1. Politics of the Gilded Age
Unit 1: The Gilded Age
Politics of the Gilded Age s

2. Bell Ringer:
What are two things you learned from the Crash Course video?

3. Problems w/ politics Patronage Political machines Scandals
Giving gov’t jobs to supporters of the winning party in the election
AKA: Spoils system
Political machines
Scandals

4. Controlled the activities of the political
Political Machines
Controlled the activities of the political
parities in the city.
Had ward bosses, precinct captains, and city bosses to work for political machines to:
1.ensure that their candidates were elected
2. make sure that city government worked to their advantage

5. Role of the Political Boss
The “Boss” usually Mayor, controlled jobs, business licenses, & influences the court system
Precinct captains & ward bosses, often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, helped new immigrants with jobs, housing and naturalization in exchange for votes
William “Boss” Tweed of NYC

6. William “Boss” Tweed
“Boss” Tweed: Head of NY City Democratic Political Machine
Tammany Hall was the Democratic Headquarters in NY
B/w , led the Tweed Ring of corrupt politicians in defrauding the city
(stole b/w million that’s $365 million to 2.4 billion today)
Eventually convicted of fraud and larceny.

7. Thomas Nast Political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly
Attacked political machines, especially Boss Tweed
Also created the Democratic Donkey, the Republican Elephant and the Tammany Tiger

11. “Boss” Tweed’s actual quote towards
Thomas Nast
Can you feel the Love?!

12. Scandals Popular during Gilded Age
Illegal bribes paid to politicians by business leaders

13. Credit Mobilier company hired to build the Transcontinental RR
Charged USA Gov’t nearly 2x actual cost of project
The company was paid $94 million by Congress for work actually worth $44 million
Bribed Congress to stop the investigation
Largest scandal in US history & led to greater public awareness of gov’t corruption
President Grant

14. Time to clean up gov’t & business

15. Assassination of a President
President James Garfield is assassinated in 1881 in a train station
Charles J. Guiteau did not received a gov’t job after supporting the President in the election.

16. Pendleton Act- Civil Service Commission
Was passed in reaction to Garfield’s assassination
jobs within the federal gov’t should be awarded on the basis of merit & exams.
No more based on political affiliation

17. Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), 1887
1st federal law to regulate interstate commerce
Had to charge “just and reasonable rates”
Not very effective

18. Sherman AntiTrust Act (1890)
First measure passed by the U.S. Congress to prohibit trusts.
The Sherman Antitrust Act was based on the constitutional power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.
The Sherman Act broadly prohibits (1) anticompetitive agreements and (2) unilateral conduct that monopolizes or attempts to monopolize the relevant market.
The Act authorizes the Department of Justice to bring suits to prohibit conduct violating the Act, and additionally authorizes private parties to bring suits for damages.

19. Turn of the Century Immigrant Activity

20. Assignment
Example