McKinley Tariff — Bunk History

Canadian and American flags.

Using Tariffs to Try to Annex Canada Backfired in the 1890s

Instead of compelling Canada to become an American state, the 1890 McKinley Tariff drove Canada into British hands.

by Marc-William Palen via Made By History on February 6, 2025

Shipping container labeled "China Shipping," overlaid on political cartoon showing a tariff slowing supply of medicine to a drip.

Trump Loves The 1890s But He’s Clueless About Them

The tariffs he keeps babbling about didn’t make that decade great. They helped usher in a depression.

by Eric Rauchway via The Bulwark on October 23, 2024

John Sherman

The Other Sherman’s March

How the younger brother of the famous general set out to destroy the scourge of monopoly power.

by Richard R. John via HNN on October 22, 2024

America’s Tumultuous History With Tariffs

From William McKinley to Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump has plenty of precedent if he's looking for it.

by Robert W. Merry via The American Conservative on March 6, 2018

A scale measuring the weight of gold flakes; with a quill, wax seals, lace, and jewelry.

Where Inflation Comes From

How we calculate inflation has always been a subject of debate. Small changes that might seem trivial lead to enormous changes in how well-off we think we are.

by Carola Conces Binder via Works In Progress on August 30, 2024

A hand demonstrates a push lever system in voting booth, and students wait in line to vote in a mock election held at Morgan State University in Baltimore

The Forgotten First Voting Rights Act

How the defeat of the 1890 Lodge bill presaged today’s age of ballot-driven backlash.

by Ed Burmila via The Forum on October 17, 2022

Political cartoon depicting American colonies celebrating July 4th.

American Consumer Empire in Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans were forced to become “Porto Ricans” – adopting Anglo customs while subsidizing American profits.

by William Horne via The Activist History Review on July 14, 2017

An Enemy Until You Need a Friend

The role of "big government" in American history.

by Steven Conn via Origins on November 1, 2014

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