Ch. 23: Political Paralysis in the

Gilded Age (Mark Twain)

1869-1896

Era when society was perceived as doing well but the reality was

corruption, poverty, crime, and a huge gap between the rich and poor.

Era of Good Stealings

Black Friday 1869

Credit Mobilier 1872

Whiskey Ring 1874-75

Sec. of War resignation 1876

Political Bosses

Boss Tweed Hinky Dink Kenna

Depression of 1873

1. Commercial overexpansion:

RR, gains, mining, loans

2. Bankruptcies high

3. AA suffer

4. Hard-money vs. greenbacks

5. Resumption Act 1875: redeem greenbacks for gold

6. Silver backing as well?

Political Party MembershipRepublicans:

Puritan values Gov’t control on

soc/eco/moral Midwest, rural,

small town Freedmen

Ethnic and cultural difference at the heart of political differences! Not the “issues.”

Democrats: Catholic/Lutherans Immigrants/Tolerant Morality not a gov’t

issue South/N. cities Political machines

Stalwart’s vs. the Half-Breedsboth belong to the Republican party!

Stalwarts: conservative Keep patronage/no

civil service reform backed the

protective tariff Roscoe Conkling of

New York was the most prominent Stalwart leader.

The Half-Breeds “half Republican” moderately liberal supported civil service

reform James Blaine of Maine

was the leader of this group

Post-reconstruction South

Sharecropping & crop-lien systems

Jim Crow

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

“The New Order”

Class Conflicts & Ethnic Clashes

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Great Uprising of 18771. Began in West Va;

spread from coast to coast!

2. Supported by community

3. >100 dead4. Pinkertons hired5. Pres. Hayes sends in

federal troops6. Formation of the

National Guard7. Trickle effect of trains

going on strike?

Strikes by States, 1880

Ethnic Clashes

Pres. Garfield Assassination

C.J. Guiteau

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

1. position based on merit via exams

2. Get rid of the spoils system

3. Taxation of employees for campaigns no longer allowed

President Grover Cleveland (D)1884

22nd and 24th president Favored Laissez-faire

economics Probusiness Non-military $145M surplus!

Pork barreling Lower tariffs, to the

chagrin of the Democrats

Benjamin Harrison (R)

23rd President

1888

Harrison’s Billion Dollar Congress Passes McKinley Tariff

Act 1890 Highest tariff to date! Farmers goods not

protected by tariffs= support Democratic party

Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1890: puts more silver out into circulation; results in inflation although helps farmers able to pay off debt

Farmers and Workers Organize

Populist Movement (1890s)

Farmers come together to challenge RR and the two-party

system

akaThe People's Party

Populist Movement

Grangers Colored Farmers Alliance

Farmers Alliance

Populists’ Goals1. Gov’t control of major

industries!! RR, banks, communications, etc.

2. Graduated income tax

3. Eradicate monopolies

4. Restrict immigrant/no land

5. Lower tariffs

6. Coinage of silver 1/16

7. One term president

8. Direct senatorial elections

9. Better working conditions/wages/hrs

James Weaver (1892E.)

Farmers’ Alliance & Populist Wanted “Free

coinage of silver” to help pay off their debt

Negative consequence of all this silver in circulation?

Homestead Strike (steel workers/1892)

1. Wage cuts/break union

2. Pinkerton’s hired3. Fighting ensues4. Pa. National Guard

sent out/scabs hired5. Conditions worsen:

hrs increased, wages cut, union defeated

Colored Farmers’ National Alliance

Populist Tom Watson

Goes from a civil rights supporter to White supremacist

Voting Disenfranchisement

1. Literacy test

2. Poll taxes

3. Property qualification

4. Grandfather clause

5. SCJ = ensured “qualified” voters

Guess who’s back in 1892?

Cleveland & the Depression, 1893

Repeals Silver Purchase ActGov’t gets loan from JP MorganMany saw deal as shadyRepublicans prepare for a comeback!