Politics in the Gilded AgeChapter 23 Lecture

Gilded Age

• Period from 1865-1900• America grew into crowded cities, big business,

and extremes of wealth and poverty• A time when an honest politician was “one who,

when bought, would stay bought”.

• “Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master”.

- Mary Elizabeth Lease

Parties in Balance

• from 1876-1892- different in popular vote was 1%

• Caused presidents to seldom have their party in control of both houses = period of timid Presidents

The Spoils System• Government jobs were given to people who

helped the campaign but knew nothing about the position or job

• Caused Civil Serve Reform movement = qualified people should hold government jobs…… DUH……

Grant Presidency• “better judge of horseflesh than humans”

• Elected by “Bloody Shirt”

• “Era of Good Stealings”

• Jim Fisk and Jay Gould “Black Friday”- tried to make profit off the gold market

• Credit Mobilier railroad construction company scandal (reached the VP)

• Whiskey Ring scandal- Treasury robbed of millions

Political Machines

• cities in the 19th C. grew under an inefficient government

• New power took control = the city boss

• Controlled elections and local government

• Fed on new immigrants and lower classes

Political Machine

• Most known was Boss Tweed of NYC and Tammany Hall

• Stole an estimated 75 to 200 million dollars from NYC between 1865 and 1871.

Thomas Nast

• Political cartoonist

• Brings William Tweed to justice with the use of his political cartoons.

The Forming of the “People’s Party”

• Sept. 1873 several Eastern banks failed

• Caused financial panic

• Greenback Party was formed

• Greenback’s believed paper money would bring more prosperity to the farmers and merchants

Populist are born• 1890 the Greenback party becomes the Populist

Party or “Peoples Party”• ran against corruption in big business and

government• Called for reform of railroads, telegraph and

telephone industries• Were not afraid to shock the rich and upper class• Wanted an 8hr. work day and the direct election of

senators by the people

Free Silver Platform

• Plan to put more $$$ into circulation by coining silver dollars

• Farmers thought it would raise prices of crops

• Issue died off after gold was found in Alaska in 1896 increasing the money supply

• U.S. doesn’t go off the gold standard until 1971

Election of 1896 & The Death of the Populist

• William Jennings Bryan• couldn’t get the cities vote- didn’t appeal to

factory workers/city people• Put on Democratic ticket for President and ran on

Populist issues- lost election to McKinley = decline of the Populist Party.

• By 1904 no more populist party

• Many of its goals were adopted by the progressive movement

FYI- today the term populist refers to a politician who opposes party leaders and appeals to the people for support

Presidents of the Gilded AgeAKA:The Forgettables

1. Hayes 4. Cleveland

2. Garfield 5. Harrison

3. Arthur 6. Cleveland

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 1877-1881

• Cold, honest, straightforward man

• Sought civil service reform

• Weakened his position by stating that he would only run for one term

James A. Garfield- R 1881

• Also followed civil service reform

• Shot in the back by a Chicago lawyer

• Lived for 11 weeks after his gun shot wound

Chester A. Arthur- R 1881-1885

• People thought he would support the big bosses

• Instead called for civil service reform (due to the death of President Garfield)

• Pendleton Civil Service Act- government appointments must be based on political qualification and not $$$

Cleveland 1885-1889was he really “Grover the Good”???

® “Ma Ma Where’s my pa?’

(D) “Gone to the White House

HA HA HA!”

From World Book © 2001 World Book, Inc., 233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. All rights reserved. The Granger Collection

Grover Cleveland- D 1885-1889“Grover the Good”

• After 3 years of being Governor becomes president

• As President he did little as he thought the President should take on a Laissez faire policy

• Left Presidency with a surplus (145 million a year)

Benjamin Harrison- R 1889-1893

• Stole election from Cleveland

• Republicans bought votes in the big states

• Cleveland had won the popular vote by more than 100,000 but lost the electoral vote ex: Bush/ Gore

Harrison cont.

• Tried to pass a civil rights bill (Democrats filibustered)

• Bill later defeated by Republicans to support a new coinage bill = equal rights were put on the sideline until the 1950’s

Harrison’s stance on Bigness• Bigness = Monopoly

• Monopoly meant that only a few people had power to dictate to everyone else

• 1880- Standard Oil controlled 90% of lamp oil in the U.S.; only 1 sugar company

• Sherman Antitrust Act 1890- law against trusts in order to protect small businesses and farmers

Grover Cleveland take 2 1893-1897

• People thought Harrison did little to help the nation so they re-elect Cleveland

• 2nd term was a disaster

• Nation was in a depression the whole 4 years

• Millions out of work & ready for change…

Populist Party political cartoon

• Create a political cartoon based on the platform of the populist party

• Your cartoon should showcase at least 3 issues of the populist party.

• Due at the end of the period on Friday