THE GILDED AGE

Reconstruction to 1896

Gilded Age

• Who? • What was the Gilded Age? • Time of economic growth and ostentatious

displays of wealth• Cause?• 2nd Industrial Revolution • Result? • A) new group of wealthy B) impoverished workers

1868-1912

• REPUBLICANS DOMINATED POLITICS IN WITH EXCEPTIONS OF

• CLEVELAND AND WILSON • DEMS STRONG IN THE SOUTH• EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS A

SQUEEKER

REPUBLICANS

• NORTHERN WHITES ( PRO-BUSINESS) • BLACKS• NORTHERN PROTESTANTS • MIDDLE CLASS• ANTI- IMMIGRANT GROUPS

DEMOCRATS

• WHITE SOUTHENERS ( WHITE SUPREMACY) • CATHOLICS • RECENT IMMIGRANTS- ESP JEWS• URBAN WORKERS• MOSTLY FARMERS

IN GENERAL

• MOST PRESIDENTS AFTER CW WERE FORGETTABLE ( H, G,A, H) ( C was ok)

• GREATEST PROBLEMS FACED HAD TO DO WITH • A) PATRONAGE• B) POLITICAL STALEMATE• MOST POLITICIANS “TIPTOED TIMIDLY”• MOST AMERICANS NOT REALY CONCERNED

ABOUT POLITICAL LEADERS –more with making money and surviving

THE FORGETTABLES

• Grant• Great general • Lousy president • He was corrupt but many of his appointments

were

• HAYES:A)DID TRY TO BRING HONESTY TO

GOVERNMENT B)TRIED TO LIMIT CHINESE IMMIGRATIONWhy? West Coast Irish thought Chinese taking

jobs- anti- Chinese led by Dennis Kearney( Chinese Exclusion Act 1882- prohibited nearly

all immigration from China- stayed shut until 1943 )

Some tried to limit citizenship for Chinese but

• +++ Supreme Court Case- 1898• U.S. vs Wong Kim Ark guaranteed citizenship

to all persons born in the USA

James Garfield

• GARFIELD - VP was Chester Arthur … an afterthought

• Waved “ the bloody shirt” • Assassinated• 1860, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1940,1960 but 1980

• WHAT WAS GOOD ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION?

• CAUSED POLITICIANS INTO REFORMING THE SPOILS SYSTEM

• THE PENDLETON ACT- 1883- • A) made campaign contributions from federal

employees illegal• B) established the CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION• appointments to federal jobs based on exams

rather than “pull” • At first just about 10% of Federal jobs

Chester Arthur

ARTHUR

• Not a reformer but tried to support Civil Service reform and end of nepotism in government

1884Cleveland

Cleveland- not forgettable

• New York Democrat • “Could Democrats – party of disunion- be

trusted to govern the Union”?• Outspoken and unbending • Named two former CSA officer to Cabinet

POLICIES

• HANDS OFF BUSINESS- LAISSEZ-FAIRE • TRIED TO REFORM CORRUPTION BUT GAVE IN

TO DEMS WHO WANTED JOBS • TRIED TO LOWER THE TARIFF- BUT MET

OPPOSITION ( thought lower tariff good for people, treasury had TOO MUCH MONEY IN IT,

less protection for monopolies BUT BUT BUT BUT

1888

• Election= first time an issue divided the parties … in a long time

• What was the issue?? The tariff• Republicans- Benjamin Harrison • Democrats- incumbent- Cleveland • Meaning of incumbent- existing office holder

• The idea of a lower tariff pushed the Republicans forward - ANGERED REP

• Republicans raised 3 million dollars ( 2016 election candidate will probably raise over 2 BILLION dollars)

• Harrison won a narrow victory • Cleveland actually had more popular votes

Benjamin Harrison

HARRISON AS PRES

• CONGRESS PASSED:• McKinley- Tariff Act of 1890=raised the rate

to about 48%• New Tariff hurt farmers- countries hurt by our

high tariff raised tariffs on our farm products

IMPORTANT

• 1892- new Populist / People’s Party• Attempted to unite the farmers • spoke in favor of:• Government ownership of RR – believed RR

exploited farmers, govt own telegraph and telephone

• Unlimited coinage of silver• The direct election of senators ( Senators were

elected by state legislatures at this time)

• Referendums- word means that citizens vote directly on issues

• Shorter workday• Immigration restrictions• Populists nominated- General James Weaver• And supported William Jennings Bryan in 1896

Election of 1892

• Populist candidate Weaver received 22 electoral votes

Incumbent Harrison- 145 and Democrat Cleveland won because Populist

and Republicans were divided “even though it was the same old Cleveland, it

was not the same old country”

Cleveland’s second term

• Only President elected after a defeat• Country experienced a Depression of 1893• “ the most crushing economic downturn of

the 19th century”• Businesses collapsed, soup kitchens fed

people, hoboes• Cleveland has a ton of trouble including a

tumor on the roof of his mouth

• Cleveland alienated Democrats by asking Republican J. P. Morgan – a powerful banker

• Bankers lent the government 65$ in gold• The loan helped to restore confidence in the • nation’s finances• Cleveland failed to cope with the crisis as a real leader

Allowed Federal troops to crush the Pullman strike+++ WORKERS WHO MADE RAILROAD PASSENGER CARS.

Election of 1896

• “ game changer” election – why?NOT BECAUSE OF THIS:• Dems nominated- young William Jennings

Bryan – • ( in a sense a Populist idea) • Bryan viewed by some as “dangerous, crazy

and radical”

Wm J Bryan

• Known as the “Boy Orator of the Platte”

• Speech at the Dem Convention• “You shall not crucify mankind on a cross of

gold”

WJBryan- great public speakerYOUNG!!

Meanwhile… in the South

• South had put in place “process” for restricting the Black vote:

• Literacy tests • Poll taxes

Game changer

• The amount of money spent- almost bought election

• Manipulation of the facts • “dirty tricks”

• But more importantly, election seemed to divide country into Big Business/ Big cities vs. poor and underprivileged

• Dems and Populists lost because they were not able to unite under “ one tent” to defeat McKinley

• Republicans control the White House • 96,00,08,20, 24,28

Wm McKinley