GILDED AGE POLITICSGILDED AGE POLITICS

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AP United States HistoryAP United States History

Third Party System (1860-1896)

► Politics Spoils system dominated the early period Electorate

►Strong loyalty and intense interest

Regional campaigning

► Economics Laissez-faire policies “Business ran politics and politics was a branch of

business.”

Third Party System (1860-1896)► Democrats

Coalition► White Southerners,

Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, Immigrants

► States’ rights; laissez-faire

Bourbon Democrats► Pro-business Democrats

Laissez-faire Against protectionism Gold standard

► Supported civil service reforms

Redeemer Democrats► Southern Democrats return

after Compromise of 1877

► Republicans Coalition

►Business, upper-class, northern WASPs, reformers, blacks, scalawags, carpetbaggers

►Pro-business; tariffs; protectionism

Stalwarts►Preserve spoils system and

machine politics

Half-Breeds►Pursued civil service reform

Mugwumps► Independents discouraged with

corrupt GOP

Third Party System (1860-1896)

►Minor Parties Greenback Party

►Wanted to continue paper currency policies

Prohibition Party►Pursued policies to outlaw alcohol

Populist Party►Discontent among farmers led to populism►Bimetallism and progressive policies

Rutherford B. Hayes (R)(1877-1881)

► Removed federal troops from the South Attempted to pursue racial

equality

► Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Ordered federal troops to

settle labor strikers

► Civil service reform Promoted meritocracy in

federal government

Election of 1880

► Republicans James A. Garfield

► Democrats Winfield S. Hancock

► Issue Tariffs

►Republicans favored for businesses

►Democrats opposed for farmers

James A. Garfield (R)(1881)

► Challenged political machines, spoils system, and senatorial courtesy

► Assassination July 2, 1881 Charles J. Guiteau

► “a disgruntled office-seeker”

► Death September 19, 1881

► Chester A. Arthur assumes presidency

Civil Service Reform► Patronage/Spoils System dominated political

appointments since Jackson► Corruption during Grant administration called for

reform Stalwarts

►Supported machine politics and spoils system►Roscoe Conkling

Half-breeds►Pursued civil service reform►James G. Blaine

► Garfield’s assassination► Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

United States Civil Service Commission Federal employees based on expertise, civil service exams Prohibited federal employees and campaign contributions

Chester A. Arthur (R)(1881-1885)

► Assumed office after Garfield’s assassination

► Pendleton Act (1883) Despite being a Stalwart

► Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

► United States Navy Pursued modernization and

expansion of U.S. fleet

Election of 1884► Republicans

James G. Blaine► Democrats

Grover Cleveland Support from

Mugwumps► Campaign

“Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine. Continental liar, from the state of Maine”

“Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”

“Mama, mama! Where’s my pa?”

► “On to the White House, HA HA HA”

Grover Cleveland (D)(1885-1889)

► Considered presidency as a watchdog office - caretaker president Vetoed twice as many as predecessors

combined

► Haymarket Riot (1886)► Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

Established Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

► First regulatory agency

► Opposed Civil War veteran pensions Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)

advocacy

► Pursued tariff reform

Election of 1888

► Democrats Grover Cleveland

►Lost independent GOP support with tariff reduction policy

► Republicans Benjamin Harrison

►Grandson of William Henry Harrison

► Election Cleveland barely

won popular vote, but lost electoral vote to Harrison

Benjamin Harrison (R)(1889-1893)

► Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)► Billion Dollar Congress

Federal budget over $1B Dependent Pensions Act

(1890)

► Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)

► McKinley Tariff (1890)► Homestead Strike (1892)

“What a funny little government”

The Populist Movement► Origin and Evolution of Populist Party

Granger Movement -> Farmers Alliance -> Populist Movement -> People’s Party/Populist Party

► Concentrations and bases in West and South► Omaha Platform (July 4, 1892)

Coinage of silver Direct election of Senators Graduated income tax State laws through referendums/initiatives Government ownership of infrastructure 8-hour workday Abolition of national banks Civil service reform

Bimetallism► For Silver

Overproduction led to decreased prices therefore a call for increase in money supply

Silver coinage would cause inflation lessening farmer and consumer debt to banks

Free Silver► For Gold

Sound money Banks and businesses preferred gold

standard Stable economy and prevents inflation

► Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) U.S. Treasury ordered to buy 4.5 million

oz of silver monthly Treasury notes could be turned in for

silver or gold► Most took gold depleting U.S. gold

reserves

McKinley Tariff (1890)

► Protective tariff Raised duties to 48.4%, highest

peacetime rate ever

► Support Republicans Manufacturers/Industrialists Wage Earners

► Opponents Democrats Farmers Inflation

Election of 1892

► Democrats Grover Cleveland

► Republicans Benjamin Harrison Hurt by inflation

caused by Sherman Silver Purchase Act and McKinley Tariff

► Populists James B. Weaver Coalition built on

perception of government in the pockets of industrialists

Failed to coalesce support with South

Grover Cleveland (D)(1893-1897)

► Panic of 1893► Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894)

Eliminated McKinley Tariff and reduced rates

► Monetary Debate Supported gold standard and

repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act

► Pullman Strike (1894) Deployed federal troops to settle

the strike Threatened postal mail delivery

Panic of 1893► Causes

Overexpansion Railroad speculation

► Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad bankruptcy

Silver prices decreased► Cleveland had Sherman Silver

Purchase Act repealed

► Impact Unemployment to 18.4% 16,000 businesses and 500 banks

bankrupt/failed Pullman Strike (July 1894) Coxey’s Army (1894)

► March on Washington by unemployed workers and farmers $500 million for jobs

► Dispersed by federal troops J.P. Morgan and the Treasury

► Cleveland and U.S. borrowed $65 million in gold

William Jennings Bryan (D)► Panic of 1893 hurt

Democrats► “The Great Commoner”

Appealed to farmers, working class, middle class

► Amazing and passionate orator

► Became lightning rod for Populists/Silverites

► “Cross of Gold” Speech Support of bimetallism Earned him Democratic

presidential nomination

Cross of Gold Speech► “If they dare to come out in the

open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Election of 1896► Democrats

William Jennings Bryan► Virtually assimilated

Populist platform Gold Bug faction

► Republicans William McKinley

► Mark Hanna and mass media

► Massive financial support from big business

Outspent Bryan 5 to 1► Benefited from recovering

economy European crop failures Massive urban

immigration Klondike Gold Rush

► Campaign Bryan on nationwide

campaign McKinley’s “front-porch”

1896 - Realignment Election

► Coalitions Republicans

►Will dominate national government for next 35 years►Business, professionals, skilled workers, middle class,

commercial farmers►Northeast, Upper Midwest, Pacific

Democrats►Farmers, immigrants, unskilled labor►South, Midwest

► Campaign Finance Contested States Stump speech