APUSH Chapter 23

The The GildedGilded Age Age• Who coined the

term?

• How long did it last?

• What does the term imply?

1. A Two-Party 1. A Two-Party StalemateStalemateMajority party in House of

Representatives switches 6 times b/w 1869 & 1891.

Few important economic issues separated the two major political parties. 1. The Tariff 2. Civil-service reform

How would this affect the gov’t ability to get things done?

Two-Party Two-Party “Balance”“Balance”

2. 2. Intense Intense

Voter Voter Loyalty Loyalty to theto theTwo Two

MajorMajorPolitical Political PartiesParties

Two parties are very competitive Gilded Age is marked by high voter turnout (nearly 80%)

Ticket splitting was very rare

What explains this intense party loyalty?

3. Well-Defined Voting 3. Well-Defined Voting BlocsBlocsDemocratic

BlocRepublican

Bloc

White southerners(preservation ofwhite supremacy)

Catholics Recent

immigrants(esp. Jews)

Urban working poor (pro-labor)

Most farmers

Northern whites(pro-business)

African Americans

Northern Protestants

Old WASPs (supportfor anti-immigrant laws)

Most of the middleclass

G A R

4.4.Very Laissez Faire Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.Federal Govt.

From 1870-1900 Govt. did verylittle domestically.

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.

“Hands off”

5. The Presidency as a 5. The Presidency as a Symbolic OfficeSymbolic Office Party bosses ruled.

Presidents should avoid offending anyfactions within theirown party.

Graft is widespread among both parties

The President justdoled out federal jobs.

1865 53,000 people worked for the federal govt.

1890 166,000 “ “ “ “ “ “

Senator Roscoe Conklingconnect gov’t jobs to votes

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: RepublicansElection: RepublicansHalf Breeds Stalwarts

Sen. James G. Blaine Sen. Roscoe Conkling (Maine) (New York)

James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur (VP)

compromise

split over who should be in charge of spoils system p. 510

Where’s Rutherford?

Hayes is not re-nominated byRepublicans

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: DemocratsElection: Democrats

1880 1880 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection

Garfield barely wins a close election by waving the bloody shirt.

1881: Garfield 1881: Garfield Assassinated!Assassinated!

Charles Guiteau:I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

Garfield’s death forces politicians intoreforming the spoilssystem.

What law was passed?

Pendleton Act (1883)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.

Republican Republican ““MugwumpsMugwumps”” Reformers who wouldn’t re-

nominateChester A. Arthur in 1884 election.

Reform to them create a disinterested, impartial govt. run by an educated elite like themselves.

Social Darwinists details in chp. 24.

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!

TheTheMugwuMugwu

mpsmpsMen may come and men may go, but the work of reform shall go on forever. Will support

Cleveland in the1884 election.

1884 Presidential 1884 Presidential ElectionElection

Grover Cleveland James Blaine * (DEM) (REP)

A Dirty A Dirty CampaignCampaign

Ma, Ma…where’s my pa?He’s going to the White House, ha… ha… ha…!

Little Lost Little Lost MugwumpMugwump

Blaine in 1884

1884 1884 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection

Cleveland’s First Cleveland’s First TermTerm The “Veto

Governor” from New York.

First Democratic elected since 1856.

A public office is a public trust!

His laissez-faire presidency: Opposed bills to

assist the poor aswell as the rich.

Vetoed over 200 special pension billsfor Civil War veterans!

Grand Army of the Republic

The Tariff IssueThe Tariff Issue After the Civil War, Congress raised

tariffs to protect new US industries. Big business wanted to continue this;

consumers did not. 1885 tariffs earned the US $100

mil. in surplus!

President Cleveland’s view on tariffs????Lower tariffs = lower prices & less protection for monopolies

Tariffs became a major issue in the 1888presidential election.

1888 Presidential 1888 Presidential ElectionElection

Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (DEM) (REP)**

1888 1888 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection

What strategies did the Republicans use to elect Benjamin Harrison?

Use of “voting cattle” & “repeaters” & “floaters”Create an alliance with wealthy industrialists to protect the high tariff.

Coming Out for Coming Out for HarrisonHarrison

The Billion-Dollar CongressThe Billion-Dollar Congress • Americans wanted the

federal govt. to dealwith growing soc. & eco. problems & to curbthe power of the trusts:– Interstate Commerce Act

of 1887 details in chp. 25

– Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 details in chp. 25

Presided over by Thomas B. Reed fiery republican speaker of the house

Known as “Czar Reed”

• Congress will find new ways to spend money

• “Pork- barrel” supported by Speaker Reed & President Harrison

Harrison Disposing of Harrison Disposing of the Surplusthe Surplus

Changing Public Changing Public OpinionOpinion McKinley Tariff –

1890 Based on the

theory that prosperityflowed directly from protectionism.

Increased already high tariff rates another 4%!

Consequences? Rep. Party

suffered big losses in 1890 (evenMcKinley lost his House seat!).

Representative William McKinley

McKinley Tariff

People’s Party (Populists) made up of indebted farmers from the west & south • Radical Platform included several revolutionary ideas: P.523

Directly elect senators, shorter workday, immigration restriction, graduated income tax• Populists looked to join forces with poor urban factory workers of the north• Populists had a decent showing in the Presidential Election of 1892

James B. Weaver:leader of the Populists in the west & nominee for president in 1892

Tom Watson:leader of the Populists in the south

Farmers’ Alliance

Populist Party

1892 Presidential 1892 Presidential ElectionElection

Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (REP)

(DEM)again! *

James B. WeaverJames B. Weaver

1892 1892 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection

Cleveland Loses Cleveland Loses Support Fast!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 1894

Pullman strike. detials in chp. 25

Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

Deal with the DevilDevil? • Things get so bad that Things get so bad that

President Cleveland is President Cleveland is forced to borrow $65 forced to borrow $65 Million from Wall Street Million from Wall Street banker J.P. Morgan. banker J.P. Morgan.

• Cleveland faces heavy Cleveland faces heavy public criticism “sellout” public criticism “sellout” & “Morgan’s errand & “Morgan’s errand boy” boy”

• How does this relate to How does this relate to recent events under recent events under Presidents Bush & Presidents Bush & Obama?Obama?

J.P. Morgan