politics and the gilded age

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the rise of populism and unionism during the gilded age

Transcript of politics and the gilded age

END OF END OF RECONSTRUCTIONRECONSTRUCTION

• 1877 … HAYES V. TILDEN1877 … HAYES V. TILDEN• QUID PRO QUOQUID PRO QUO

RECONSTRUCTION

POLITICAL SCENEPOLITICAL SCENE• DECLINE OF PRESIDENTIAL DECLINE OF PRESIDENTIAL

POWERPOWER• PRESIDENCY CONTROLLED BY PRESIDENCY CONTROLLED BY

REPUBLICANSREPUBLICANS• Charges of CorruptionCharges of Corruption

G.O.P.G.O.P.

CorruptionCorruption

Political Political MachinesMachines

Graft Graft

Grant & Credit Moblier

William William Tweed and Tweed and Political Political BossesBosses

Tweed was the leader Tweed was the leader of Tammany Hall in of Tammany Hall in NYCNYC

•Services and support Services and support (welfare)(welfare)

•Graft and Graft and corruptioncorruption

Thomas Nast Thomas Nast used political used political cartoons to cartoons to do what the do what the law could law could not.not.

Bring Bring Tweed Tweed DownDown

THE G.O.P.THE G.O.P.• SUPPORT HIGH TARIFFSUPPORT HIGH TARIFF• BACK BIG BUSINESSBACK BIG BUSINESS• IMPERIALISMIMPERIALISM• CORRUPTION RAMPANTCORRUPTION RAMPANT• THE “BLOODY SHIRT”THE “BLOODY SHIRT”• Bland-Allison Act (silver)Bland-Allison Act (silver)

HAYESHAYES - - GARFIELDGARFIELD - - ARTHURARTHUR - - CLEVELANDCLEVELAND - - “WHO ?”“WHO ?”

• THE FORGETTABLE PRESIDENTSTHE FORGETTABLE PRESIDENTS• GARFIELD ASSASSINATEDGARFIELD ASSASSINATED

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM CIVIL SERVICE REFORM … DEMOCRATS… DEMOCRATS

• PENDLETON ACT …1883PENDLETON ACT …1883• Dawes ActDawes Act• ICC …(RR)ICC …(RR)

MAJOR ISSUESMAJOR ISSUES• REFORMREFORM• IMMIGRATIONIMMIGRATION• TARIFFTARIFF• MILITARY PENSIONSMILITARY PENSIONS• JIM CROW LAWSJIM CROW LAWS• CIVIL SERVICECIVIL SERVICE• POLITICAL MACHINESPOLITICAL MACHINES

TheThe AmAmeriericancan FarmerFarmer

Plight of The FarmerPlight of The Farmer

• Falling % of the PopulationFalling % of the Population• Deep Economic problems ignored by Deep Economic problems ignored by

Gov`tGov`t.

Life on the FarmLife on the Farm• MechanizationMechanization• Tenant farmers…SharecroppersTenant farmers…Sharecroppers• The Weather…droughtThe Weather…drought• Farm Life is drearyFarm Life is dreary

OverproductionOverproduction• wheat falls from$2:00 a bushel to 78 wheat falls from$2:00 a bushel to 78

centscents• less $ in circulation…falling incomes less $ in circulation…falling incomes

and rising expensesand rising expenses• blame placed on grain elevatorsblame placed on grain elevators

The GrangeThe Grange• Oliver KellyOliver Kelly• Munn v. Ill….Granger CasesMunn v. Ill….Granger Cases• I.C.C. control Pooling & RebatesI.C.C. control Pooling & Rebates

TheThe Silver Silver IssueIssue “Crime of ’73” demonetization of

silver (govt. stopped coining silver). Bland-Allison Act (1878) limited

silver coinage to $2-$4 mil. per mo.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) The US Treasury must purchase

$4.5 mil. oz. of silver a month. Govt. deposited most silver in the

US Treasury rather than circulation.

Price Indexes for Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Consumer & Farm

Products: 1865-1913Products: 1865-1913

Founder of the National Founder of the National Grange of the Patrons of Grange of the Patrons of

Husbandry Husbandry (1867)(1867)

THE RISE OF ORGANIZED THE RISE OF ORGANIZED LABORLABOR

1842 … COMMONWEALTH v. HUNT1842 … COMMONWEALTH v. HUNT 1866 … NATIONAL LABOR UNION ( WILLIAM 1866 … NATIONAL LABOR UNION ( WILLIAM

SYLVIS )SYLVIS ) 1869 … THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR ( STEVENS & 1869 … THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR ( STEVENS &

POWDERLY )POWDERLY ) 1886 … THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF 1886 … THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF

LABOR ( SAM GOMPERS )LABOR ( SAM GOMPERS ) MAY 4TH 1886 … HAYMARKET RIOTMAY 4TH 1886 … HAYMARKET RIOT

National Labor Union 1866

                                                   

                         

Knights of Labor

Everyone Welcome

Terrence Powderly

Haymarket Square Bombing

How did Industry try to stop Unions ?Lock out Blacklists Yellow Dog contract Private GuardsCourt Injunctions

GOV`T & INDUSTRIAL GOV`T & INDUSTRIAL SUPRESSION OF THE UNIONSSUPRESSION OF THE UNIONS• 1870 … 300,000 MEMBERS• 1930 … 3,300,000 MEMBERS

