Society and Politics of the Gilded Age Gilded – gold covered, 1887 – 100 years after the Constitution Shining surface of prosperity and inequality and corruption lay beneath 10% of population owned 90% of wealth

Writer and humorist, Mark Twain, wrote the novel The Gilded Age ridiculing Washington D.C. and many of the leading figures of the day. He coined the term, Gilded Age, because America’s wealth helped hide all the problems faced by the immigrant, laborers and farmers.

Credit Mobilier Scandal Union Pacific Railroad officers created Credit Mobilier as a new company to build the tracks of the transcontinental railroad Union Pacific gave Credit Mobilier enormous sums of federal money – some to work and others to pockets of corrupt businessmen and politicians President Garfield accepted a bribe of $329 Page 51

Reforming the Spoils System Rewarding your supporters with jobs after you win an election; why – to get re-elected Result – Unqualified people get the jobs and qualified lose the jobs Supporters now have access to money and political favors = CORRUPTION Civil Service Commission is created – applicants were now tested for federal non-elected jobs Page 51

Regulating Railroads Age of Railroads or the Railroad Revolution Interstate Commerce Act – requires railroads to set rates in proportion to the distance traveled and rates to be made public Outlaws giving special rates to powerful customers Created the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce the act Railroad tracks covered America – railroads linked all the major cities in America, railroads ruled America Page 51

Gilded Age Map Visual- pg 44 Paste the provided map of the USA in your spiral and color. Color One (gold)– Outer portion of the USA Color Two (gray and brown)– Inner portion of the USA Using notes: Around the edge of the large map list things that were good in the USA during the time of the Gilded Age. Inside the small map list the things and scandals that were bad.

Gilded Age Map Liberty/Freedom Higher Wages Land Jobs Money Better Life Land Of Opportunity Religious Freedom Social Freedom Economic Freedom Personal Freedoms Treatment of Minorities Credit Mobilier Political Machines Indian Policies Immigration Problems Nativism Big Business Tenements Railroads Spoils System Child Labor