Gilded Age Presidents, Labor Unions and Strikes

Politics under Gilded Age Every presidential election a squeaker, every senate

race a close one Only 3 sessions between 1869-1871 did same

political party control congress Politics revolve around scandals and spoils more

than issues of policy Commanded fierce loyalty – nearly 80% of voters

cast ballots in their election Republicans dominated – Won all but 2 elections

between 1860-1900

Party Conventions Took place at country, state and national

levels Adopted platforms, statements and principles

for their voters Campaigning often done in the saloon (where

women not allowed) Newspapers identify with party – Party often

gave $$ and they would bash opponent

Republicans Civil War victors – Blame democrats as party of

disunion Encourage Americans to “vote as you shot” – and

“wave the bloody shirt” Adhere to Puritan roots, focus on old stock

immigrants Stress code of morality and believe govt should play

role in economy and moral affairs Push for big govt, tariffs, and land grants Very active in helping corporate capitalism in

America

Democrats Party of disunion Oppose govt interference in economy, tariffs

and land grants Anti-Prohibition – claims it limits freedom Immigrants and Catholics tend to flock to this

group Had a solid electoral base in the South and

immigrants in the North

Patronage Voting day: People came out early and often – many

controlled by local bosses, party gangs or social scenes – Cath and Irish tend to vote Dem, South almost all dem, Ex-Civ War vets vote Repub

“To the victors go the spoils of war” – Andrew Jackson Once elected, new president/gov/mayor would give out jobs Led to bribery and corruption: Sec of Interior bribed position

so he could “sell” lands to monopolies US Postmaster – Used fed $$ to buy new clocks for entire

postal service – gave his friend a kickback

Women’s Suffrage Women largely stayed out of politics (mostly done

in saloon) 1848: Seneca Falls – 1st women’s right convention Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Standon National Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

– sought an amendment to Const Wyoming Terr – 1st state to allow women to vote on

state level Would eventually get national suffrage with 19th

Amend - Ratif 1920

U.S. Presidents during Gilded Age

Ulysses S. Grant (R) 1869-1877 Had parades and heroes

welcome everywhere Took a check for $105K

from NY for “saving the Union”

Credit Mobilier Scandal – Union Pacific RR earned dividends up to 348%

Gave senators $$ to be quiet

Grant Corruption Whiskey Ring: Whiskey distillers paid tax

man to “go away” – Grant claimed “let no man escape” his own private sec on it

Sec War Belknap: Took bribes from suppliers to Indian reservations

Transcontinental RR 1869 Union Pacific –

Commissioned to go West - given 16k for each mile of prairie land and 48k for each mile of mtn

Central Pacific – Went East from Sacramento – hired over 10k Chinese laborers

Cities like Chicago become a major hub between E-W

Compromise of 1877 and Rutherford B. Hayes

Scandals stop Grant’s 3rd term

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) – Won in the North

Sam H. Tilden (D) – Man who bagged “Boss Tweed”

No clear winner in electoral college

Compromise of 1877 Both sides sent visiting

statesmen to SC, LA and FL (still not reconstructed under any plan)

States send two sets of returns – one with Hayes as winner and other as Tilden

Compromise: Republicans to get Pres, Dem to get military removed, and black freedoms reversed

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 1877-1881 Financial Panics and hardtimes Strike of 1877: Nations 4 largest RR cut

wages by 10% - Hayes calls in federal troops 5 new transcontinental RR built Chinese probs: Flood of Chinese causes

social unrest 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act – vetoed by

Hayes – made him very unpopular

James A. Garfield (R) - 1881 Log cabin Pres and ex-

civil war vet Shot by Charles

Guiteau – disappointed and deranged office seeker

Showed something needed to be done about spoils system

Old Grover Takes Over (D) 1885-1889 & 1893-1897)

Grover Cleveland = 1st Dem since Civ War

Staunch believer in Laissez-Faire

Dawes Act est. under his admin

Interstate Commerce Commission – regulated RR rebates

Battled tariff (raised high under Repub yrs)

Labor Day – created 1894

Haymarket Square Riot - 1886 Workers in Chicago march

for an 8 hr day- protest McComick Harvesting machine

Police come to break up strike Anarchists (anti-govt) blamed

for violence 8 policemen die, 100s injured Public saw unions and

anarchists as prob

Benjamin Harrison (R) – 1889-1893 Grandson of William

Henry (Tippecanoe) Harrison

Won on tariff issue

Homestead Riot (PA) Homestead Strike: Andrew

Carnegie and Clay Frick cut wages in PA

Carnegie called in Pinkerton Detective Agency – group of strike breakers

10k strikers clash – 15 dead, 65 injured

Carnegie called in state militias

William McKinley (R) 1907-1901 Very gilded age president High tariffs, laissez faire He would be known more

for Imperialism efforts His death (shot) would lead

to rise of one of most active Progressive presidents in History: Teddy Roosevelt