US History Chapter 23 / Note Page 35 “The Gilded Age”

NOTE PAGE 35 “The Gilded Age” All the glitters is not gold….

America looks Rich/Fancy: Gilded Age?? America looks Rich/Fancy: (big businesses, high profits, new inventions and cities) But underneath: (Corruption, Greed, Tenements, Native American wars, Labor Unrest) Gilded= when a cheaper metal is dipped in gold (make it look like it is worth more) Why would this time period be considered the “Gilded Age”???

5 Characteristics of Gilded Age Politics: Write these on the BACK of page 35 1868-1900

1. A Two-Party Stalemate

2. Intense Voter Loyalty to the Two Major Political Parties

3. Well-Defined Voting Blocs Democratic Bloc Republican Bloc White southerners (preserve white supremacy) Catholics Recent immigrants (esp. Jews) Urban working poor (pro-labor) Most farmers South and Northern cities Northern whites (pro-business) African Americans Northern Protestants Old WASPs (support anti-immigrant laws) Most of the middle class Midwest; Rural towns

4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt. From 1870-1900  Govt. did very little domestically. Main duties of the federal govt.: Deliver the mail. Maintain a national military. Collect taxes & tariffs. Conduct a foreign policy.

5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office Senator Roscoe Conkling Party bosses ruled. The President just doled out federal jobs. Senator Roscoe Conkling

CORRUPT GOVERNMENT -many people saw gov’t job as means of wealth -graft: skimming taxpayers’ money into your own pockets kickbacks: illegal payments Fraud

POLITICAL MACHINES - when a corrupt party comes to dominate an area - patronage, loyalty, graft: rewarding voters with government jobs - why did the public allow this system??? - boss controlled many jobs, services: police, firemen, sanitation, licensing

WHY CORRUPTION IS ALLOWED? -most cities lacked services -political machines helped those on bottom (IMMIGRANTS) in exchange for their voting loyalty EX: you vote for me and I’ll tell you where to live, give you a job, and your house fire will be put out with my firemen City Services (sewages, trash, police, fire) JOBS Immigrant Workers Newly arrived Political Votes come Election time. Local Political BOSS

TWEED RING - controlled NYC - Tammany Hall ring Democratic Political machine led by William Tweed lots of graft and corruption - exposed by political cartoonist Thomas Nast: he drew political cartoons of Tweed and Tammany Hall exposing their corruption

OTHER SCANDALS -Credit Mobilier RR scandal -lobbyists held great influence over Congress for the large trusts

- Rutherford B. Hayes campaigns for political reform CIVIL SERVICE REFORM -patronage system puts unqualified people in positions (rewarding party supporters and friends with jobs) - Rutherford B. Hayes campaigns for political reform -urges the elimination of patronage system and establishment of merit system (giving government jobs to the most qualified person)

PRESIDENTS AND POLITICS -Domination of Republican Party -won most elections between 1860-1908 -James Garfield continues reforms -Garfield assassinated by job seeker Chester Arthur becomes President -Pendleton Act passes: Replaces Spoils System; to get a government job had to pass an EXAM (be qualified)

TARIFFS DOMINATES POLITICS -Grover Cleveland(1884) 1st Democrat President in 28 years, Cleveland is ANTI-Tariff Benjamin Harrison(1888), he is PRO-Tariff Cleveland again(1892) -Tariff and reform are major issues -Tariff reforms fail as McKinley Tariff passes by Harrison– highest tariff yet

Class Work Thomas Nast Cartoon Analysis Plunkitt Quote Analysis Read the instructions Analyze the three cartoons and complete the chart Plunkitt Quote Analysis Read each of the 3 quotes by George Plunkitt as he describes political machines Answer the Guided Questions

Homework Fill in Vocabulary on Ch. 25 & 23 List (full list due Thursday!) Read pg. 522-528 and complete the Ch. 23 part 2 Guided Note Taking Sheet