1. Politics in the Gilded Age

2. Politics of the Gilded Age
Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
Believed that greed and political corruption lurked below the gilded object of the polite and prosperous of American Society.

3. Political Machines A well organized (unofficial) political party
3 MAJOR COMPONENTS
Patronage
Spoils system
Political ties
(PSP)

4. Patronage
the power to make appointments to government jobs or the power to grant other political favors.
Example?

5. Spoils System
an informal practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party
NOT BASED ON MERIT
Merit

6. Political Ties
Who you know

7. Political Machine Factors for formation:
Growth of urban (city) population
When population grows…
What new demands are placed on a city?
What services do the people need?
How can a city address these needs?

8. Growth of Cities Demands for more services: Schools Streets
Sewer systems
Fire/Police
Utilities
New construction
Parks
Bridges
Roads

9. Political Machines Well organized political parties
Were able to get who they wanted elected
Corrupt

10. Political Machine Political Bosses – Managed political machine
Developed party positions
Made deals with business leaders
Controlled:
Voter precinct captains
Aldermen
City council members

11. Precinct Captains The “nuts and bolts” of the machine.
Interacted with voters
Offered jobs
Political favors
Services to local residents
FAVORS WON SUPPORT FOR MACHINE

12. Political Machines Public Works Projects Created jobs
Who received those jobs?

13. Political Machines
TARGET:
Poor/Working class/Immigrants

14. Immigrants
Political machines targeted immigrants
WHY?

15. Immigrants Harsh living and working conditions
Were very loyal to those who helped them
Who helped the immigrants?

16. Tammany Hall New York City Political Machine
Sent members to Ellis Island
Provided temporary housing/jobs

17. Political Machines
Tammany officials helped get immigrants naturalized (to become citizens of U.S.)
Why?

18. Graft and Corruption Political machines were extremely corrupt.
Tammany Hall
Host to the “Tweed Ring”
William Magaer Tweed
Boss Tweed

19. Corruption
Election fraud
Graft
Kickbacks

20. Election Fraud Dead people voting
More people voting than live in a city
Voters that are not eligible
Doctoring the numbers/ballots themselves
Labeled ballot boxes (no secret ballot)

21. Graft
the acquisition of money, gain, or advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, esp. through the abuse of one's position or influence in politics, business, etc.

22. Kickback
A slang term used to describe the payment of something of value to another individual with the goal of persuading or influencing their decision or performance in certain situations.

23. Review Political machine Political boss How did they work?
Who did political machines target
Summarize the three major ways political machines were corrupt

24. Corruption Activity

25. Political Corruption Activity
Goal: Become the political boss of PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL.
Activity: -- Groups of 3-4—no more
Devise a plan including aspects of a Political Machine
Apply your political machine to Penncrest H. S.
Explain your plan for a political machine running Penncrest to the class.
Incentive/Payoff: 2 Points towards the next test grade for the BEST plan.
The best plan will include multiple aspects of a political machine and apply them reasonably to PHS.
Time Limit: 20 minutes
GROUPS: Designate a group leader, scribe, presenter, and if 4 members, a time keeper. (If only 3 someone will have double duty)

26. The Tweed Ring Tammany Hall William Magear Tweed 1860’s
$200 Million in GRAFT

27. Collapse of Tweed Public opinion turns against Tweed WHY?
Corruption was illustrated
BY WHO?
Thomas Nast / NY TIMES
IN WHAT?
Harper’s Weekly Magazine

28. Thomas Nast Influential Political Cartoonist.
Increased importance of cartoons in the press.
Who did cartoons communicate to?
50 cartoons

31. "stone walls cannot imprison me, no prison is big enough to hold the boss, in on one side and out at the other."

34. William “Boss” Tweed
“I don’t care so much what the papers write about me. My constituents can’t read… But they can see pictures.”

35. Tweed’s End Tweed indicted -1871 Tweed escapes from jail
Fraud
Extortion
Illegal use of one's official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage.
Tweed escapes from jail
Arrested in Spain
Tweed dies while serving remainder of 12 year jail sentence.

36. Muckraker Searches for and expose misconduct in public life.
Name a publication that was a muckraker
Name a person who was a muckraker

37. Review
1. What did political machines do to build and maintain support for their party?
2. What caused the decline in the public support for the Tweed Ring?
3. Name the three components of a political machine, provide an example of each.
4. Name the three major forms of political corruption practiced by these political machines, provide an example of each.
5. Who was Thomas Nast, what was his role in bringing down the Tweed ring?
6. Explain why political cartoons were effective in bringing the Tweed Ring to justice.
7. What do you believe is the most essential part of the political machine—explain why.

38. Restoring Honest Government
Chapter 17
Section II

39. Scandal in the White House

40. Ulysses S. Grant
Elected President

41. Ulysses S. Grant Republican Famed Union Army General Civil War
Slogan “Let us have peace”

42. Grant’s Presidency
Grant’s Presidency
Filled with scandal
Examples…

43. Grant’s First Term Black Friday – September 24, 1869
Financier Jay Gould
Tried to use government to corner the gold market (to manipulate the value of gold)
Had invested in the Gold market
Gould claimed Grant knew and was involved
How does Grant’s term begin?

