1. Gilded Age Politics (1869-1896)
Mrs. Housenick
APUSH
1/7/12

2. The Grant Presidency
No experience politically, but “waving the bloody shirt” got him elected in 1868.
Key role of former slaves in getting Grant his margin for victory
Lots of corruption—millionaires and political machines had more power than Grant.
Ex: Fisk and Gould scheme, Boss Tweed
Grant’s cabinet filled with favor seekers and incompetents.
Credit Mobilier Scandal
Whiskey Ring Scandal

3. Depression, Deflation and Inflation
Panic of 1873: Caused by too much new building, growth and credit—economy wasn’t ready.
Debtors and farmers in need of money pushed for inflation and “cheap money”—backed by silver, not gold.
Believed with this policy, prices would go up and they could pay back debts.
Grant refused, began “contraction”—taking away greenbacks and refusing to back money with silver.
“Hard moneyites” had won the day but battle was not over.

4. KEY FEATURES OF GILDED AGE POLITICS
1. A Two-Party Stalemate

5. Two-Party “Balance”

6. 2. Intense Voter Loyalty to the Two Major Political Parties

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

8. 4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.
From  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.

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

10. The Compromise of 1877 Republican Hayes vs. Democratic Tilden
Close election with “contested returns” in four Southern states
Question of who should count them in Senate—Republican vice president or Democratic Speaker of the House
Agreed to Compromise: Accepted Republican returns, Hayes took office, but federal troops had to leave South. In return, Democrats got patronage positions and money for Southern railroad.

11. The End of Reconstruction
Republicans abandoned commitment to racial equality.
Civil Rights Act of 1875 weakened, and government did nothing to stop individual violations of civil rights.
White Southerners or “redeemers” took over in South.
Blacks forced into sharecropping, victims of daily discrimination.
Systematic legal codes of segregation developed: JIM CROW LAWS.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)—separate but equal facilities are ok.

12. Class Conflicts and Ethnic Clashes
Depression lead to worker’s protesting for better wages
President Hayes called out federal troops to put down railroad workers strike
Racial and ethnic divisions among workers made unity difficult
Tension between Irish and Chinese
Denis Kearny’s Workingmen’s Party pushed for Chinese Exclusion Act ( )

13. 1880 Presidential Election: Republicans
Half Breeds
Stalwarts
Sen. James G. Blaine Sen. Roscoe Conkling (Maine) (New York)
compromise
James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur (VP)

14. 1880 Presidential Election

15. 1882 Garfield Assassinated!
Charles Guiteau: I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

16. Pendleton Act (1883) Civil Service Act.
The “Magna Carta” of civil service reform.
1883  14,000 out of 117,000 federal govt. jobs became civil service exam positions.
1900  100,00 out of ,00 civil service federal govt. jobs.
Effect: Politicians had to look elsewhere for money big corporations

17. Republican “Mugwumps”
Reformers who wouldn’t nominate James G. Blaine and defected to Democratic party
Felt even the Half-Breeds were too engaged in spoils system and patronage
Helped Cleveland get elected over Blaine in next election.

18. The Mugwumps
Men may come and men may go, but the work of reform shall go on forever.
Will support Cleveland in the election.

19. 1884 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland James Blaine * (DEM) (REP)

20. A Dirty Campaign
Ma, Ma…where’s my pa? He’s going to the White House, ha… ha… ha…!

21. Rum, Romanism & Rebellion!
Republican clergyman made a speech to support Blaine
Criticized the Democratic Party.
Blaine was slow to repudiate the remark which turned many against Blaine
Narrow victory for Cleveland [he wins NY by only 1149 votes!].
Dr. Samuel Burchard

22. 1884 Presidential Election

23. Cleveland’s First Term
The “Veto Governor” from New York.
First Democrat elected since 1856.
“Though the people support the government, the government should not support the people.”
His laissez-faire presidency:
Opposed bills to assist the poor as well as the rich.
Vetoed over 200 special pension bills for Civil War veterans!

24. The Tariff Issue
After the Civil War, Congress raised tariffs to protect new US industries.
Big business wanted to continue this; consumers did not.
1885  tariffs earned the US $100 mil In surplus!
Cleveland and consumers opposed it.
Industrialists and Republicans were for it.
Tariffs became a major issue in the presidential election.

25. 1888 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (DEM) * (REP)

26. 1888 Presidential Election

27. The “Billion Dollar Congress”
Deadlock in Congress over tariffs and spending.
Congress kept money coming in by reducing pensions, increasing purchases of silver and passing McKinley Tariff Act 1890—boosted tariffs to highest peacetime rates ever.
Farmers very upset by new tariffs.

28. The Rise of Populism From Farmer’s Alliances in West and South
Demands:
Free coinage of silver
Graduated income tax
Government ownership of railroads, telegraph and telephone
Direct election of US senators
One term limit on president
Initiative and referendum
Shorter workday
Immigration restrictions

29. Rise of Populism ctnd. Made a strong showing in 1892 election
Still, had a hard time getting support of industrial workers and white farmers who opposed Populist alliances with blacks.
In fear, Southerners increasingly made it even more difficult for blacks to vote.
By 1896, Populists themselves were becoming racists.

30. 1892 Presidential Election
Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again! * (DEM) (REP)

31. 1892 Presidential Election

32. Cleveland Loses Support Fast!
The only President to serve two non- consecutive terms.
Blamed for the 1893 Panic.
Defended the gold standard.
Had to get a private loan for the country from JP Morgan
Refused to sign the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, became law anyway
Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

33. The Silver Issue
“Crime of ’73”  demonetization of silver (govt. stopped coining silver).
Bland-Allison Act (1878)  limited silver coinage to $2-$4 mil. per mo. (based on the 16:1 ratio of silver to gold).
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)
The US Treasury must purchase $4.5 mil. oz. of silver a month.
Govt. deposited most silver in the US Treasury rather than circulation.

34. Reflection
What was “gilded” about politics in the Gilded Age?