Themes of the Gilded Age:

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Themes of the Gilded Age

• Politics hard vs. soft money ('70s '90s)
  tariff ('80s) corruption due to greed, patronage
  trusts (throughout late 19th c.)
• Industrialism U.S. became the worlds most
  powerful economy by 1890s railroads, steel, oil,
  electricity, banking
• America was transformed from an agrarian nation
  to an urban nation between 1865 and 1920.
• Urbanization millions of "New Immigrants" came
  from Southern and Eastern Europe, mostly to work
  in factories.
• Unions and Reform movements sought to curb the
  injustices of industrialism.
• Farmers increasingly lost ground in the new
  industrial economy and eventually organized
  (Populism)
• The "Last West" farming, mining, cattle
  raising
• By 1900 society had become more stratified into
  classes than any time before or since.

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Gilded Age Politics 1868-1888
By Ms. Susan M. Pojer Edited by Mr. Mark
Temple
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The "Politics of Equilibrium"
What was the political climate of the time period
known as the Gilded Age?
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• A Two-Party Stalemate, Why?

Highly Competitive, House changed leadership 6
times from 1869-91
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Two-Party Balance
Parties were cautious not to tip the balance to
the other party.
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2. Intense Voter Loyalty to theTwo
MajorPolitical Parties
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• Well-Defined Voting Blocs
• Fundamental differences created partisan politics

Democratic Bloc
Republican Bloc

• Northern whites(pro-business)
• African Americans
• Northern Protestants
• Old WASPs (supportfor anti-immigrant laws)
• Middle class values
• Emphasized identity of interest-place in soc.

• White southerners(preservation ofwhite
  supremacy)
• Catholics
• Recent immigrants(esp. Jews Irish)
• Urban working poor (pro-labor)
• Most farmers
• Opposed govt. imposed standards
• Economic equity

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4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.

• From 1870-1900 ? Govt. did verylittle
  domestically.
• Money Tariff were main issue
• Main duties of the federal govt.
• Deliver the mail.
• Maintain a national military.
• Collect taxes tariffs.
• Conduct a foreign policy.
• Exception ? administer the annual Civil War
  veterans pension.

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5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office

• Party bosses ruled.
• Presidents should avoid offending anyfactions
  within theirown party.
• The President justdoled out federal jobs.
• 1865 ? 53,000 people worked for the federal
  govt.
• 1890 ? 166,000
  

Senator Roscoe Conkling
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Grant Administration1868 - 1876
Election of 1868 defeated Horatio Seymour
Election of 1872 defeated Horace Greely
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Issues of the Grant Administration

• Jim Fiske and Jay Gould try to corner the gold
  market 1869 depression
• Tweed Ring Wm. Marcy Tweed
• Tammany Hall (NYC) corruption
• Exposed by Thomas Nast
• Prosecuted by Samuel Tilden
• Credit Mobilier
• Whisky Ring
• Panic of 1873 (horse epidemic of 1872)
• 15th amendment only significant accmpl.

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Election of 1876
Rutherford B. Hayes
Samuel Tilden
Can you state either of Hayes nicknames?
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• The Compromise of 1877 between the Republicans
  and Democrats, occurring in January of that year,
  was the solution to the contested Presidential
  election of 1876. In the end, returns in three
  states, South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana
  were disputed. Tilden was one state short of
  victory. Congress appointed a congressional
  committee to investigate. The committee decided
  to award all the disputed votes (20) to Hayes.
  Hayes, in return, however, promised to end
  reconstruction. Hayes became the next President.
• Aspects of the Compromise
• Funds will be provided to build the Texas and
  Pacific Railroad.
• A southerner will be appointed as Postmaster
  General.
• Funds will be appropriated to rebuild the economy
  in the South.
• The solution to the race problem will be left to
  the state governments.
• Troops will be recalled from the statehouse
  property in the three remaining states. (FL, SC,
  LA)

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Long Term Results of the Election of 1876

