Ch. 23 Politics of the Gilded AgeTheme: Even as post-Civil War American expanded and industrialized, political life in the Gilded Age was marked by ineptitude, stalemate, and corruption. Despite their similarity at the national level, the two parties compete fiercely for offices and spoils, while doling out “pork-barrel” benefits to veterans and other special interests groups.Theme: The serious issues of monetary and agrarian reform, labor, race, and economic fairness were largely swept under the rug by the political system, until revolting farmers and a major economic depression beginning in 1893 created a growing sense of crisis and demands for radical change.Theme: The Compromise of 1877 made reconstruction officially over and white Democrats resumed political power of the South. Blacks, as well as poor whites, found themselves forced into sharecropping and tenant farming; what began as informal separation of blacks and whites in the immediate postwar years evolved into systematic state-level legal codes of segregation known as Jim Crow laws.

I. Grant AdministrationA. Election of Grant (1868)

1. “bloody shirt” but “Freedman” more influential

2. “Ohio Idea” a. Hard v. soft money Issue

B. Challenges1. Corruption

a. Gold Ring (Jim Fiske and Jay Gould)b. Tweed Ringc. Credit Mobilierd. Election of 1872 (“Turn Rascals Out”)

2. Panic of 1873a. Bankers and Railroadsb. Congress controlled reckless growth with Specie

Resumption Act of 1875c. Debtors push for silver but Congress stops

minting Silver coins in 1873— “Crime of ’73”d. Bland-Allison Act, 1878 was a compromisee. Greenback Labor Party, 1878 (soft)

C. Accomplishments1. 15th Amendment2. Yellowstone National Park

Grant and GOP: Hard money advocates

“Let Us Prey” by Thomas Nast

II. “Forgettable Presidents”(Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison)

A. Characteristics of Era1. Two-party differences minimal but

high voter turn-out.2. GOP factions

a. “Stalwarts” (R. Conkling)b. “Halfbreeds” (J. Blaine)c. “Mugwumps” (Nast)

B. Hayes (1876-1880)1. Compromise of 18772. Ethnic Conflict

a. Jim Crow Lawsb. Plessy v. Furguson (1896)c. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

C. Garfield/Arthur (1880-1884)1. Pendleton Act, 1883

D. Cleveland (1884-1888)1. “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”2. Laissesz faire approach to business 3. Military Pensions4. Lower tariffs

“I am a Stalwart. Arthur is now President of the U.S.” Charles Guiteau in a Baltimore

train station in 1881

II. “Forgettable Presidents” (cont.)

E. Harrison (1888-1892)1. “The Billion Dollar

Congress”a. Speaker “Czar Reed”

2. Sherman Silver Purchase Act, 1890 (soft)

3. McKinley Tariff Bill, 1890-48%!

4. Rise of Populisma. Farmer’s Alliances,

1880’sb. People’s Party, 1890’sc. Despite efforts TW,

racial division in south“What can I do when both parties insist

on kicking?”

II. “Forgettable Presidents” (cont.)

F. Cleveland (1892-1896)1. Election of 1892

a. Populists and the Omaha Platform: Platform: 16 to 1, graduated income tax, govt ownership RR, Initiative and Referendum, postal saving banks, direct election of senators, one-term limit, 8-hour work day, immigration restrictions.

b. Major Issue: Tariff2. Panic of 1893-Worst in century!

a. Causesb. Responses

a. Repeal Sherman SPA despite efforts of WJB.

b. Morgan’s Bondsc. Wilson-Gorman Bill, 1894