The Gilded Age

Today’s Key Terms

The Gilded AgeSocial ProblemsBooker T. WashingtonW.E.B. DuBoisPolitical ProblemsPolitical MachinesTammany HallGraftThomas NastPendleton Civil

Service Act

What Does It Mean To Be Gilded

Gilded: To coat something in Gold

The Gilded Age: This is a time period

from 1877-1900 An era that looks rich

and prosperous on the surface

But, underneath that “gilded” surface is a rotten core

The Rotten Core

Underneath the surface we will find the following problems Social problems for

African Americans Factory workers and

the poor Government corruption

Like political machines Poverty

Awful living and working conditions

The Rotten Core: African American Life

Jim Crow Laws Segregated public

venues by raceLiteracy Tests

Requires voters to be able to read

Who will this stop from voting?

The Rotten Core: African American Life

Poll tax Require voters to pay

in order to vote Who does this stop

from voting?Grandfather Clause

In order to vote, one’s grandfather had to be eligible to vote

All of these strip Southern AA’s of their political rights Effects?

The Rotten Core: African American Life

Laws Force Segregation Plessy v. Ferguson This case upheld the

constitutionality of the Jim Crow Laws

Declared the “separate but equal clause” For every $14 spent on

white students, only $3 were spent on black students

Opposing Racial Injustice

Booker T. Washington He believed AA’s

should not demand immediate end to Jim Crow Laws

AA’s should “pick themselves up by their own bootstraps” This means, he thought

they should learn a skill Earn a good reputation

Eventually, whites would see AA’s as equal and overturn Jim Crow Laws

Opposing Racial Injustices

W.E.B. Dubois AA’s should demand

full and immediate equality

He didn’t believe AA’s should have to earn equality, but believed it was their right

He wanted AA’s to learn more than simple skills i.e. Become doctors,

lawyers, etc

Opposing Racial Injustices

Ida B. Wells AA women who fought

for AA rights Wrote newspaper

called Free Speech This paper condemned

lynching and poor treatment of AA’s

Struggles for Women

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Formed NWSA to fight for women’s right to vote Anthony voted in one

election and was arrested

By 1906 only Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho allowed women to vote

Struggles for Women

Number of women attending college did increase at this time

Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed to end alcohol abuse

Political and Economic Challenges

Political Problems

Democrats and Republicans made it hard on each other to pass new laws

Weak Presidents were corrupt or unable to pass legislation

Grover Cleveland was noteworthy for his integrity

Political Machines

Political Machine: Unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular party or group in power.

Tammany Hall: The political machine in New York City that dominated the Democratic Party. It used its power to provide jobs and favors to its supporters, but its leaders often used corrupt means to get elected and to enrich themselves. Boss Tweed was the leader of Tammany Hall.

Graft: illegal or unfair gain.

Graft still occurs today. With a partner, find an article in The New York Times about a person in government who misused their position for their own profit. Make a list of all the ways this specific example of corruption hurts others. Compare your list with the results of Tammany Hall graft years ago. Then on a blank piece of paper, created an advertisement denouncing this graft.

Political Cartoonists:These men expressed concern of corruption through

cartoons

Joseph Keppler “Bosses of the Senate”

What does this cartoon say about corruption in politics?

Thomas NastThe most famous of political cartoonistsHe exposed men like Boss Tweed

The Spoils System

This system gave jobs to loyal party members

This made civil service (govt jobs) inefficient, as many were not qualified for the jobs they were given.

Political Reform

Pendleton Civil Service Act In order to work in

civil service you had to pass a test

This ensured that only qualified persons took civil service jobs