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Published byPreston Hart Modified over 9 years ago
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Public Opinion Politics, Technology, and Ideas from Reconstruction to the 1920s
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The “Rise of Public Opinion” The Newspaper Age The Decline of Popular Politics Public Relations, Propaganda, and Civil Liberties
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Newspapers Before 1865 Party Papers & Blanket Sheets The Penny Press The Civil War
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Newspapers After 1865 The “Independent” Metropolitan Daily From party editors to “press lords” The Newspaper as Big Business Advertising 30% to 50% of content, 1870-1900 Revenue doubles every decade Economies of Scale Steam presses, wire services, half-tone process, etc.
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Newspaper Circulation (per 100 households)
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A New Reading Public Urbanization More Diverse African-American press Foreign language press Better Educated 1870: 52% of children in school 1900: 72% of children in school
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New Journalisms Newspapers & Urban Life Health and “swill scandals” Political machines and corruption
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Thomas Nast vs. Tammany
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Other Scandals “The Beecher,” 1872 Victoria Woodhull and Obscenity Comstock Act, 1873 Press liberty v. public morals
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“Yellow” Journalism Or “Story” Journalism Hearst, Pulitzer, et al. Reaching new readers Supplements, Sunday editions, and graphics Women and immigrants News for the working and lower-middle classes
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Spanish-American War
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Newer Journalisms “Information” Journalism Adolph Ochs and The New York Times Professionalism “Decency” The ‘moral wars’ of the 1890s News for the educated middle-classes?
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“Muckraking” “Quality” Magazines and the Middle Classes Harper’s, Century, Scribner’s, Collier’s, Cosmopolitan Socialist Press and the Working Classes Appeal to Reason and The Jungle From Outrage to Cynicism?
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Voter Turnout in National Elections
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Politics Before 1865 A “State of Courts and Parties” Wartime expansion
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Shadow of the Civil War The ‘Bloody Shirt’ Veterans and Politics Pensions and jobs The Grand Army of the Republic Militias, Parades, and Political Ballyhoo
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Gilded Age Politics The Apotheosis of Popular Politics Strong Parties, Weak Presidents Close Elections, Negligible Mandates “Special” Legislation and “Corruption” William Seward on the Republican Party: “a joint-stock company in which those who contribute the most, direct the action and management of the concern.”
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Issues Tariffs The Currency Railroad Regulation Trusts and Monopolies Civil Service Reform
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Cultural Aspects Republicans ‘Mainstream’ Evangelical moralism Democrats Outsiders Liturgical / libertarian Issues Drink, schools, immigration Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion
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Splinter Groups Anti-Vice Republicans Grangers and Greenbackers Women Suffragists “Mugwumps” / Liberal Republicans
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Educational Politics Liberals and Anti-Party Reform Civil Service Australian Ballot Primaries Municipal reform Voter disenfranchisement Educating Public Opinion Ex: Currency
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The Progressive “Movement” Progressives and the Educational Style Muckraking (again) Attacking “the interests” Airing the “smoke-filled rooms” Expertise and efficiency
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Partisanship in Decline Emergence of “Pressure Groups” A Changing Electorate Middle class respectability Women and partisanship From Popular to Advertised Politics Centralization of party operations Money and campaigning
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The Great War & Public Opinion
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Disillusionment in the 1920s The “Propaganda Menace” The Dissent Cases and Modern Civil Liberties Walter Lippmann
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