the gilded age

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The Gilded Age The Politics of Corruption and the Corruption of Politics.

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Page 1: The  Gilded  Age

The Gilded Age

The Politics of Corruption and the Corruption

of Politics.

Page 2: The  Gilded  Age

"No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law, and that the law

officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more."

Page 3: The  Gilded  Age

The Gilded Age?

• 1865-1901• Corrupt• Industrialization • Urbanization• Immigration • Power: 1/8 of the population owned 7/8 of

the wealth…• Close elections- back and forth

Page 4: The  Gilded  Age

The less a man knows the bigger the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands.

• Andrew Johnson (D-National Union): One term• Ulysses S. Grant (R): Two terms• Rutherford Hayes (R): One term• James A. Garfield (R): Five months- Assassinated • Chester A. Arthur (R): One term• Grover Cleveland (D): One term-for now…• Benjamin Harrison (R): One term• Grover Cleveland (D): One term

Page 5: The  Gilded  Age

It must have a beginning…

• Reconstruction- scare tactics, terrorism, state government corruption

• King Andrew- Johnson vetoes the Tenure of Office Act

• Edwin Stanton• Impeachment- the biggest show in town!• Not guilty- one vote…• Surely this is the end….

Page 6: The  Gilded  Age

President Ulysses S. Grant- the hero of Vicksburg and Appomattox and the savior

of the grand union!• Grant was a trusting president.• Black Friday• Whiskey Ring• He was LOYAL• He sought civil service reform, but believed in

patronage.

Page 7: The  Gilded  Age

Credit Mobilier

• Construction company formed by a Union Pacific VP.• “Hired” by Union Pacific for Transcontinental Railroad.• Overcharge the Feds and keep the loot… Your tax dollars.• Members of government were offered cheap stock in

the company.• They made money and also sided with Credit Mobilier in

congress.• Partisan paper exposed and explodedthe scandal.• Vice President Colfax was one of many government

officials involved.

Page 8: The  Gilded  Age

1876

• Hayes v Tilden• Tilden Wins! Wait for it…• Hayes Wins!!• Florida, South Carolina (BOO), and Louisiana• GOP Returning Boards- Hayes• Special Electoral Commission • Compromise made• Reconstruction ends

Page 9: The  Gilded  Age

If at first you don’t succeed, assassinate the President of the United States

• James Garfield• Charles Guiteau• “I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! Arthur is

president now!”

Page 10: The  Gilded  Age

Pendleton Act

• Chester A. Arthur: used to be the customs agent in NYC. Made a ton of money. Lucrative post there!

• Interesting…• Established the merit system.• Did it kill the spoils system?

Page 11: The  Gilded  Age

Republicans

• Factions formed due to the size of the party-big party

• Corruption split the party– Grant• Stalwarts- Roscoe Conkling, spoils system• Half Breeds- James Blaine, reform• Mugwumps- Independents who opposed the

Spoils System altogether- backed Cleveland and took votes from James Blaine

Page 12: The  Gilded  Age

Democrats

• Won back the south• Lost POTUS elections 1860-1880• Opposed imperialism• Promoted Laissez Faire capitalism• Supported civil service reform• Fought the Tweed Ring

Page 13: The  Gilded  Age

Tammany Hall

• BIG example of a political machine• Supported Democrats• Immigrants- Irish power• Incentives for votes• Helped out the people- welfare ,supplies,

protection• Bosses• New York patronage

Page 14: The  Gilded  Age

Boss Tweed• William Tweed: Head of Tammany Hall 1858-71• Tammany machine stole a lot of money- made him rich• Tweed said that “the counters make the vote”• Thomas Nast- GOP NY Times• Tweed tries to buy off Nast… • Nast drawings work. People cannot read, but they can see the

pictures…• Tweed convicted of fraud• Special prisoner- allowed to leave every week. • Held a party at his house…• Escaped to Spain• Nast cartoons are in Spain too…

Page 15: The  Gilded  Age
Page 16: The  Gilded  Age

“Of the politicians, by the politicians, and for the politicians. “

How They Did It…

Page 17: The  Gilded  Age

History is written by the winners (or those that were in class yesterday)

• Show of hands• The who, the what, the where, the when, the

why…• Draft time.

Page 18: The  Gilded  Age

Scenario One

• Senator Jim Beam and Congressman Jack Daniels

• Tammany officials would provide liquor for votes.

• Practice continued into the 20th century and was not limited to NYC.

Page 19: The  Gilded  Age

Scenario Two

• The almighty dollar• Votes for cash• Immigrants had little money• Governor Bulkeley of CT said this about vote

buying: “It is right for the candidate to secure that man’s vote, if he is without principle or ignorant, by any means you can use.”

• Also paid people to stay home and NOT vote.• Happened in the open…

Page 20: The  Gilded  Age

Scenario Three

• Patronage• I will support your campaign financially if you

give me a job.

Page 21: The  Gilded  Age

Scenario Four

• He’s dead Jim…• “Resurrectionists”

Page 22: The  Gilded  Age

The Power of the Press

• Gilded Age politics needed the press.• Politics thrived on fear.• The press kept the people informed.• Politicians and parties groomed reporters,

editors, etc.• Kept out third parties• Mudslinging• The press could easily fabricate stories.

Page 23: The  Gilded  Age

Truth

• James A. Garfield’s letter arrives• Paper runs it• It is actually an amazingly bad fake• Democrats kept pushing the letter as real• Dan Rather• Press set the tone for campaigns.

Page 24: The  Gilded  Age

Money is Power?

• Standard Oil money may have purchased Henry Payne of Ohio a senate seat but it was all for nothing. Many members in the senate felt the seat was paid for and made sure he held little influence. He narrowly escaped expulsion and chose not to seek a second term.

Page 25: The  Gilded  Age

The More Things Change…

Republicans• Senator Ted Stevens• Rep. Duke Cunningham• Governor John Rowland

Democrats• Governor Rod Blagojevich• Governor George Ryan• Rep. William Jefferson

Page 26: The  Gilded  Age

George Washington Plunkitt

• State Senator from New York- Represented NYC

• Big party man- loved spoils

• Machine politics- felt it was best because it looked after the weak.