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Cities versus Farms

Cities versus Farms. America at the end of the 19 th Century. City Culture. Immigration. Old v . New Immigration Old – NW Europe, mostly Protestants, mostly English speaking, literate and skilled New – S and E Europe, religious diverse, variety of languages, many illiterate and unskilled

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Cities versus Farms

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  1. Cities versus Farms America at the end of the 19th Century

  2. City Culture

  3. Immigration • Old v. New Immigration • Old – NW Europe, mostly Protestants, mostly English speaking, literate and skilled • New – S and E Europe, religious diverse, variety of languages, many illiterate and unskilled • 1890-1915 Peak of New Immigration • Restricting Immigration • Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 • “Undesirable” restrictions; Ellis Island • BUT no Quota Acts until the 1920s

  4. Building New Cities • Streetcars • Skyscrapers • Parks – Frederick Law Olmstead • Public Services • Sewage • Street lighting • Public water • Police and Fire Departments

  5. Ethnic Neighborhoods • Jacob Riis How the Other Half Lives • Dumbbell tenements • No building codes • Defacto Segregation • North End, 5 Points, China Town, Southie, etc… • Start of “white flight”

  6. City Politics • Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall

  7. Entertainment in the City– Leisure Time • Amusement Parks • Vaudeville • Professional sports • Baseball, boxing, basketball, football • Amateur sports • Bicycling, golf, tennis, athletic clubs

  8. Gilded Age Politics • Close elections between Democrats & Republicans • Massive party patronage – leading to corruption

  9. Rutherford Hayes • 1876-1880 - Republican • Ended Reconstruction – removed troops from the South • Temperance reformer “Lemonade Lucy” • Pledged to serve only 1 term

  10. James Garfield • 1880-1881 – Republican • Garfield was a “Halfbreed” and his VP Chester Arthus was a “Stalwart” • Garfield was overwhelmed with patronage job seekers • An angry Stalwart shot Garfield in 1881 – Garfield died 11 weeks later

  11. Chester Arthur • 1881-1884 Republican • Tried to reform civil service

  12. Grover Cleveland • 1884-1888 Democrat • Known as an honest politician • Frugal & limited government • New civil service system • Pendleton Act of 1881 – Civil Service Commission • Money – growing issues • Tariffs

  13. Money Issues • Should the money supply be expanded? • More Money/Soft Money – favored by debtors, farmers, small businesses • Borrow money at lower interest rates • Pay off loans more easily with inflated dollars • Less Money/Hard Money – supported by bankers, creditors, investors, & big business, support for the gold standard • Dollars would hold their value against inflation • The value of the dollar would increase

  14. Greenback Party • Greenbacks – paper money not backed by specie (gold or silver) • Greenback Party – supporters of paper money • Goal – increase amount of money in circulation

  15. Gold or Silver? • 1870s – Congress stopped coining of silver (Crime of 1873) • Bland-Allison Act (1878) – allowed limited coinage of silver (16:1) • Supporters of soft money called for UNLIMITED COINAGE OF SILVER

  16. Benjamin Harrison • 1889-1892 Republican • Won election of 1888 with tariff issue • Republicans supported high tariff • Democrats supported lower tariff

  17. Billion-dollar Congress • Republican control of the White House and Congress 1888-1890 • McKinley Tariff of 1890 • Increased pensions to Civil War veterans • Sherman Antitrust Act • Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

  18. The Populist Party Movement • Rose of the Grange and Farmers Alliance movements

  19. Omaha Platform • 1892 • Direct election of US senators • Initiatives and referendums • Unlimited coinage of silver • Graduated income tax • Public ownership of RRs • Public ownership of telegraph & telephone system • Federal loans for farmers • 8-hour work day

  20. Grover Cleveland • Reelected in 1892 • Panic of 1893 • Stock market crashed • Over speculation • Increased foreclosures (esp. farms) • High unemployment • Last 4 years • GC’s response – laissez-faire and support of the gold standard

  21. Coxey’s Army • 1894 March to Washington • Thousands of unemployed • Led by Populist Jacob Coxey of Ohio • Demanded a public works program to create jobs • Coxey and others were arrested – the army left Washington

  22. Election of 1896 • Democrats – William Jennings Bryan • “Cross of Gold” • Unlimited coinage of silver • Took over many Populist issues • Republicans – William McKinley • Conservative politics • Industry • Marcus Hanna – big business political boss

  23. William McKinley • 1897-1901 Republican • Economic recovery • Gold standard became official 1900

  24. Why did Populism decline? • The economy experienced rapid change. • The era of small producers and farmers was fading away. • Race divided the Populist Party, especially in the South. • The Populists were not able to breakexisting party loyalties. • Most of their agenda was co-opted bythe Democratic Party.

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