period vi: 1865-1898 part 5: gilded age politics...• same policies as first term – minimalist...
Post on 20-Jun-2020
3 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
PeriodVI:1865-1898Part5:GildedAgePolitics
GildedAgePoliticalSystem• Republican/Democratloyaltyverystable• AlmostevendividedespiteRepublicandominanceofpresidency
• 78percentvoterturnouts• Whatcausedpartyloyalty?• Geography• Religiousandethnicdifferences• Culturaldifferences
REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT African-Americans WhiteSoutherners
NorthernProtestants Catholics
OldWASPs(NaNvist) RecentImmigrants
MostofMiddleClass UrbanWorkers(pro-labor)
Pro-Business MostFarmers
Temperance PersonalFreedom
TheNationalGovernment• Avoidedmajorissues–didn’tdomuchofanything• ExcepNons:railroadsubsidies,laborintervenNons,CivilWarpensions
• HadtoavoidoffendingfacNonswithintheparty• i.e.StalwartsandHalf-BreedsinRepublicanParty
• Presidency–mostlydistributedgovernmentappointments• spoilssystem• mosttopostalservice• PoliNcsdominatedbypartybosses
JamesA.GarCield(1881)• Garfield:Half-Breed• ChesterA.Arthur(Stalwart)chosenasVPcandidate
• DefeatedCivilWarhero,WinfieldSco]Hancock• DefiedStalwartsandsupportedcivilservicereform• ShotonJuly2,1881inWashingtonrailroadstaNon
CharlesGuiteau
ChesterA.Arthur(1881-1885)• KeptmostofGarfield’sappointeesandconNnuedsupportforcivilservicereform
• ThePendletonAct:requiredthatsomefederaljobsbefilledbycompeNNvewri]enexaminaNons
Electionof1884• “mugwumps”–RepublicanswhorefusedtorenominateArthur,supportedtheDemocratGroverCleveland
• Republicansnominatedthe“PlumedKnight,”JamesG.Blaine• ReligiouscontroversygaveClevelandthewin• Democratscharacterizedasthepartyof“rum,Romanism,andrebellion”
GroverCleveland(1885-1889)• Becamefamousasthe“vetogovernor”–favoredsmallgovenment
• Tariffissue:wantedtolowerrates• Republicansdefiantlypassedabillraisingtherates• Becameanissuein1888elecNon
• Re-elecNoneffortdefeatedbyBenjaminHarrisonin1888
BenjaminHarrison(1889-1893)• ShermanAnNtrustAct(1890)–meanttobeananN-trust,hadli]leimpact
• McKinleyTariff(1890)–highestpeace-NmetariffinU.S.history• Backfired–manyRepublicanslostcongressionalseats
• ElecNonof1893–ClevelandagainnominatedbyDemocrats• DefeatedHarrison
Cleveland’sSecondTerm(1893-1897)• Samepoliciesasfirstterm–minimalistgovernment• ModesttariffreducNons• InterstateCommerceAct(1887):railroadregulaNon• BanneddiscriminaNoninratesbetweenlongandshorthauls,requiredrailroadstopublishrateschedulesandfilethemwiththegovernment,anddeclaredinterstaterailratesmustbe“reasonableandjust”
• Hadli]leeffect
AgrarianRevolt–TheGrangers• FirstmajorfarmorganizaNon:TheGrange• “Farmers’DeclaraNonofIndependence:”• “Nmehadcomeforfarmers“sufferingfromlongconNnuedsystemsofoppressionandabusetousealllawfulandpeacefulmeanstofree[themselves]fromthetyrannyofmonopoly”
• GainedcontrolofmostlegislaturesinMidwesternstates• PassedGrangerlawstoregulaterailroads
TheFarmers’Alliances• SuccessortotheGrange–SouthernandNorthwesternAlliances
• Establishedstores,banks,processingplants• Prominentroleofwomen:MaryLease
ThePeople’sParty-Populists• SouthernandNorthwesternAlliancesagreedtoloosemerger
• HeldnaNonalconvenNon–issuedOlcaDemands,amountedtopoliNcalplakorm
• CreaNonofnewparty:ThePeople’sParty,be]erknownas“ThePopulists”
PopulistConstituency• Appealedprincipallytosmallfarmers,sharecroppers,tenantfarmers
• Failedtoa]ractsubstanNalsupportfromlaborinterests• ExcepNon:RockyMountainminers
• “FreeSilver”advocates• Leaders:ruralmiddleclass
PopulistIdeas• Systemof“sub-treasuries”• Establishmentofnetworkofwarehouseswherefarmerscoulddeposittheircrops• Usingcropascollateral,theycouldborrowmoneyfromthegovernmentandsellgoodswhenpriceswentup
• AboliNonofnaNonalbanks• Unlimitedcoinageofsilver• Endabsenteeownershipofland• DirectelecNonofsenators• IniNaNvesandreferendums• RegulaNonandgovernmentownershipofrailroads,telephones,telegraphs
TheCrisisofthe1890s• ThePanicof1893• PhiladelphiaandReadingRailroadsdeclaredbankruptcy,NaNonalCordageCompanyfailed
• Triggeredcollapseofthestockmarket,bankfailures• Depressedpricesinagriculture• DepressioncondiNonsinEurope• Railroadsandotherindustriesexpandedtoorapidly• over-speculaNon
• Ledtosocialunrest• “Coxey’sArmy”
Coxey’sArmy
TheSilverQuestion• Whatwouldformthebasisofthedollar?• 1873:officiallydisconNnuedsilvercoinage• “Crimeof73:”demoniNzaNonofsilver
• Goldreservesdropping• “Goldstandard”vs.“FreeSilver”
TheEmergenceofBryan• WilliamJenningsBryan–“CrossofGold”speech• DemocraNcconvenNonof1896• Insupportoffreesilver• “Youshallnotpressdownuponthebrowoflaborthiscrownofthorns;youshallnotcrucifymankinduponacrossofgold.”
• BryannominatedbyDemocrats
Electionof1896• Populists“fuse”withDemocrats• Birthofmoderncampaigning• Bryanmadeappearancesacrossthecountry–non-tradiNonalformofcampaigning
• Antagonizedmany• WilliamMcKinley(Republican)defeatedBryan
McKinleyandRecovery(1897-1901)• Oneissue:needforhighertariffrates• CurrencyAct(1900):confirmedcommitmenttogoldstandard• Prosperitysoonfollowed• Assistedbyincreaseingoldsupply
• ended“ba]leofthestandards”
top related