. Wilson of West Virginia, John M. Palmer of Illinois, Horace Boies of Iowa, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar of Mississippi, Hoke Smith of Georgia, and railroad builder James J. Hill of Minnesota. The Panic of 1893 damaged the Bourbons, who were in power, and led to an agrarian insurgency. Their great opponent was William Jennings Bryan, who defeated them at the decisive Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896, with his Cross of Gold speech swaying the audience. The term was first used as a pun to refer both to bourbon whiskey and even more to the Bourbon monarchy of France that was overthrown in the French Revolution but returned to power in 1815 in ruled in reactionary fashion. It was occasionally used in the 1860s and 1870s to refer to conservative Democrats (both North and South), and in the 1870s to refer to the regimes set up in the South by Redeemers as a conservative reaction against Reconstruction.

References

Allen J. Going, Bourbon Democracy in Alabama, 1874-1890 (1951)
Horace Samuel Merrill, Bourbon Leader: Grover Cleveland and the Democratic Party (1957) argues that in an age of rapid economic change Cleveland stanchly defended the untenable status quo.
Horace Samuel Merrill. Bourbon Democracy of the Middle West, 1865-1896 (1953)
Morgan; H. Wayne. From Hayes to McKinley: National Party Politics, 1877-1896 1969.
Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary (1962).
C. Vann Woodward, Origins of the New South, 1877—1913 (1951)

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-'''Bourbon Democrats''' in [[United States]] political history refers to conservative or reactionary Democrats of the late 19th century. The term was used from 1876 to 1904 to characterize conservative Democrats all over the country, especially those who supported President [[Grover Cleveland]] in 1884-1896, and [[Alton J. Parker]] in 1904.  They represented New York City business interests, supported the gold standard and opposed [[Bimetallism]].  The leaders included William F. Vilas of Wisconsin and numerous New York City leaders.  Their great opponent was [[William Jennings Bryan]], who defeated them at the decisive Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896, with his [[Cross of Gold]] speech swaying the audience.  The term was first used as a pun to refer both to bourbon whiskey and even more to the Bourbon monarchy of France that was overthrown in the French Revolution but returned to power in 1815 in ruled in reactionary fashion. It was occasionally used in the 1860s and 1870s to refer to conservative Democrats (both North and South), and in the 1870s to refer to the regimes set up in the South by [[Redeemers]] as a conservative reaction against [[Reconstruction]].
+'''Bourbon Democrats''' in [[United States]] political history refers to conservative or reactionary Democrats of the late 19th century. The term was used from 1876 to 1904 to characterize conservative Democrats all over the country, especially those who supported President [[Grover Cleveland]] in 1884-1896, and [[Alton J. Parker]] in 1904.  They represented business interests, supported banking and railroad goals, promoted laissez-faire, opposed imperialism and overseas expansion, fought for the gold standard, and opposed [[Bimetallism]].  They strongly supported reform movements such as [[Civil Service Reform]] and opposed corruption of city bosses, leading the fight against the [[Tweed Ring]]. Besides Cleveland the leading Bourbons included [[Samuel J. Tilden]]. David Bennett Hill and William C. Whitney of New York, Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland, Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, William F. Vilas of Wisconsin, J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska, William L. Wilson of West Virginia, John M. Palmer of Illinois, Horace Boies of Iowa,  Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar of Mississippi, Hoke Smith of Georgia, and railroad builder [[James J. Hill]] of Minnesota. [[The Panic of 1893]] damaged the Bourbons, who were in power, and led to an agrarian insurgency.  Their great opponent was [[William Jennings Bryan]], who defeated them at the decisive Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896, with his [[Cross of Gold]] speech swaying the audience.  The term was first used as a pun to refer both to bourbon whiskey and even more to the Bourbon monarchy of France that was overthrown in the French Revolution but returned to power in 1815 in ruled in reactionary fashion. It was occasionally used in the 1860s and 1870s to refer to conservative Democrats (both North and South), and in the 1870s to refer to the regimes set up in the South by [[Redeemers]] as a conservative reaction against [[Reconstruction]].
 ==References==
 * Allen J. Going, ''Bourbon Democracy in Alabama, 1874-1890'' (1951)
 * Horace Samuel Merrill, ''Bourbon Leader: Grover Cleveland and the Democratic Party'' (1957) argues that in an age of rapid economic change Cleveland stanchly defended the untenable status quo.
-* Horace Samuel Merrill. ''Bourbon Democracy of the Middle West, 1865-1896'' (1953) * Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962).
+* Horace Samuel Merrill. ''Bourbon Democracy of the Middle West, 1865-1896'' (1953)
+* Morgan; H. Wayne. ''From Hayes to McKinley: National Party Politics, 1877-1896'' 1969.
+* Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962).
 *  C. Vann Woodward, ''Origins of the New South, 1877—1913'' (1951)
 ==See Also==