Chapter 8 POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE

1. Chapter 8POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE Section 1: Political Machines Section 2: Restoring Honest Government Section 3: The Populist Movement

2. Section 1: Political Machines Objectives: • How did political machines emerge in U.S. cities? • Why were immigrants important to political machines? • How did corruption and illegal activities develop in many political machines? • What events led to the collapse of public support for the Tweed Ring?

3. Section 1: Political Machines Political machines Political machines controlled votes by offering jobs, political favors, and services to loyal supporters.

4. Section 1: Political Machines Importance of immigrants • easily accessible—could be welcomed on arrival • had many needs for housing, jobs, and services • represented a huge supply of supporters and voters • tended to be loyal to machines

5. Section 1: Political Machines Corruption and illegal activities • Machines hired men to “vote early and often.” • Bosses took bribes, payoffs, and kickbacks.

6. Section 1: Political Machines Collapse of Tweed’s support • Thomas Nast’s cartoons revealed Tweed’s corruption, even to people who couldn’t read very well. • The New York Times published a series of articles exposing Tweed.

7. Section 2: Restoring Honest Government Objectives: • What scandals plagued the Grant administration? • Why did Americans want political reform, and how did this desire affect the Republican Party? • Why did President Arthur’s positions on civil service reform change, and how did this affect his political party? • How did President Harrison deal with President Cleveland’s reforms?

8. Section 2: Restoring Honest Government Scandals in the Grant administration • the gold market scandal • the Crédit Mobilier scandal • the Whiskey Ring scandal

9. Section 2: Restoring Honest Government Desire for reform Americans wanted political reform and honest officials because corruption had become so widespread. This desire split the Republican Party into the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds.

10. Section 2: Restoring Honest Government President Arthur Arthur began to support reform after the assassination of President Garfield, and this led to reform Republicans voting for Cleveland, the Democratic candidate, in the election of 1884.

11. Section 2: Restoring Honest Government Harrison’s response to Cleveland’s reforms • returned to political patronage • spent money on Republican pet projects

12. Section 3: The Populist Movement Objectives: • What factors led to economic hardships for farmers? • What did the farmers’ movements hope to achieve, and what weakened their efforts? • Why did farmers support money backed by silver? • What issues did the Populist Party support? • How did silver affect the economy and the 1896 presidential election?

13. Section 3: The Populist Movement Economic hardships for farmers • heavy debts • high freight and machinery costs • falling crop prices

14. Section 3: The Populist Movement Farmer’s movements • hoped to pressure states to regulate freight andgrain-storage rates • formed cooperatives • offered low-cost insurance • lobbied for graduated income tax • weakened by government limits on the powerof ICC • weakened by racial segregation

15. Section 3: The Populist Movement Money backed by silver Farmers supported money backed by silver because they wanted to increase the paper money supply. As long as only gold was allowed to back paper, the money supply was restricted by how much gold the treasury had.

16. Section 3: The Populist Movement Populist Party issues • graduated income tax • bank regulation • government ownership of railroad and telegraph companies • free coinage of silver • immigration restrictions • shorter workday • voting reforms

17. Section 3: The Populist Movement The effects of silver • Silver was a central issue in the 1896 presidential campaign. • Populists supported Bryan because of his stand on silver. • William McKinley won the election with the support of business leaders who opposed free silver.