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National Politics in the Gilded Age
1877-1900
Characteristics of Gilded Age Politics
GA Politics:•Political Stalemate•Complacency•Conservatism
Causes:•Political ideology of the time = limited
government•Campaign tactics = don’t alienate voters•Party patronage: get and stay in office
•Laissez-faire economics•Social Darwinism
Republicans: “wave the bloody shirt”Democrats: states’ rights, limited government
“Give jobs to those who are faithful”
The Four First Gilded Age Presidents
President Hayes (1876)• Ended Reconstruction• Was a temporary reformer
(wife, “Lemonade Lucy,” cut off liquor in the White House)
• Vetoed Chinese immigration restriction
President Cleveland (1884)• Created a new Civil Service System• Signed the Interstate Commerce
Act• Regulated railroad fees
• Passed the Dawes Act• Distributed land to individual
American Indians
President Arthur (1881)• Reformed civil service• Approved the
development of the Navy• Questioned high
protective tariffs
President Garfield (1880)• Halfbreeds v. Stalwarts
sought political jobs• Was shot by a deranged
stalwart office-seeker.
Three Political Issues of the Gilded Age
Civil Service Reform– The public was outraged at Garfield’s
assassination.– The Pendleton Act created the Civil Service
commission and awarded jobs based on performance on an examination.
– Politicians adapted by depending on the wealthy instead of supporters.
The Tariff Issue
• During the war, high tariffs protected industry.• Some Americans disliked the high tariffs:• They raised consumer prices.• Other nations taxed American farm products.• Farmers lost a share in the market & didn’t
sell all their corn and wheat.• Surpluses meant lower farm profits.
Protective tariffs are taxes on foreign-made goods; they keep people buying American-made products.
The Money Question: Should the government make more money available??• Debtors and farmers wanted to borrow at low interest and pay off loans easily.
• Many thought the gold standard (restricted money) had caused the Panic of 1873; they wanted greenbacks (paper money) and unlimited silver coins.
• Opponents felt dollars backed by gold would hold their value against inflation.
• The Specie Resumption Act (1875) withdrew greenbacks that had been issued during the Civil War.• Farmers associated them with prosperity.• Others felt greenbacks violated natural law.
• The Greenback Party supported paper money; their goal was to increase the amount of money in circulation. They elected 14 members to Congress in 1878.
• “The Crime of 1873”: Congress also stopped coining silver; when silver was discovered in Nevada, many demanded it be used to increase the money supply• The Bland-Allison Act allowed limited coinage of silver each month. Farmers pressed for
unlimited coinage of silver.
President Harrison (1888)• Felt lower tariffs would ruin business
prosperity.• Republican “Billion Dollar Congress”
passed:– McKinley Tariff of 1890 (48% tax on
foreign products)– Sherman Antitrust Act– Sherman Silver Purchase Act (increased
silver coinage a little)– Raised Civil War pensions– X a bill protecting African American
voting rights.
President Cleveland again (1892)• The Panic of 1893 was the worst and
longest depressions thus far.– The stock market crashed because of over-
speculation and overbuilding of railroads.– 20% unemployment
• Cleveland, who supported the gold standard was unpopular because he:– Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
to try to prevent the gold reserve to drop too low.
– Borrowed $65 million in gold from JP Morgan
– Crushed the Pullman strike.– Arrested men at the Coxey’s army march
(unemployed men demanded a public works program)
• The Democrats’ more popular action was: – The William-Gorman Tariff (1894)
• A moderate reduction in taxes; 2% income tax on the wealthy.
Coin’s Financial School by William H. Harvey
•Taught Americans that their problems were caused by rich bankers•Taught that prosperity would return if the government coined unlimited silver.
Growth of Discontent
PopulistsThe Omaha Platform
• Political Goals:– Direct election of senators– Voters should have the ability to
create initiatives that will become state laws
• Economic Goals:– Unlimited coinage of silver– Graduated income tax– Public ownership of railroads– Government-owned telegraph and
telephone systems– Loans and federal warehouses for
farmers to store their crops– An 8-hour work day for industrial
workers
The Populists were revolutionary because:
• They attacked laissez-faire economics.
• They formed an alliance between poor whites and blacks.
In 1892, the Populist Candidate (Weaver) won 1 million votes, but ultimately, the Populists lost in the South and failed to attract urban industrial workers.
Agrarian discontent was growing in the South and West. Farmers’ Alliances led to the formation of a political party. Delegates met in Omaha, Nebraska to establish their platform.
Election of 1896William Jennings Bryant (D)
• Famous “cross of gold” speech: “You shall not crucify man upon a cross of gold” made him famous overnight.
• Platform:– Favored unlimited coinage of silver;
thus supported by Populists.
• Campaign:– Nationwide crusade– Energy, positive attitude, great
speeches.– Convinced farmers of the benefits
of silver
William McKinley (R)
• Platform:– Favored high tariffs; seen as a
“friend of labor”– Promised a strong, industrial
nation– Promised to uphold the gold
standard.
• Campaign:– Raised money from business
leaders– Mark Hanna used the money to
sell McKinley to the mass media.
v.
→ A rise in the price of wheat→ Employers threatening workers to vote for McKinleyLed to McKinley’s victory
Significance of the Election of 18961. It ended the political stalemate of
the gilded age.2. It began an era of Republican
dominance3. The Republican Party became the
political party that supported businesses.
4. It led to the demise of the Populist Party (though some of their platform was adopted during the Progressive Era).
5. It was the beginning of urban industry dominating the country over rural agrarianism.
6. It marked the beginning of modern politics (The U.S. became a world power, and the mass media would become important in winning campaigns.)
Overview of Gilded Age Presidents• Hayes (R) 1876
– Compromise of 1877; end of Reconstruction• Garfield (R) 1880
– Political favors; assassinated.• Arthur (R) 1881
– Garfield’s VP; Civil Service reform• Cleveland (D) 1884
– Dawes Act, Interstate Commerce Act• Harrison (R) 1888
– Billion Dollar Congress (48% tariff)• Cleveland (D) 1892
– Panic of 1893, borrowed from JP Morgan, Pullman Strike, Coxey’s Army
• McKinley (R) 1896– First modern president; elected with help of mass
media.