The Post-Reconstruction Era
Grand Army of the Republic
1866
The Grand Army of the Republic was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, by 13 Union war veterans. Their initial aims were to honor their fallen comrades and to aid widows and orphans of the conflict. The G.A.R. soon spread throughout the country and developed into a highly effective lobbying organization with strong ties to the Republican Party. At its peak around 1890, the G.A.R. enjoyed a membership of 400,000. It was instrumental in establishing the Memorial Day holiday in 1868. Its most important contribution was as a pressure group designed to secure pensions for Union veterans. The G.A.R. also was successful in persuading Congress to approve veterans' preference in federal job openings. 
The G.A.R. was instrumental in denying a second term to Grover Cleveland in the Election of 1888. The president, unlike his Republican predecessors, had carefully screened the numerous individual pension bills passed by Congress; those thought to be fraudulent were vetoed. Cleveland also blocked a major Dependent Pension bill in 1887, angering many former soldiers and impairing his reelection chances. The G.A.R.'s lobbying of politicians was deemed by many to be heavy-handed, as was the organization's censorship of school textbooks as a means to obtain an acceptable version of American history. The influence of the G.A.R. declined rapidly after 1900. Its last member died in 1956.
Off-site search results for "Grand Army of the Republic"... Grand Army of the Republic Bibliography - Kansas State Historical Society
Department of Kansas. Roster of the Members and Posts Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Kansas...also Rosters of all Auxiliary Organizations. Topeka, Kan.: Frost Printer, 1894. [Call number Reference Room] GranGrand Army of the Republic, Department of Kansas...also Rosters of all Auxiliary Organizations. Topeka, Kan.: Frost Printer, 1894. [Call number Reference Room] Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the Republic ...
http://www.kshs.org/research/collections/documents/bibliographies/mili ...
Grand Army of the Republic
... EntriesAmerican Civil WarOhioRepublican Party Benjamin Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) on April 6, 1866, in Decatur, Illinois. Stephenson intended to provide veterans of the American Civil WaGrand Army of the Republic (GAR) on April 6, 1866, in Decatur, Illinois. Stephenson intended to provide veterans of the American Civil War with an organization ...
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=900
The Grand Army Of The Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic By John E. Gilman, Commander-In-Chief, Grand Army of the Republic, 1910 At the close of the Civil War, there were over a million men in the Union armies. Nearly two and a half millioGrand Army of the Republic By John E. Gilman, Commander-In-Chief, Grand Army of the Republic, 1910 At the close of the Civil War, there were over a million men in the Union armies. Nearly two and a half millioGrand Army of the Republic, 1910 At the close of the Civil War, there were over a million men in the Union armies. Nearly two and a half million had served under the ...
http://www.civilwarhome.com/grandarmyofrepublic.htm
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