1 / 17

Chapter 23

Chapter 23. Post Reconstruction and the Birth of the Populist Party. Class Conflicts and Ethnic Clashes. 4 largest railroad companies got together to slashed worker’s wages by 10% Strike ensues: Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes sends in troops to regulate

fredericka-kelley
Download Presentation

Chapter 23

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 23 Post Reconstruction and the Birth of the Populist Party

  2. Class Conflicts and Ethnic Clashes • 4 largest railroad companies got together to slashed worker’s wages by 10% • Strike ensues: Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes sends in troops to regulate Issue: strikers are threatening interstate commerce Strike outcome: failure and showed the weakness of the early labor movement

  3. Munn V. Illinois (1877) • Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Granger Laws! (farmers win!) • Ruling: Federal Regulation of RR • Federal government gave more power to “STATE GOVERNMENT” to REGULATE a private industry (railroads) if it affects “PUBLIC INTEREST” OVERALL: (If the railroad system takes advantage of the public, the federal government can step in!) Farmers think they are gaining power against the Railroad industry!!!!! (SHORT-LIVED)

  4. Wabash Case (1886) • Ruling: “narrowed” Munn V Illinois / *******Granger Laws are “UNCONSTITUTIONAL”******** • Reason: Grangers “CAN’T” regulate interstate commerce throughout the states (federal government controls that!) • What court case???? • Limited the rights for states to control interstate commerce…leads to the creation of the I.C.C.

  5. Interstate Commerce Act (1887) • Reestablished the fact that the “federal government” controls interstate commerce & not the state MAIN PURPOSE: Federal government is losing MONEY!! (Taxes) Established the Interstate Commerce Commission - FIRST TRUE REGULATORY COMMISSION (federal government – Gibbons V. Ogden)

  6. Class Conflicts and Ethnic Clashes Clash: Irish and Chinese over low-paying jobs Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) - limited immigration to America -first “immigration restriction” legislation in American history

  7. Garfield and Arthur • 1880 Presidential election James Garfield (Republican) v. Chester Arthur (Democrat) - Garfield is assassinated by Charles Guiteau Arthur takes over - Reform-minded

  8. Gilded Age of Politics • Gilded = Corrupt • Coined by Mark Twain • Examples: Political Machines like Tammany Hall led by Boss Tweed (Tammany Ring Scandal) PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT “Magna Carta of civil service reform” Dissolved the Spoils System *giving a federal job based on MERIT, not based on who you know - established the Civil Service Commission - awarded jobs to qualified people

  9. 1884 & 1888 Presidential Election James Blaine (Republican) V. Grover Cleveland (Democrats) WINNER • “Mugwumps” = reform-minded Republicans that switched to the Democratic Party • “Old Grover” as president: (1) Supported laissez-faire Who is happy: ______________________ (2) Name 2 Ex-Confederate leaders to his Cabinet GOAL: _____________________________ (3) Supported the “merit” System and fired 80,000 of 120,000 federal officials (problem) 40,000 of them were Republicans so Democrats could come in! (4) Budget Surplus *(unusual problem) - Cleveland couldn’t justify taking taxes in from people when there was a surplus GETTING RID OF THE SURPLUS: • Invent things to spend the money on • Cut taxes (this option was chosen) Problem: Republican WANT high tariffs Issue: Benjamin Harrison *(REPUBLICAN) won the 1888 Presidential election

  10. Thomas “Czar” Reed – Speaker of the House • Republican are BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE (1888 President Harrison) • Changes: Republicans voted in Thomas “Czar” Reed – Speaker of the House - ran the House like a Dictator Democratic Response: - didn’t answer roll call on purpose (didn’t reach “quorum”) Def: _____________________________________

  11. Thomas “Czar” Reed • Billion Dollar Congress (first time) • Pensions were given to veterans • McKinley Tariff (1890) *Later to become president in 1896 - highest peace-time tariff in American History • Businesses loved it! • Poor people (FARMERS) hated it! RESULT: NEW POLITICAL AGENDA AND PARTY EMERGES IN 1892

  12. Populist Party • Populist Party (People’s Party) emerges at the Omaha Platform in 1892 • Group Involved: Farmers / Farmer’s Alliance / The Grange • Led by: Oliver Hudson Kelley • Focus: Lift the burden of the farmers • Populist’s Platform / Agenda: • More money in circulation (thus, helping them pay off debts) • Unlimited free coinage of silver (to the expense of the Federal Government) • GRADUATED INCOME TAX (_____ Amendment) • Direct election of Senators (_____ Amendment) • Federal Regulation of Railroads - railroads are taking advantage of farmers through (a) high freight rates (6) Initiatives:_______________________________________________ (7) Referendums:____________________________________________ (8) Recalls: _________________________________________________ (9) Immigration Restrictions (10) 8 – Hour workdays

  13. 1892 Presidential Election • Grover Cleveland (4 years off) *Only President Money Issues: 1st Presidency (Budget Surplus) 2nd (1892-1896) – deficient (GOLD SUPPLY WAS GETTING VERY LOW!) *WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN - young Congressman that argues FOR Silver instead of Gold to back up paper money Gold-for-paper-money *(Gold Standard) is argued but not solidified as the answer FIXING THE GOLD PROBLEM: Cleveland asks J.P. Morgan (Industrial Mogul) for money *$65 Million was given to the government for the gold (J.P. Morgan and associates made $7 million off of the exchange)

  14. Politics in Populism“Silver or Gold?????” • Late 1800s – mild “sectionalism” • Republicans (Northern Industrialists / Bankers) • Democrats / Populists (Southern Farmers) Main Focus: WHICH METAL WILL BECOME THE BASIS OF THE NATION’S MONETARY SYSTEM????? • “Silverites” who favored “Bimetallism” – either gold OR silver in exchange for paper $ (abundance) FARMERS Benefit: more money in circulation would help raise crop prices • “Gold bugs” who favored “Gold Standard” – JUST gold in exchange for paper $ (more stable) BANKERS

  15. 1896 Presidential election • Republican – William McKinley (Winner) • (Gold bug/ gold standard) –includes bankers and businessmen • Democrat / Populist – William Jennings Bryan • (Silverite/ bimetallism) – includes farmers and laborers • - Criticized for his radical beliefs • MAIN ISSUE: WHICH METAL WILL BECOME THE • BASIS OF THE NATION’S MONETARY SYSTEM?????

  16. William Jennings Bryan’sCROSS OF GOLD Speech 1896 Democratic / Populist Nomination speech Remember: Bryan SUPPORTS Bimetallism and the “farmer / common man” • “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor the crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold” • William Jennings Bryan (Cross of Gold Speech) • HATES the Gold Standard • SUPPORTS BIMETALLISM

  17. What ends the Populist “wave” in the late 1890s (1) Democrats “ADOPTED” (Gold Triumphs OVER Silver) many of the Populist ideas…. and they later became law (Ex. 16th & 17th Amendment) (2) William McKinley’s victory in the 1896 Presidential Election

More Related