The “Gilded Age” 1865-1900

1. The “Gilded Age” 1865-1900 Author Mark Twain

2. VOCABULARY GILDED Covered with a thin layer of gold or a substance that looks like gold.

3. The Gilded Age… • Looked golden, shiny, happy, prosperous • BUT UNDERNEATH IT ALL… • [Fill in your own disgusting images]

4. What was shiny in the Gilded Age? • Economic growth • close to the wealthiest country in the world • People with enormous fortunes • Big cities • Exciting, modern places • Technology • Telephone, electric light, and thousands more

5. What Was the [xxxxx] Underneath? • Massive poverty, hunger, homelessness • Domination of society by big business and trusts • Horrible working conditions & child labor • Corruption • Total abandonment of civil rights • Total lack of rights for women

6. Labor Conditions in the Gilded Age

7. Industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt “The public be damned” “Who gives a damn about the public? I got the power, don’t I

9. Corruption in the Gilded Age • Grant Administration • Credit Mobilier Scandal • Railroad company was overcharging the US government and giving bribes to govt. officials • Whiskey Ring Scandal • Govt officials taking bribes to assist whiskey sellers break the law • Public officials for sale

11. Politics in the Gilded Age

12. The Federal Government’s Jobs During the Gilded Age • Deliver mail • Maintain a small army • Provide a structure by which the dull, bearded presidents could comb their beards • In other words: very little power

13. The Age of Mediocre, Forgettable Presidents Hayes, 1877-1881 Garfield, 1881 Arthur, 1881-1885 Cleveland, 1885-1889; 1893-1897 Harrison, 1889-1893

14. Elections, 1876-1896

15. The Two Parties • Democrats and Republicans • Very similar • Pro business • Anti-radical • Republicans a little (not a lot) more responsive to civil rights • Your politics didn’t determine your party; your CULTURE did

16. “Old stock” Protestants Anti-immigrant Pro-temperance Northeasterners Blacks Bankers, Bigger business owners, etc. Pro-tariff White Southerners Catholics & other big city immigrants Westerners Farmers Who Belonged to Each Party? Republicans Democrats

17. Social Issues in the Gilded Age

21. Civil Rights in the Gilded Age • Total abandonment of Reconstruction • Blacks had few voting or civil rights • Staggering number of lynchings an other forms of violence

22. Civil Rights in the Gilded Age • Plessy v. Ferguson • 1896 Supreme Court decision • Separate facilities did not violate the 14th Amendment as long as they were “equal” • They were never equal • Law of the land until 1954 • 1890—Force Bill (to enforce 15th Amendment) is voted down • Last Black leaves Congress in 1901 • None til 1929

23. “Strange Fruit”—Billie Holiday • Southern trees bear strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. • Pastoral scene of the gallant south, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, Then the sudden smell of burning flesh. • Here is fruit for the crows to pluck, For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop, Here is a strange and bitter cry.

24. Women’s Rights in the Gilded Age • Some western states allowed suffrage • Wyoming the 1st in 1890 • Overall, women had few rights • Voting, child custody, divorce, freedom from violence, property ownership, etc.

25. Economic Issues in the Gilded Age

26. Farm Crisis in the Gilded Age • Economic • New technology & new lands meant overproduction • Low prices & heavy debts made farmers desperate • Political • 1800—97% of population was rural • 1880—only 60% was rural • Farmers are losing political voice • Social • Lonely, boring isolated life on the farms

27. Farmers Were in Debt To… • Banks • Land speculators • Commercial (corporate) farms • Railroads • Equipment Salesmen • Mills & other middle men • KEY POINT: Farmers had no control over any of these people

28. The Solution? • Formation of the Farmers’ Alliances • A sort of “labor union for farmers” • Membership: • 4,000,000 farmers by 1890 • Both white and black Alliances • Goals: • Economic cooperation & assistance to each other • Political lobbying & candidate support • Eventually their own political party (The Populists) • Relieving social isolation through gatherings

29. Why Farmers Were Going Broke • Technology & new lands mean overproduction • Means falling prices (“the more ya got, the less it’s worth”) • Technology is expensive • Middle-men (mill owners, etc.) charge a lot • Banks charge high interest & take land • Monopolistic railroads charge high rates

31. Alliance Economic Tactics • Sharing technology • Pooling resources to start own banks • Fixing prices at a higher level & limiting production • Sort of like the manufacturers’ pools • Starting non-profit mills, etc.

32. Alliance Leader Mary Elizabeth Lease “Raise less corn and more… HELL!!!”

33. Alliance Political Tactics • Campaign for & Support friendly candidates • Most often Democrats • 1890 helped elect friendly legislators • 50 Congressmen • 6 Senators • Lobby for favorable laws • Railroad regulations, government assistance to farmers, etc. • 1892—Formation of the People’s (Populist) Party

34. A Texas Alliance Gathering, 1890

35. 1892 Election

36. The People’s (Populist) Party • Formed in 1892 • Constituency • Mostly western and southern farmers • Attempted to recruit organized labor as well • Core Beliefs • Stronger national government • Public ownership of utilities & railroads • Government loans to farmers • “Free silver” • Success • Won 8.5% of vote & three states in for president in 1892

37. Money • Printed money had to be backed by a supply of a precious metal • Based only on gold—less money printed • Based on gold & silver—more money printed • “The more there is the less it’s worth” • If the money is worth less, prices are higher • inflation

38. Money, Part 2 • People in debt (who owe money) want • More money available • Debts are worth less • Debtors (people who are owed money) want • Less money available • Debts are worth more • Farmers wanted… • More money available • Paper money based on gold and silver

39. 3 Early Attempts at Reform in the Gilded Age • Pendleton Act (1884) • Interstate Commerce Act (1887) • Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

40. Pendleton Act Pendleton Act required some government jobs to be assigned through competitive exams • More symbolic than effective

41. Interstate Commerce Act • Goal was to regulate railroads rate • Said that railroads must charge “a reasonable and just rate” • Gave no indication what that meant • Set up the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) • Had no enforcement power at all

42. The ICC can be made of great use to the railroads. it satisfies the popular clamor for a government supervision of the railroads, at the same time that such supervision is entirely nominal…The part of wisdom is not to destroy the Commission, but to utilize it.” --Railroad Corporation Lawyer Richard Olney

45. Sherman Anti-Trust Act • Put government restrictions on trusts, monopolies and certain trade practices • In reality, rarely enforced at all against corporations • WAS used against labor unions • “monopolies of labor”

46. The Tariff • 1890—McKinley Tariff; highest ever • 1894—Wilson-Gorman Tariff • Democrats controlled White House & Congress • But still an INCREASE in tariff • Did include a 2% graduated income tax • Ruled unconstitutional • 16th Amendment of 1913