The Gilded Age

1

THE GILDED AGE1877-1900

2

Essential Question

•What political problems did Americans face at the turn of the 20th century?

3

Gilded Age Politics• Forgettable presidents• Stalemate/gridlock/divided gov’t

• WHY? Political ideology, campaign tactics, party patronage• No 2 consecutive terms• Politicians ignore problems• Do little gov’t: laissez-faire• Game of gaining office and giving jobs

4

Campaign Strategy• Close elections-D & R did not take positions on issues• Election Campaigns

• Bands, flags, parades, buttons, picnics, free beer, speeches• Strength : Dem-cities, Rep-State

• Rep: Upper/Middle white protestants, AA• Dem: Solid South, political machines, immigrants, states’

rights, limited gov’t

5

Party Patronage/Spoil System

• Patronage- giving jobs to ppl you know• Party loyalty

• Roscoe Conkling (R)- NY Senator• Stalwart (spoil)

• James Blaine• Halfbreeds (no spoil)

• Mugwumps

6

Election 1876

7

Rutherford B. Hayes• Compromise of 1877• Reestablish an honest gov’t

• Temperance reformer• Lemonade Lucy (wife, no alcohol to White House)

• Vetoed Chinese immigration

8

Election of 1880

9

James Garfield

• Ohio• Halfbreed• VP: Chester Arthur, stalwart

• Ppl flocked to DC for jobs (100,000 jobs)

• Charles Guiteau, stalwart killed Garfield 1881

10

Chester Arthur

• Distanced from himself from Stalwarts

• Supported Civil Service

• Approved the development of modern US Navy

• Questioned high protective tariffs

11

Election of 1884

12

Grover Cleveland

• Honest, frugal• NY Gov• 1st Dem since 1856• Limited gov’t• Interstate Commerce Act 1887 (ICC)• Fairs just and

reasonable

• Dawes Act 1887• Money Issue

• Also # 24th

13

Money Supply Problems• Question: Whether or not to expand the money supply?

• Created tension between the haves and have nots

• Expansion of $$$$• Debtors, farmers, start-up businesses• Help them get $ lower interest rates• Create inflation, easier to pay off loans faster

• NO Expansion of $$$• Bankers, creditors, investors, established businesses• Wanted dollars back by gold, would hold value against inflation• Having less in circulation would raise/keep value

14

Monetary & Tariff IssuesMonetary

• Civil War: Greenbacks• Post Civil War: Retired• Crime of 1873: stopped

silver coinage• Bland-Allison Tariff (1878):

allowed limited coinage of silver each month

• Rep: less money circulating• Dem: more money

circulating

Tariff• Issue in 1888• Rep: High Tariffs

• Allow industries to grow

• Dem: Low Tariffs• Increase prices of goods

15

Election of 1888

16

Benjamin Harrison

• 5’6 “Little Ben”

• Grandson of William Henry Harrison

• High Tariff

• Republican dominated Congress 1889-1891

17

Republican Dominance

• An active Congress (Billion-dollar Congress)• McKinley Tariff 1890 (high tax on imports)• Increase monthly pension to vets• Sherman Antitrust Act 1890

• outlawing monopolies (trusts)

• Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1890• Increased coinage of silver (small amounts)

18

Farmers Face Problems• Price of cotton• Abundance caused prices to drop

• Big business blamed (railroad)

• High interest loans • Created farmer debt

19

Populist Party (1892)• Who are they?

• National Farmers Alliance• 1 million supporters

• What did they support/want?

1. Direct selection of Senators (17th Amendment)

2. Lower tariffs

3. Graduated income tax

4. New banking system

• Why did they form?– Discontent farmers

– Agrarian industry & wealth distribution

• Political Platform• Unlimited silver• Public ownership of

railroads, telegraph, telephone systems

• 8 hour work days• Loans for farmers

20

Election of 1892

• James Weaver • (P)- 1 Million votes

• Rematch

• Cleveland won- McKinley Tariff was unpopular!

21

Election of 1892

22

Grover Cleveland

• Democrat• Conservative w/ economy

23

Panic of 1893…CAUSES• Over-speculation• Collapse of railroad industry

• Silver Mines= Drop in value

• Repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act

• McKinley Tariff 1890

24

25

still going ‘til 1897!EFFECTS• High unemployment (20%)

• High foreclosures• Protests• Strikes• JP Morgan to the “rescue” with gold

• Grover blamed

26

During the Panic…• Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894-

1895)• Moderate reduction of tariff• 2% income tax on $2,000• Average American < $1,000

• Coxey’s Army- The jobless on the march• 1894, Jacob Coxey (P) leads

thousands to DC• Demands gov’t to spend money on

public works to create jobs

27

1896: A Turning Point?!?• Cleveland’s handling of economy hindered party• 1894: Republican Congress• Populist on the rise

28

Election of 1896Democrats• Split b/w gold and silver

• Convention dominated by pro-silver advocates

• Unlimited coinage of silver (united Populists)

Republicans• William McKinley (Ohio)

• High tariff • Blamed Dems for Panic

• Gold Standard

29

Campaigning for 1896 Election

Democrats• Bryan travelled • Gave +600 speeches• Young, energetic, positive attitude, good orator

Republicans• Marcus Hanna

• In charge of donations• Spent $ on propaganda

• McKinley travelled less• Front-porch campaign

30

Election of 1896

31

William McKinley

• Bryan lost b/c• Rise in wheat prices • N employers threatening

employees• No state in NE

• Took office as economy was recovering

• 1897: Gold discoveries in Alaska (led to inflation)

• Dingley Tariff 1897• Gold Standard• Isolation-foreign relations• President during the

Spanish-American War

32

Significance of the 1896 Election

Short Term• End of stalemate• Populist Party declined• sharp division in society between urban and rural interests

Long Term• Republican dominance• Populist ideology-Progressive action

• Urban dominance• Modern and world power