Issues of the Gilded Age Chapter 12 Ryan Lowdermilk

Segregation and Social Tensions Following the election of 1876 President Hayes removed federal troops from the South This action allowed southern states to reassert their control over African Americans Southern governments enacted various measures aimed at disenfranchising African Americans They also enacted Jim Crow Laws

Segregation and Social Tensions The most famous black leader during the Gilded Age was Booker T. Washington Born into slavery Washington argued that black Americans needed to accommodate themselves to segregation Meaning they should not focus their energies on seeking overturn Jim Crow laws He called for blacks to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” Build up their economic resources and establish reputations as hardworking honest citizens In addition to speaking and writing Washington established the Tuskegee Institute Provided an industrial education Talked about this in his Atlanta Exposition

Segregation and Social Tension A second famous African American of the Gilded Age was W.E.B. Dubois Harvard Ph.D. Criticized Washington’s willingness to accommodate Jim Crow laws in the South He believed that black should demand equality and not limit themselves to vocational education He believed that Washington wrongly shifted the burden of equality onto the shoulders of black Americans

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois

Segregation and Social Tensions Before the Civil War women played a prominent role in many reform movements Expanding rights for African Americans left some women’s rights activists like Susan B. Anthony angry In 1869 Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Women Suffrage Association to fight for a constitutional amendment for women to win the right to vote Anthony was arrested when she voted in NY

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Segregation and Social Tensions Women’s rights activists did achieve some gains during the Gilded Age The number of women attending college jumped Frances Willard led the Women’s Christian Temperance Union They also promoted other social welfare issues

Political and Economic Challenge Party loyalties were so evenly divided that no faction or group gained control for any period of time In comparison to Lincoln the presidents of the Gilded Age appeared weak Hayes, Harrison, Arthur, Cleveland

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. Exception  administer the annual Civil War veterans’ pension.

5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office Senator Roscoe Conkling Party bosses ruled. Presidents should avoid offending any factions within their own party. The President just doled out federal jobs. 1865  53,000 people worked for the federal govt. 1890  166,000 “ “ “ “ “ “ Senator Roscoe Conkling

Political and Economic Challenge Political cartoonists of the Gilded Age played an important role in raising attention to political corruption Joseph Kneppler “The Bosses of the Senate” Thomas Nast A series of cartoons about William Marcy Tweed

“The Bosses of the Senate”

“Twas Him”

Political and Economic Challenge Political parties and the spoils system were central components of politics during the Gilded Age Under the spoils system politicians awarded government jobs to loyal party workers with little regard for their qualifications The feeling that the spoils system corrupted government or made it inefficient promoted many people to call for civil service reform

Political and Economic Challenge Civil Service reform called for most government workers to get their jobs based on expertise and maintain them regardless of the political party they were affiliated with Independent attempts by politicians to change the system failed Hayes attempted to change the system by nominating independents to his cabinet

Political and Economic Challenge The Republican Party did not support change until the assassination of President James Garfield He was assassinated by a man who believed he should have been appointed to a government job Chester Arthur became president he supported the movement for civil service reform

1881: Garfield Assassinated! Charles Guiteau: I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

Political and Economic Challenge Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act This act established a Civil Service Commission which wrote a civil service exam and getting a government job meant doing well on the exam

1888 Presidential Election Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (DEM) * (REP)

Changing Public Opinion Americans wanted the federal govt. to deal with growing soc. & eco. problems & to curb the power of the trusts: Interstate Commerce Act – 1887 Sherman Antitrust Act – 1890 McKinley Tariff – 1890 Based on the theory that prosperity flowed directly from protectionism. Increased already high rates another 4%! Rep. Party suffered big losses in 1890 (even McKinley lost his House seat!).

1892 Presidential Election Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again! * (DEM) (REP)

Political and Economic Challenge The tariff and monetary policy were critical economic issues during the Gilded Age The tariff issue divided the political parties and disagreed on the commitment to the gold standard The debate over the tariff had been an issue throughout American history The Republicans favored a high tariff arguing that it would allow American industries to grow

Remember All this is happening during the Gilded Age End of Reconstruction, disenfranchisement, Jim Crow Industrialization, Urbanization, Immigration Growth of Railroads Indian Wars Weak Presidents, corrupt politicians, political machines Robber barons v. Capt. Of Industry

Key People Booker T. Washington W.E.B. Dubois William Jennings Bryan Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Arthur WEAK!!!! Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Morgan William Marcy Tweed, Thomas Nast