Instructions: Identify the Following

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The Answer is Mugwumps were a group of Republican political activists in the United States during the 1884 presidential election who switched their support from the Republican candidate to the Democratic candidate, Grover Cleveland. The term "Mugwump" is believed to have originated from an Algonquian word meaning "person of importance" or "war leader." However, in the political context of the 1880s, it was used derisively to suggest that these individuals were sitting on the fence with their "mugs" on one side and their "wumps" on the other.

The Mugwumps were reform-minded individuals who were opposed to political corruption and the patronage system, also known as the "spoils system," which was prevalent at the time. They were particularly disillusioned with the Republican Party's nomination of James G. Blaine, a former Speaker of the House and Senator from Maine, whose involvement in various corruption scandals made him an unpalatable choice for these reformers.

The Mugwumps included prominent intellectuals, writers, and civil service reformers, such as Charles Eliot Norton, a professor at Harvard, and journalist Carl Schurz. They believed that Grover Cleveland, the Democratic nominee and then-Governor of New York, was a candidate with higher moral standards and a better record on reform.

The defection of the Mugwumps was significant because it reflected a growing concern among some Americans about political corruption and the need for civil service reform. Their support for Cleveland helped to underscore the importance of character and integrity in public office. Although their numbers were relatively small, the Mugwumps attracted considerable public attention and may have influenced the outcome of the election, which was one of the closest in American history. Cleveland won the presidency by a narrow margin, becoming the first Democrat to be elected to the White House since the Civil War.

The legacy of the Mugwumps is seen in the subsequent passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which began the process of reforming the federal civil service by introducing exams and merit-based appointments, reducing the power of the spoils system. The Mugwumps' advocacy for political reform and their willingness to cross party lines in support of their principles left a lasting mark on American politics.

Instructions: Identify the Following

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