44. Jay Gould Corners Gold Market Bought up lots of gold
Corner a market – manipulating the value of something
Head of Erie Railway
Bought up lots of gold
Less gold available for everyone
What happens to the value of gold?
Then the gold was sold after value increased
Gould makes a large profit

45. Grant’s First Term 1872 Vice President – Schuyler Colfax
Credit Mobilier Corporation
Founded by Directors of Union Pacific Railway

46. Transcontinental Railroad
Under construction

47. Union Pacific Stockholders
Sold shares of stock (investments) to members of the United States Congress
What’s the problem?
What’s the Union Pacific’s interest?
What’s Congress’s interest?

48. Schuyler Colfax
Colfax
Speaker of House
Then becomes VP
Had invested

49. SCANDAL Kickbacks; GRAFT Credit Mobilier Overcharges Union Pacific
Overcharges go into pockets of Credit Mobilier
Who gets the money?

50. SCANDAL
Overcharged by $20 Million
Welcomed Grant to Office

51. Election of 1872
Ulysses Grant (R)
Horace Greeley (R)

52. Republican Party Split
What about the Democrats?
Horace Greeley
Supported civil service reform
Wanted to require tests
Those who earned the highest grades would get jobs
What would this stop?
DEMOCRATS support Greeley
Hoping to defeat Grant

53. Ulysses Grant Played on his image A war hero! REELECTED easily.
Vice President
Henry Wilson

54. Grant’s Second Term Corruption continues… Over what?
Taxation of Whiskey
What happened?
Members of Treasury Department (Appointed through spoils system)
ACCEPT BRIBES from Whiskey makers.

55. The Whiskey Ring Scandal
Members of Treasury
Accept bribes from Whiskey makers
In return:
Members of Treasury reduced the amount of taxes the whiskey distributors had to pay

56. American Public Fed Up with Corruption Created:
Distrust in American Government

57. The Struggle to Reform Spoils System
A Major issue in the election of 1876
Americans tired of corruption in government
Would this election bring change?

58. Election of 1876
Rutherford B. Hayes
Samuel J. Tilden

60. Rutherford B. Hayes Victorious President Vice President
Rutheford B. Hayes
Vice President
William Wheeler
What party retains power of the executive branch?

61. Rutherford B. Hayes Reform
Attempts to reform government angered his party.
REPUBLICAN PARTY SPLIT
Stalwarts
Half breeds

62. Split of Republican Party
Why?
Over the issued of patronage
Stalwarts – against reform
NO merit system for jobs
Tests to show qualifications
Half Breeds
Promoted the use of civil service exams
Tests to show that one is qualified for position

63. Election of 1880 Rutherford B. Hayes
Tired of toil (internal conflict) within his party
What to do?
Stalwarts and Half Breeds
BATTLE for control of the party
HALF BREEDS WIN!

64. Election of 1880 Half Breeds Win control: Nominate James A. Garfield
How will we get the Stalwarts behind Garfield?
Balance the ticket
Half Breeds place a Stalwart in Vice President
VP – Chester A. Arthur

65. Republicans Win Again President Vice President James A. Garfield
Chester A. Arthur

66. Garfield Assassinated
July 2, 1881
GARFIELD SHOT
At a Washington Train Station
4 months after inauguration
Assassin
CHARLES GUITEAU
Mentally unstable
Had sought a government job – but was unsuccessful

67. Charles Guiteau WHY? What was his motivation?
Believed assassinating Garfield would further the Stalwart cause.
THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS
How?
Who will take Garfield’s place?
Note: Garfield dies in September

68. Chester A. Arthur Stalwart
Sympathetic to the calls for reform of the fallen President, Arthur abandons his opposition to reform.

69. Reforms and Reactions President Arthur – 1883
Pendleton Civil Service Act
What did the act do?
Established Civil Service Commission
Civil Service Commission
Administered competitive tests to those people seeking government jobs.

70. Pendleton Civil Service Act
What it did:
Required a test for non-policy making Federal jobs.
What it did not do
Only covered 10% of Federal jobs.
Gentleman George

71. Election of 1884 Republicans nominate James Blaine
Why not Arthur?
Recall the split in the party
Who were the Stalwarts upset with?
Mugwumps- Republicans who supported reform
Decide to vote for the Democrat Candidate
GROVER CLEVELAND

72. Election of 1884
Cleveland
Accused of fathering a child outside of wedlock
Ma ma where’s my pa?
How did the Cleveland campaign react?

73. Grover Cleveland Refused to “throw dirt” on the opposition.
Stuck to the facts.
New York World
4 Reasons to vote for Cleveland:
1) He is an honest man
2) He is an honest man
3) He is an honest man
4) He is an honest man

76. Grover Cleveland “A public office is an office of trust”
Determined to promote reform
DOUBLED the number of Federal Jobs requiring civil service exams.

77. Election of 1888 Grover Cleveland (D) Benjamin Harrison (R)
Won popular vote
Benjamin Harrison (R)
Won electoral vote
Victorious

78. Reform Short-lived Harrison and Republicans:
Work to counteract all reform done by Cleveland

80. Review
Essay for Test:
Explain the inner workings of the political machine. To best do this, include the following:
Who leads a political machine
Name and explain, through an example or definition, the components of a political machine
Name and explain the three major forms of corruption that political machines practiced.