Who were the Mugwumps?

The Mugwumps were a group of dissidents from the Republican Party who refused to support James G. Blaine, the Republican candidate for the 1884 presidential election. Instead, they supported Grover Cleveland, the Democrat who was ultimately elected. The term, which comes from a Native American word meaning “war leader,” was first used derisively for this group in newspaper editorials. It has since been adopted as a description of any independent voter.