POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE, 1869-1896

Grant was immensely popular after the war

Nation was weary after war, and eager for a fresh face.

Republicans, nevertheless, enthusiastically nominate Grant

Grant is singularly unequipped to be President.

Democrats divided between eastern and western democrats.

Nominate Horatio Seymour Republicans wave the “Bloody Shirt” Republican Platform Democrats divided over redemption of

Bonds. Grants wins easily in the electoral college,

but by only 300,000 votes. Impact of Black vote.

Civil War bred corruption and graft.

Causes RR corruption Jim Fisk and Jay Gould

scheme to corner the gold market.

Boss Tweed/Tammany Hall.

Samuel Tilden.

Grant’s administration was riddled with corrupt officials.

Credit Mobilier scandal. Exposed in 1872. Members of congress censured. Vice President implicated.

Whiskey Tax scandal.

Liberal republicans were tired of corruption

Liberal Republican party.

Nominate Horace Greeley

Democrats endorse him, too. Why?

Campaign very ugly

Grant wins easily, 286-66, because: Grant is perceived to be the lesser of

two evils Democrats are still stained with fault for

the Civil War.Did lead the Republicans to clean

their own house. General amnesty Act, lowered tariffsMild civil-service reform

1873 severe recession hits Causes 15,000 businesses went

under. Debtors advocate

inflationary policies. Call for more Greenbacks. Federal government had

removed one-fourth from circulation. Why?

Grant sides with conservatives and signs Resumption Act of 1875

Debtors advocated the coinage of silver dollars. Why?

Congress had formally dropped silver money in 1873. Reasons

Grant rejects call to mint Silver.Consequences of Grant’s policy

Balance of two political parties during the Gilded Age from 1869-99.

Majority in Congress flipped back and forth six times in the 11 terms between 1869-91

Few controversial standsFew dramatic policy differences

between parties.Voter turnout /voter loyalty. Political machines and patronage

Republicans: Embodied the old Puritanical ideals.

Strict moral codes and belief that

government should be an instrument in regulating economic and moral affairs of the community.

Strong in Midwest and in rural and small-town New England.

Got most of votes from Freedman and from Union Civil War Vets.

Democrats More Roman Catholic and

Lutheran. South and northern industrial

cities Large immigrant base and

strong Dem. machines.

Republicans had two rival factions

Stalwarts (Conklingites) led by NY Sen. Roscoe Conkling. Big believers in patronage.

Half-Breeds. Led by James Blaine. Flirted with civil service.

Consequences of this division

Republicans dissuade Grant from running again.

Rutherford B. Hayes. Hayes largely unknown, but a

civil war officer Also, importantly, former three-

term governor of Ohio.

Samuel Tildon. Platform. Attacks against

Republicans. Electoral College dispute

Reasons Attempts to resolve Electoral Count Act Further compromise

Compromise was the end of reconstruction.

Literacy tests and poll taxesCivil Rights CasesCrop-Lien System/Share Cropping Jim Crow Laws

Plessy v. Ferguson

SharecroppingSharecropping

Tenancy & the Crop Lien System

Tenancy & the Crop Lien System

Furnishing Merchant

Tenant Farmer Landowner

Loan tools and seed up to 60% interest to tenant farmer to plant spring crop.

Farmer also secures food, clothing, andother necessities oncredit from merchant until the harvest.

Merchant holds “lien” {mortgage} on part of tenant’s future crops as repayment of debt.

Plants crop, harvests in autumn.

Turns over up to ½ of crop to land owner as payment of rent.

Tenant gives remainder of crop to merchant inpayment of debt.

Rents land to tenant in exchange for ¼ to ½ of tenant farmer’s future crop.

Strikes in the 1870s Who wins? Why?

Chinese in California Dennis Kearney/Kearneyites Chinese Exclusion Act

Hayes administration was not very noteworthy. Did not accomplish much beyond end to reconstruction.

“Old 8-7” and “His Fraudulency.”He did not run for reelection and

wouldn’t have been renominated had he tried.

Stymied by Stallwart-Halfbreed rivalry and take 35 ballots to settle on a candidate.

Chose James Garfield. Dark-Horse. Chester Arthur, was chosen VP.

