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The Gilded Age: Prosperity and Perils in 19th Century America

Explore the highs and lows of the Gilded Age (1865-1900), marked by wealth disparities, economic shifts, and political machines' influence. Discover the impact of industrialization, labor struggles, and social changes in this transformative era. Uncover the rise of mass media, muckrakers, and key societal issues like race relations and immigration. Learn about the political machines that wielded power through patronage, as exemplified by figures like Boss Tweed. Reflect on how this pivotal period shaped America's trajectory.

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The Gilded Age: Prosperity and Perils in 19th Century America

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  1. The Gilded Age 1865-1900 An Overview & The Political Machines

  2. Why it this called a Gilded Age? • Mark Twain • In a satirical novel written with Charles D. Warner, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today 1873, Twain engages in social commentary concerning the state of our fast changing cities. • Twain refers to this as a “Gilded,” as opposed to Golden, Age, meaning the prosperity and culture that is seen is only on the surface and major problems lurk beneath the surface.

  3. Age of Prosperity(for some) • The Age of the Robber Barons: • Entrepreneurs & Industrialists were able to build great fortunes. • Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, etc. • The government created policies to support the industrialist. • High Tariffs kept foreign goods out, so consumers could only buy domestic goods. • Government supported owners over workers in labor disputes!

  4. Ups and Downs of the Economy • In the period from 1865-1900, the US economy went through periods of growth and depressions, due to tariff and currency policies. • Major depressions occurred in 1873 and 1893. • Farmers were especially hard hit. Since the US put high tariffs on imports, Europe refused to buy our agricultural products.

  5. Wage Discrepancy • While wealth and affluence were growing and the new middle class was rising, the number of poor were also growing. • The poor (immigrants, minorities, unskilled laborers) flooded to the cities looking for work in the factories. • Farmers were greatly impacted by increased production (which seems like a good thing), but it drove prices down.

  6. Changing Economy means changing Social Structure • As the Industrial Revolution evolved into the factory system which created mass production of consumer goods, families and communities had to adjust to the changing economy. • Children entered into the workforce in order to provided for the family.

  7. Rise of Mass Media • New Technologies in printing allowed newspapers to increase their circulation. • The Muckrakers! People who wrote to expose the evils in society and businesses.

  8. Other Topics • Race Relations and Segregation • Indian Policy and Westward Expansion • 2nd Industrial Revolution and Urbanization • Immigration • Civil Service Reform • Populism and the Farmers • Political Machines and corruption in government.

  9. The Political Machine

  10. The Political Machine The political machine consisted of three elements: • Bosses or a county committee, which governed the party machine and controlled the politicians; • Election district captains who mobilized and organized support at the neighborhood level; and • Party loyalists who supported the machine with votes and financial support in return for jobs, favors, etc.

  11. How it worked? • The “Political Machine” mobilized the voters to get their candidates elected. • In return for the “Political Machine” getting them elected, the politicians would have to vote and create policies to support the goals of the machine. • The “Political Machine” ran on “patronage” or securing jobs for supporters.

  12. Layers of the Political Machine • While the County Committee or Boss dealt with the government officials, businessmen, and, sometimes, the criminal elements, the precinct captains mobilized the voters in the area by forming relationships with families. • The Precinct Captains could help family members get jobs and often ran a small social service organization, providing food and shelter for needy constituents. They also could get cheap immigrant labor for businesses that supported the Political Machine.

  13. Thomas Nast • As a political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly, Nast attacked the Tammany Hall (Democratic) political machine that ran New York City in 1870 . • Along the way, Nast created the Democratic Donkey, Republican Elephant symbols (he did not like the Democrats), the Tammany Tiger and even Santa Claus.

  14. Boss Tweed "Stop them damn pictures. I don't care what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But, damn it, they can see the pictures." Picture from Boss Tweed Page http://www.polaris.edu/iltli/Tchrpgs/Tweed.htm

  15. Political Machines Today • Few political machines are still in operation; • The Republican Party of Nassau County, New York, for example, retains control of more than 20,000 patronage jobs in the county.

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