“The Gilded Age”

1. “The Gilded Age” Machine Politics and Populist Reform in the late 1800s

2. Mark Twain & The Gilded Age Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) emerged as the country’s premier social satirist and writer in the late 1800s; he gave the era its name “…no country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law and that the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.”- The Gilded Age (1873)

3. Republican Political Dominance • Republicans capitalized on their association with the Union cause to dominate the political landscape: • The GOP (Grand Old Party) held the presidency from 1861-1913 with only two exceptions – Democrat Grover Cleveland’s two terms in 1885-89 and 1893-97 • Republicans campaigned on a platform of laissez-faire economic policies (keeping “hands off” of private business interests) • Union veterans (the Grand Army of the Republic) and African-Americans were two major bases of support • Republicans also drew strength from the rural and small-town Northeast and Midwest, as well as the growing urban middle class

4. Democratic Party Revival • Democrats successfully revived despite being linked to the losing cause in the Civil War: • They combined the support of the “Solid South” after Reconstruction with the power of northern political bosses in the big cities (ex: “Boss” Tweed in NYC) • Democrats appealed widely to immigrants who, once they became citizens, loyally voted Democratic in exchange for jobs and other favors doled out by the big political machines in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago (in the tradition of Jacksonian democracy) • Democrats fared well in Congressional elections and consistently put up a strong challenge to Republican presidential candidates

5. Political Party Symbols (1874)

6. The Business of Politics • Politicians in both parties often followed the lead of big business, which helped to finance increasingly costly election campaign expenses • The White House and Congress were relatively weak compared to robust business interests, which often controlled politicians for their own “special interests” • These “special interests” often dominated Congress, resulting in a proliferation of “pork-barrel” legislation, designed to provide constituents with jobs and federal money

7. One View of “Democracy” in Action

8. Commonplace Corruption • President Grant’s administration (1869-77) was riddled with corruption that often contributed to major scandals, including Credit Mobilier, the “whiskey” ring, and “Black Friday” • Reform-minded Republicans (known as Liberals and “Half-Breeds”) challenged the party leadership in the 1870s and 1880s – some Republican “Mugwumps” went so far as to support Cleveland in the 1884 election • City bosses (such as William Marcy Tweed) ran their political machines as personal fiefdoms, doling out jobs and political favors in exchange for kickbacks and other payoffs

9. Thomas Nast Takes on Tweed Thomas Nast, the “Father of the American Cartoon”, took on Tweed’s corruption in the pages of Harper’s Weekly in the 1860s and 1870s, helping to contribute to Tweed’s downfall

10. Taking on the “Tweed Ring”

11. Urban Reform Movements • As America’s cities grew in size, problems such as poor housing and rising poverty and crime became worse • Social reformers sought to alleviate these social ills through promotion of religious faith and education: • The Social Gospel movement aimed to help the working poor through organizations such as the Salvation Army and YMCA/YWCA • Jane Addams led the settlement house movement, which sought to help immigrants through education; she established Hull House in Chicago (1899) to help meet the needs of a growing immigrant community

12. The Rise of Labor Unions • As industrialization increased the need for factory and mine workers, labor unions sought to improve worker conditions by campaigning for shorter hours, higher wages, and improved safety conditions • The Knights of Labor rose in the 1870s and campaigned for an 8-hour workday, the end of child labor, and equal pay for women; lost support after being associated with labor radicalism in the 1880s • The American Federation of Labor (led by Samuel Gompers) organized skilled workers and was much more successful in achieving its goals because it sought negotiation with management rather than resorting to strikes and violence

13. Early Government Reform Efforts • While the federal and state governments preferred a laissez-faire approach, some efforts were made to promote the social welfare through legislation: • Pendleton Act (1883) – passed by Congress after the assassination of President Garfield in 1881; sought to replace the spoils system with professional civil servants • Interstate Commerce Act (1887) – created the first federal regulatory agency; sought to limit the power of railroads • Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) – sought to regulate the economic activities of trusts and monopolies by regulating and breaking up large trusts acting “in restraint of trade”

14. The Populist Reform Movement American farmers increased agricultural production thanks to the opening of western lands and new machinery, but also struggled to stay out of debt and make a profit due to rapidly declining agricultural prices The National Grange organized in 1867 to represent farmer interests and campaigned for railroad regulation, free coinage of silver, and the creation of farmer cooperatives By 1890, farmers and laborers united to form the Populist (Peoples’) Party to challenge the two major parties; they sought greater government intervention to help the “common man” and supported William Jennings Bryan’s failed campaign for the presidency in 1896; influenced progressive reform efforts in the next two decades

15. The Election of 1896 – McKinley vs. Bryan

16. Election Analysis:Identify and describe at least three generalizations that can be inferred from the 1896 election results.