Segregation and Social Tensions

• African Americans lose freedoms– State laws keep African Americans from voting– Jim Crow laws legalize segregation

• Booker T. Washington– Urged African Americans to establish themselves

economically

• W.E.B. Du Bois– Argued for full and immediate equality

• Ida B. Wells– Wrote newspaper articles and made speeches

against lynching

Chinese Immigrant Discrimination

• While African Americans are facing discrimination in the South, Asian immigrants were facing discrimination in the West

• Chinese Exclusion Act– Prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the

country

• Chinese immigrants used the court system to fight for their rights.

Mexican Americans• After the Mexican-American War, the treaty

guaranteed property rights of those who lived in the southwest before the war.– 4 out of 5 Mexican Americans lost their land despite

this provision

• Las Gorras Blancas– Mexican American group that fought back,

targeting white ranches

• Also used newspapers to voice their complaints

Women• Right to Vote– Fought for constitutional amendment that would

allow women to vote– Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton

• More women accepted into college• Women played important roles in reform

movements• Became more organized through groups like the

Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the National Woman Suffrage Association

Gilded Age Politics

• Stalemate in Washington– Few political gains were made because the

presidents were weak and Congress couldn’t agree

Corruption

• Spoils system– Politicians awarded government jobs to loyal

party worker regardless of their qualifications– Helped to make political parties extremely

powerful– Very high voter turnout during this age, due to

spoils system

Political Cartoons

• Cartoonists like Joseph Keppler and Thomas Nast exposed illegal activities in government

Civil Service Reform

• Civil service– System that includes federal jobs in the executive

branch

• Reforms– Government workers get jobs due to expertise

and keep them regardless of party affiliation– Pendleton Civil Service Act• Created a Civil Service Exam• Jobs based on exam performance

Economic Issues

• Gold Standard– Gold was the basis of the country’s currency

• Taxes on Imports?– Tariff: tax on imports– Idea was to protect new industries

• Republicans wanted a high tariff that would promote jobs and new industries

• Democrats wanted to lower tariffs because it raised costs for American consumers

• Monetary Policy– During Civil War govt. issued paper money• Contributed to inflation (rise in prices) so “retired”

paper money

– Coinage Act, 1873• Govt. began minting (making) silver coins• Debate followed that questioned whether money

should ONLY be gold or could be gold AND silver• Afraid that silver money would hurt our economy

Causes of Farmer Organization• Falling Prices– Cost farmers more to produce their crops than

they could sell them for.

• Raising costs– Farmers had to pay more for needs like

machinery, seeds, etc.– Many went into debt to continue farming

• Big Business Practices– Railroads & other monopolies could charge

whatever prices they wanted

Farmers Organize

• The Grange– Oliver Kelley, organized by– About 1 million members– Provided education on new farming techniques– Called for regulation of railroads and grain

elevator rates– Pushed fed. Govt. to create the Interstate

Commerce Commission (ICC) to regulate transportation

• Farmers’ Alliance– As the Grange declined, Farmers’ Alliance became

important reform organizations.– Formed cooperatives• Collectively sold their crops• Hoped to push down cost of business and raise the

price for crops

– Called for low interest federal loans

Populist Party

• Farmers’ Alliance led to formation of the Populist Party– “People’s Party”– Spread rapidly and put pressure on the major

parties– Goals• Coinage of silver• Government ownership of railroads• Women’s suffrage

• Populist Successes– 1892 elections• 3 governors, 5 senators, 10 congressmen

– Next election many more Populists elected

Economic Crisis

• Four-year depression hurt farmers and other Americans

• Americans unhappy with response of major parties to this crisis– Populists hoped this would prompt voters to vote

for them

• Election of 1896– Democrats choose William Jennings Bryan– Bryan supported a number of Populist ideas

• Republicans chose William McKinley– Raised more money than any previous candidate– 30 times more than Bryan

• McKinley won election• Popular support for the Populist Party

declined

Causes

Event

Farmers OrganizeEffect