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Lesson

Grover Cleveland and the Texas Seed Bill Veto

Guiding question

Why would the President adhere to the Constitution during a crisis?

Duration
50 min
Grade
9–12
Published
Jun 25, 2021
Grover Cleveland Texas Seed Bill Veto Political Cartoon The Difference Between Trimming a Hedge and Cutting It Down
Cleveland understood his constitutional legislative responsibility as preventing harmful bills from becoming law, rather than promoting what he saw as beneficial ones. Using the veto, Cleveland stopped the federal government from taking on what he saw as a “paternal” role toward citizens, whether that role came in the form of excessive or fraudulent pension payouts, or in proposed relief for drought-stricken farmers in Texas. These principled stances brought him many enemies, but he did not waver from his commitment to exercising only the powers warranted by the Constitution. One American author said that Cleveland’s “patriotic virtues have won for [him] the homage of half a nation and the enmity of the other half. This places [his] character upon a summit as high as Washington’s.”

Founding Principles

Individual Responsibility, Checks and Balances, Separation of Powers

Virtues

Initiative

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Understand Grover Cleveland’s philosophy of limited government.
  • Analyze Cleveland’s actions as President in light of the Constitution.
  • Evaluate the prudence of Cleveland’s veto of the Texas Seed Bill.
  • Assess whether Cleveland deserved the “homage” or the “enmity” of the nation.

Materials

  • Handout A: Grover Cleveland and the Texas Seed Bill Veto
  • Handout B: Cleveland’s Veto Message
  • Handout C: Document Guide

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Grover Cleveland’s Veto of the Texas Seed Bill
ActivityHandout B: Cleveland’s Veto Message
ActivityHandout C: Document Guide (Texas Seed Bill Veto)
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, have students complete Constitutional Connection: The President and Federal Power.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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E LessonCleveland and the Texas Seed Bill

Cleveland understood his constitutional legislative responsibility as preventing harmful bills from becoming law, rather than promoting what he saw as beneficial ones. Using the veto, Cleveland stopped the federal government from taking on what he saw as a “paternal” role towards citizens. This eLesson focuses on Cleveland’s veto of the Texas Seed Bill, which would have provided seeds to drought-stricken farmers who had eaten their seed corn to survive.

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