GILDED AGE POLITICSUnit 6.4

Gilded Age Overview• Term coined by Mark Twain• Highlighted by weak Presidents and strong Legislative Branch.

• Quickly name the best President between Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

• Theme would be battle against Political Machines • Although it looked like the Republicans controlled politics, it was pretty

even as Democrats controlled most cities and Southern states.

Gilded Age Coalitions• Republicans

• 16 solid states• Blacks, Northern “Lincoln”

Republicans, Middle class, “Old stock”

• “Waving the bloody shirt”• Rallied coalition with Civil

War loyalties for several decades.

• Democrats• 14 solid states (mainly

South)• White Southerners,

Catholics, Immigrants

• 5 undecided states (NY and OH being most important). Presidential popular vote average only 1.5% difference

Southern Politics – Post Reconstruction

• Controlled by rich• Remember Bourbon Rule

• Jim Crow Laws• Segregation by race• Upheld by Supreme Court

case in 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson• “separate, but equal” doctrine

• Black (and poor whites too) kept from vote by:• Literacy tests• Grandfather clauses• Poll taxes• Intimidation

• Ida B. Well’s anti-lynching movement

Washington vs. DuBois• Booker T. Washington

• Founded Tuskegee Institute• Mission to teach skills and

economic self-help• Atlanta Compromise –

later generations would considered it a sell-out to segregation

• W.E.B. Du Bois• 1st African-American to received

Doctorate from Harvard• Leader of northern black

intellectuals

• Niagara Movement (1905) – basis for NAACP, wanted equal rights

Political Machines in Urban Areas• Started as social clubs, but later became systems to coordinate the

needs of immigrants, businesses, and underprivileged. Both parties had them.

• They did help bring modern services to cities and help with newly arrived immigrants. Also got many involved in political process.

• Problem was the corruption involved. Graft was common in many machines.

The most famous Political Machine• Tammany Hall – New York City’s Democratic Machine

• William “Boss” Tweed – leader of it• Over half of all tax money in NYC ended up in his pockets or his cronies

(or the rival Republican Machine Stalwarts led by Roscoe Conkling)• Finally brought down by political cartoons by Thomas Nast

More Boss Tweed Cartoons

Civil Service Reform• Patronage – giving jobs to loyal party members or friends

• Goes back to the Spoils System with Jackson• Graft, scandals and other corruption with Grant’s administration

• Credit Mobilier, Indian Ring, Whiskey Ring, and Navy Ring Scandals• Assassination of President Garfield made it a major issue and led to:

• Pendleton Act (1883) –reformed the system for civil service jobs• Used merit system for jobs

Stalwarts, Half-breeds, and Mugwumps• Stalwarts and Half-breeds were rival Republican Machines

• Stalwarts led by Roscoe Conkling (known for corruption)• Half-breeds led by James Blaine (more for reform, but still corrupt)

• 1880 Election• Stalwarts back Arthur• Half-breeds back Garfield• After election Garfield assassinated – “I am a Stalwart and Arthur is President now.”

• Mugwumps – In 1884, Republicans that were against Blaine and corruption of the Republican machine and voted for an “honest” Democrat in Grover Cleveland.

Money Issues• Farmers, debtors, and start-up businesses wanted more money in

circulation, thus more inflation.• Greenback Party in 1870s received support• Bimetallism (dollar backed by gold and silver) pushed

• 16 to 1 ratio pushed by some – 16 oz. of silver = 1 oz. of gold• Election of 1896 – Bryan’s Cross of Gold speech

Interstate Commerce Control• Granger case Wabash v. Illinois said states could not control

interstate commerce.• Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 gave federal gov’t control and

established the Interstate Commerce Commission.• Munn v. Illinois (1887) upheld gov’t regulations of businesses

Economic Downtowns• Panic of 1873

• RR over speculation, banking crisis• Panic of 1893

• RR bankruptcies, banking crisis• Worst recession in American History to that time (ended in 1898)• Coxey’s Army – unemployed marched on Washington D.C.

wanting the government to create jobs (like stimulus package)

Other major issues of Gilded Age• Monopolies

• Sherman Antitrust Act• 1890, opened path to

more later on.

• Tariff Issue• McKinley Tariff 1890

• Public did not like it, helps Dems take over in next election.

• Tax system outdated (helps Populists)

Writers / Early Muckrakers• Henry George

• “Haves and have nots”• Blamed social problems on

wealthy

• Jacob Riis• How the Other Half Lives• Pictures and descriptions of

slum life

• Edward Bellamy• Looking Backward 1888• Gov’t needed to own

industries (Communism?)

Presidents of the Gilded Age• Andrew Johnson (D)

• 1865-1869• Tenure of Office Act and

Impeachment• Radical Reconstruction

• Ulysses S. Grant (R)• 1869-1877• Scandals• Panic of 1873

Presidents of the Gilded Age• Rutherford B. Hayes (R)

• 1877-1881• Ended Reconstruction

(Comp. of 1877)• Wife – “Lemonade Lucy”

• James Garfield (R) • 1881• Assassination leads to

Civil Service reform

Presidents of the Gilded Age• Chester Arthur (R)

• 1881-1885• Civil service reform led

to Pendleton Act• Pushed to modernize the

navy

• Grover Cleveland (D)• 1885-1889, 1893-1897• Only President to serve

two non-consecutive terms as President

• Mugwumps supported him

Presidents of the Gilded Age• Benjamin Harrison (R)

• 1889-1893• Split Cleveland’s terms• Signed Sherman Ant-

trust Act and McKinley Tariff

• William McKinley (R)• 1897-1901• Spanish-American War• Teddy Roosevelt as VP

in 1900 election• Assassinated in 1901

Impact of Gilded Age Politics• Reform began on Political Machines – would continue in

the Progressive Era.• Tax/Tariff issues would lead to Income tax and other

reforms in Progressive Era.• Sherman Anti-trust Act and Interstate Commerce Act would

open door for more government regulation of businesses.• Populist/Peoples Party would force Republicans and

Democrats to changed in the Progressive Era.

Reflection Questions• What was more untrue to democracy values – the

Northern political machines or Southern Jim Crow governments?

• How did the government try to lessen the influence of the wealthy in the Gilded Age and how successful were they?

• What two Presidents of the Gilded Age had the biggest impact in changing history and why?

• Why was the opportunity for success by a 3rd party so great during the Gilded Age?

Links• http://

www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/rise-industrial-america-1877-1900 -timeline

• http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/ - Cross of Gold• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Yrztwff1Q – Gilded

Age Rap• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Yrztwff1Q – start at

3:55• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHl2laL-Osk&feature=relmfu – HS lesson on Political Machines

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ktQSzD7r8&feature=relmfu – Review video, money issue