• African Americans lost their equal status in
  society promised to them by the 14th and 15th
  amendments.
• Would be 2nd class citizens until the 1960s.
• Gap between rich and poor widened.
• Laborers were controlled by wealthy owners
• Big Government took a backseat to Southern
  Landowners and Northern Industrialists. (laissez
  faire)

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1880 Presidential Election Republicans
Half Breeds
Stalwarts
Sen. James G. Blaine Sen. Roscoe
Conkling (Maine)
(New York)
compromise
James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur (VP)
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1880 Presidential Election Democrats
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Inspecting the Democratic Curiosity Shop
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1880 Presidential Election
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1881 Garfield Assassinated!
Charles GuiteauI Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is
President now!
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Chester A. ArthurThe Fox in the Chicken Coup?
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Pendleton Act (1883)

• Civil Service Act.
• The Magna Carta of civil service reform.
• 1883 ? 14,000 out of117,000 federal govt.jobs
  became civilservice exam positions.
• 1900 ? 100,000 out of 200,000 civil service
  federal govt. jobs.
• Federal patronage reduced, forced politicians to
  turn to industry for money

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Republican Mugwumps

• Reformers who wouldnt re-nominateChester A.
  Arthur.
• Reform to them ? create a disinterested,
  impartial govt. run by an educated elite like
  themselves.
• Social Darwinists.
• Laissez faire government to them
• Favoritism the spoils system seen as govt.
  intervention in society.
• Their target was political corruption, not
  social or economic reform!

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TheMugwumps
Men may come and men may go, but the work of
reform shall go on forever.

• Will support Cleveland in the1884 election.

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1884 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland James Blaine
(DEM) (REP)
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A Dirty Campaign
Ma, Mawheres my pa?Hes going to the White
House, ha ha ha!
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Little Lost Mugwump
Blaine in 1884
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Rum, Romanism Rebellion!

• Led a delegation of ministers to Blaine inNYC.
• Reference to the Democratic Party. (Irish)
• Blaine was slow torepudiate the remark.
• Narrow victory forCleveland he wins NYby only
  1149 votes!.

Dr. Samuel Burchard
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1884 Presidential Election
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Clevelands First Term

• The Veto Governor from New York.
• First Democratic elected since 1856.
• A public office is a public trust!
• His laissez-faire presidency
• Leave the free market alone
• Opposed bills to assist the poor aswell as the
  rich.
• Vetoed over 200 special pension billsfor Civil
  War veterans! GAR

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Bravo, Señor Clevelando!
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The Tariff Issue Republicans in favor /
Democrats opposed

• After the Civil War, Congress raisedtariffs to
  protect new US industries.
• Big business wanted to continue thisconsumers
  did not.
• Stifled foreign trade 80 of which is agriculture
• 1885 ? tariffs earned the US 145 mil.
  in surplus!
• Mugwumps opposed it ? WHY???
• President Clevelands view on tariffs????
• Tariffs became a major issue in the
  1888presidential election.
• Other Issues for Cleveland
• Dawes Act ---- Interstate Commerce Act

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Filing the Rough Edges
Tariff of 1888
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1888 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison
(DEM) (REP)
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Coming Out for Harrison
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The Smallest Specimen Yet
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1888 Presidential Election

• Harrison 2nd to win w/ fewer popular votes.
• Cleveland first voted out since Van Buren
• Republicans use victory to raise tariff

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Disposing the Surplus
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Changing Public Opinion

• Americans wanted the federal govt. to dealwith
  growing soc. eco. problems to curbthe power
  of the trusts
• Interstate Commerce Act 1887
• Sherman Antitrust Act 1890
• McKinley Tariff 1890
• Based on the theory that prosperityflowed
  directly from protectionism.
• Increased already high rates another 4!
• Rep. Party suffered big losses in 1890
  (evenMcKinley lost his House seat!).

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1892 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again!
(DEM) (REP)
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1892 Presidential Election
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Cleveland Loses Support Fast!

• The only President to serve two non-consecutive
  terms.
• Blamed for the 1893 Panic.
• Defended the gold standard.
• Used federal troops in the 1894Pullman strike.
• Refused to sign the Wilson-GormanTariff of 1894.
• Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.