Unit 2—Chapters 3 – 4 Industrialization and Progressivism CSS 11.1, 11.2, ,

Part Four Issues of the Gilded Age EQ: What challenges arose for the nation during the gilded age?

Segregation and Social Tensions Gilded Age Quote by Mark Twain: "The golden gleam of the gilded surface hides the cheapness of the metal underneath." Gilded means covered with gold on the outside, but not really golden on the inside

Segregation and Social Tensions Reminder: African American’s are still suffering under Jim Crow Laws in the South Plessy v. Ferguson

Gilded Age Politics Political Machines “bosses” controlled elections by exchanging votes for government jobs and contracts elections were fixed so that the right people won Workers were forced to vote by their bosses the most famous was Tammany Hall in New York City run by William “Boss” Tweed in the 1860s and 1870s Tweed embezzled up to $100 million and got himself elected to the NY legislature

Gilded Age Politics Graft someone profits personally from the public budget this is very illegal they sell property to the government or the government picks their company to build public buildings Tweed charged the city $13 million to build a $3 million courthouse

Gilded Age Politics Thomas Nast drew pictures of Tweed in Harper’s Weekly which ultimately helped put him in jail even illiterate people could get the gist of his cartoons Nast created the symbol of the Republican party (the elephant) he is the godfather of political cartoons today

Pendleton Act, 1883 President Garfield was murdered because he wouldn’t give Charles Guiteau a job under the “spoils system” system presidents gave thousands of jobs to people who helped them become president the “patronage system” allowed the president to hand out jobs to his friends the new law made government employees take the civil service exam to qualify this made government workers

Gold Standard Hard monetary policy Farmers didn’t like it because it kept prices low Farmers wanted to mint sliver coins Make money cheaper and more available

CSS Farmers and the Populist Movement Farmer Alliance, 1870s Farmers became frustrated by falling crop prices so they formed a group to work together The Grange in the Midwest The Farmers Alliance in the South and Plains The group fell apart although over 700,000 farmers joined

Farmers and the Populist Movement Populist Party, 1890s Farmers tried again with the People’s Party They tried to unite W and S farmers with E factory workers into one party They wanted cheaper money, railroad regulations, lower storage and shipping rates

The Populist Platform Populists saw a need for change Platform (message) 1. increase $ supply 2. graduated income tax 3. federal loan program 4. election of senators by popular vote 5. Secret ballot 6. eight hr. work day

Farmers and the Populist Movement William Jennings Bryan, 1896 The Populist candidate became popular after his “Cross of Gold” Speech he blamed the rich for keeping money too scarce He lost the election but the government did adopt many of his ideas... eventually Interstate Commerce Act

Audio of Cross of Gold speech

Electoral Map 1892

Electoral Map 1896

Preview of Progressives (don’t write) City of Bell scandal