1. Gilded Age 1870-1900 Definition of “Gild” Why applied to time period

2. Gilded Age Attitudes and Intellectual Currents Self-Interest Materialism Laissez-faire Social Darwinism

3. Major Trends of Gilded Age Rapid Industrialization Urbanization Immigration Unionization

4. Laissez-faire Meaning Impact – Politics takes a back seat to the economic, social, and cultural changes taking place in the nation

5. Political Characteristics Congressional Ascendency Senate Domination Political Balance Between Parties One-term Presidents

6. Reasons for Congressional Ascendency and Senate Domination Impeachment of Johnson Longer tenure “millionaires club” Smaller size of Senate House?

7. Balanced Parties Geography, religious affiliation, ethnicity often determine party affiliation Personality more important than substance No real stand on issues (waving the “bloody shirt!”)

8. One-term Presidents Contests close One Democrat Elected 1856-1912 Importance of Midwest

9. Political Issues Tariff Veteran’s Pensions Currency Reform Civil Service Reform Overshadowed by “waving the bloody shirt”

10. Tariff Free trade v protectionism Generally, tariff duties rose, culminating in McKinley Tariff in the 1890s Industries not needing protection, protected

11. Veteran’s Pensions GAR Service related disabilities All Union soldiers 1890 Dependent Pension’s Act

12. Currency Reform Growth of population Constriction of currency greenbacks “Crime of ’73” (gold) Bland-Allison Act (silver)

13. Civil Service Reform Fed Employees: 1871-53,000; 1900-256,000 Spoils System – corruption Garfield – Guiteau Pendleton Act

14. Darwinism Charles Darwin-Galapagos Study 1859 Origin of Species Evolution Natural Selection

15. Social Darwinism Natural selection applied to society at large “Survival of the fittest” (WG Sumner) Negative impact on racial and ethnic minorities