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Gilded Age Political Corruption and Reform Efforts

Explore the political corruption and reform movements during the Gilded Age. Learn about Boss Tweed, the Pendleton Act, gold standard, populist movements, and William Jennings Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech.

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Gilded Age Political Corruption and Reform Efforts

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  1. Tuesday, October 6, 2014 • Take your seat • Quietly Review your vocabulary with your partner Vocab Quiz in 3 minutes Focus Ch. 3 Sec. 3-4 Possible IDs: Social Gospel, Angel & Ellis Island, Americanization or the Gilded Age

  2. Today’s Agenda • Vocabulary Quiz • Share Paragraphs from last night • FN: Political Corruption and the Gilded Age • Homework: • Read Ch. 4 Sec. 1 • Answer Reading questions

  3. 1877 - 1917 Unit 2—Chapters 3 – 4 Industrialization and Progressivism CSS 11.1, 11.2, 11.3. 11.5, 11.6

  4. Political Corruption of the Gilded Age EQ: What challenges arose for the nations political system during the gilded age?

  5. Gilded Age • Gilded Age • Quote by Mark Twain: "The golden gleam of the gilded surface hides the cheapness of the metal underneath." • Gilded = covered with gold on outside, but not golden on the inside

  6. Gilded Age Segregation • Reminder: African American’s are still suffering under Jim Crow Laws in the South • Plessy v. Ferguson

  7. Gilded Age Politics –The Bosses • Political Machines • “Bosses” controlled elections exchanging votes for gov jobs & contracts • Elections fixed, the “right” people won • Workers were forced to vote by their bosses • Tammany Hall in NYC • Run by William “Boss” Tweed 1860s and 1870s • Tweed embezzled $100 million got himself elected to the NY leg.

  8. Political Corruption - Grafting • When a political figure profits personally from the public budget • they sell property to the government or the government picks their company to build public buildings • Boss Tweed charged the city $13 million to build a $3 million courthouse

  9. Gilded Age Corruption - Tweed Goes to Jail • Thomas Nast • Pictures of Tweed in Harper’s Weekly helped put him in jail • even illiterate people could get the gist of his cartoons • Nast created the symbol of the Republican party (the elephant) • he is the godfather of political cartoons today

  10. Pendleton Act, 1883 • “spoils system” - presidents gave jobs to people who helped them become president • This is the “Who you know” system of corruption • Lead to President Garfield murdered • he wouldn’t give Charles Guiteau a job b/c he didn’t know him • The Pendleton Act • New law - gov employees take civil service exam – merit based system • this made government workers accountable

  11. Gold Standard • Hard monetary policy • Farmers didn’t like it - kept prices low • Farmers wanted to mint silver coins • Make money cheaper and more available

  12. Farmers and the Populist Movement • Farmer Alliance, 1870s • Farmers frustrated by falling crop prices, formed a group to work together • The Grange in the Midwest • The Farmers Alliance in the South and Plains • The group fell apart although over 700,000 farmers joined The Farmers and the Railroads: The Grange Awakening the Sleepers Source/Date

  13. Farmers and the Populist Movement • Populist Party, 1890s • Farmers tried again = People’s Party • Tried to unite W & S farmers with E factory workers into one party • They wanted cheaper money, railroad regulations, lower storage and shipping rates Mary Elizabeth Lease, a leading Populist speaker, she said, "Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master. The West and South are bound and prostrate before the manufacturing East. Money rules..."

  14. The Populist Platform • Populists saw need for change • Platform (message) • increase $ supply • graduated income tax • federal loan program • election of senators by popular vote • Secret ballot • eight hr. work day William Jennings Bryan

  15. Farmers and the Populist Movement • William Jennings Bryan, 1896 • Populist candidate, popular after his “Cross of Gold” Speech • Blamed rich for keeping money too scarce • Lost the election but gov adopt many of his ideas eventually • Interstate Commerce Act

  16. Audio of Cross of Gold speech • Cross of Gold Speech

  17. Electoral Map 1892

  18. Electoral Map 1896

  19. Preview of Progressives (don’t write) • City of Bell scandal

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