Why?Platform is for higher tariffs and

(weakly) for civil service reform

Democrats chose Winfield Hancock Civil War General, but popular in south

Why?. Both parties shun substantive political

issues. Garfield wins by only 40,000, but 214-155

in electoral college. He was besieged by office seekers. Made Blain Sec. of State

Battle raging politically between Stalwarts and Half-Breeds.

1881: Garfield Assassinated!1881: Garfield Assassinated!1881: Garfield Assassinated!1881: Garfield Assassinated!

Charles Guiteau:I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

Not many expected much from Arthur. Why?

Displayed surprising integrity, intelligence and independence.

Arthur threw his support behind reform of spoils system.

Pendleton Act of 1883 Details Unintended consequences?

Rep. nominate Blain Tainted with numerous

rumors of scandals. The “tattooed man” “Mulligan letters”

Mugwumps.

Democrats nominate Grover Cleveland. Reputation for reform and

honesty. Cleveland’s Bastard. One of the ugliest

campaigns in American history

New York the key state Rum, Romanism and

Rebellion

First Dem. president since Buchanan Issues raised by this?

Cleveland’s political philosophy Last Jeffersonian Democrat?

Named two former confederates to his cabinet, helping to heal the north-south divide

Cleveland and office seekers—fires 2/3 of federal employees

Military Pension issue Tariffs

Country was running at a surplus because of high tariffs.

Republicans had little motivation to reduce these tariffs.

Cleveland’s two choices? He favored reducing tariffs. Why? Cleveland makes tariff reduction his number-

one issue. Created a real political difference between the

parties just in time for the election of 1888.

Dems renominate Cleveland.

Rep. turn to Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison.

Primary issue? Republicans use fear of

British against Cleveland. Republicans raise a huge

war chest. How? Harrison wins electoral

vote but loses the popular vote.

1888 Presidential Election1888 Presidential Election1888 Presidential Election1888 Presidential Election

Cleveland the first sitting president to be voted out of office since Van Buren in 1840. (Others: J. Adams, J.Q. Adams, Harrison, Hoover, Carter, Bush)

Cleveland last to win popular vote and lose electoral college until Gore.

Cleveland only president to have two non-consecutive terms.

Benj. Harrison in the White House.

Republicans eager for patronage. Blaine is Secretary of

State. Teddy Roosevelt Civil

Service Commission. Republican quorum

problem in the House Speaker Thomas Reed

Billion Dollar Congress Pension Act of 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust

Act Tariffs and Silver

Easterners wanted a higher tariff

Westerners and farmers wanted more silver minted

Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 McKinley Tariff Bill

raised tariff rates to their highest peace-time level—48%

Farmers hated the new tariff. Why? Republicans punished in 1890

congressional election. Lose nearly 60 seats and Dems have a

huge majority in Congress

1892 Presidential Election1892 Presidential Election1892 Presidential Election1892 Presidential Election

Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again! * (DEM) (REP)

Populists emerge as a potent third party. Officially the People’s Party Nominate James B. Weaver

Populist Agenda: free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio

of sixteen to one graduated income tax Gov’t ownership of telephone, telegraph and RR direct election of US senators one-term limit on presidency use of the initiative and referendum to allow

citizens to propose and review legislation. Shorter work day-to appeal to labor restriction on immigration—to appeal to labor

Labor is mad and are ripe for wooing by Populists.

Homestead strike Populists poll over one-

million votes and become one of the few third parties to win electoral votes

Populists problems with Blacks Grandfather Clause

Depression of 1893 Causes:

Over-building and over-speculation labor unrest agricultural depression from low commodity

prices reduction of US credit abroad because of Silver

Purchase Act Problems with overseas banks, which were

forced to call in US loans. Cleveland does next to nothing— laissez

faire

Treasury was running a deficit because of the Silver Purchase Act. Reasons

Cleveland saw no choice but to repeal the Silver Purchase Act.

William Jennings BryanCleveland forced to issue bonds to

raise money in order to buy gold J.P. Morgan deal

Public reaction

McKinley Tariff causes deficit Democrats propose bill to reduce tariff but

add income tax Senate tacks on lots of provisions to help

special interests. Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of 1894. Cleveland refused to sign it, but can’t

veto. Supreme Court throws out income tax Public opinion hates the bill and blame

Dems. Democrats hammered in 1894 mid-term

election.