WOMEN & WOMEN & AFRICAN - AMERICANS AFRICAN - AMERICANS

IN THE IN THE UNIONSUNIONS

NOT ALLOWEDNOT ALLOWED

TERMINOLOGYTERMINOLOGY• SCABSSCABS• BOYCOTTBOYCOTT• LOCKOUTLOCKOUT• BLACKLISTBLACKLIST• STRIKEBREAKERSSTRIKEBREAKERS• CLOSED-SHOPCLOSED-SHOP

Eugene V. Debs

Cheap $$$• Bland-Allison ActBland-Allison Act• Sherman Sherman SilverSilver Purchase Purchase

Act…never usedAct…never used• Favor Big BusinessFavor Big Business

Populist Party Founded

• Platform…Platform…1) Gov`t owned R.R…. 1) Gov`t owned R.R….

2) Income Tax… 2) Income Tax… 3) Secret Ballot… 3) Secret Ballot…

4) Direct election of Senators4) Direct election of Senators

1882…”Less Corn …MORE HELL”

What was the Populist What was the Populist Party ?Party ?

UniteUnited We d We StanStan

d, d, DividDivid

ed ed We We FallFall

In 1889 both In 1889 both the Northern andthe Northern andSouthern Southern AlliancesAlliancesmerged into onemerged into one—the —the Farmers’ Farmers’ AllianceAlliance..

Omaha Platform of Omaha Platform of 189218921.1. System of System of “sub-treasuries.”“sub-treasuries.”

2.2. Abolition of the National Bank.Abolition of the National Bank.3.3. Direct election of Senators.Direct election of Senators.4.4. Govt. ownership of RRs, telephone & Govt. ownership of RRs, telephone &

telegraph companies.telegraph companies.5.5. Government-operated postal savings Government-operated postal savings

banks.banks.6.6. Restriction of undesirable immigration.Restriction of undesirable immigration.7.7. 8-hour work day for government 8-hour work day for government

employees.employees.8.8. Abolition of the Pinkerton detective Abolition of the Pinkerton detective

agency.agency.9.9. Australian secret ballot.Australian secret ballot.10.10. Re-monitization of silver.Re-monitization of silver.11.11. A single term for President & Vice A single term for President & Vice

President.President.

Govt.-Owned Govt.-Owned CompaniesCompanies

Bi-Bi-Metallism Metallism

IssueIssue

Here Lies ProsperityHere Lies Prosperity

Depression of 1893Depression of 1893• Coxey`s ArmyCoxey`s Army• J.P.Morgan lends J.P.Morgan lends GoldGold to the to the

Gov`t.Gov`t.

When you`reWhen you`rethis uglythis ugly

you betteryou betterhave $$$have $$$

GoldGold / Silver Bug / Silver Bug Campaign PinsCampaign Pins

William William Jennings Bryan Jennings Bryan

(1860-1925)(1860-1925)

The “Great Commoner”The “Great Commoner”

Bryant’sBryant’s““Cross of GoldCross of Gold” ”

SpeechSpeechYou shall not You shall not press down press down upon the brow upon the brow of labor this of labor this crown of crown of thorns; you thorns; you shall not shall not crucify crucify mankind upon mankind upon a a cross of goldcross of gold!!

Bryan: The Farmers Bryan: The Farmers FriendFriend

(The Mint Ratio)(The Mint Ratio)

18,000 miles of campaign “whistle 18,000 miles of campaign “whistle stops.”stops.”

DemocratDemocratic Party ic Party Taken Taken

Over by Over by the the

Agrarian Agrarian LeftLeft

Platform tariff reductions; income tax; strictercontrol of the trusts (esp. RRs); free silver.

Mark Hanna: Mark Hanna: The “Front-Porch” The “Front-Porch”

CampaignCampaign

““A Giant Straddle”: A Giant Straddle”: Suggestion for a McKinley Suggestion for a McKinley

Political PosterPolitical Poster

The The Seasoned Seasoned PoliticianPolitician

vs.vs.The The

“Young” “Young” NewcomeNewcome

rr((hot hot

coffeecoffee))

Into Into Which Which Box Box Will Will the the

VoterVoterof ’96 of ’96 Place Place His His

Ballot? Ballot?

Campaign RhetoricCampaign Rhetoric

Election of 1896Election of 1896 • Bryan v. McKinleyBryan v. McKinley

• end of populist partyend of populist party

Why Did Bryan Why Did Bryan Loose?Loose? His focus on silver His focus on silver

underminedunderminedefforts to build bridges to efforts to build bridges to urbanurbanvoters.voters.

He did not form alliances He did not form alliances withwithother groups.other groups.

McKinley’s campaign was McKinley’s campaign was well-well-organized and highly funded.organized and highly funded.

Gold Triumphs Over Gold Triumphs Over SilverSilver

1900 1900 GoldGoldStandard ActStandard Act

confirmed theconfirmed thenation’s nation’s commitment tocommitment tothe gold the gold standard.standard.

A victory for the A victory for the

forces offorces ofconservatism.conservatism.

The The Wizard Wizard of Ozof Oz by L. by L. Frank Frank BaumBaum

What Are the What Are the Metaphors?Metaphors?

Dorothy Dorothy ? ? Kansas Kansas ? ? Wicked Witch of Wicked Witch of

thetheEast East ? ?

Tin Woodsman Tin Woodsman ? ? Scarecrow Scarecrow ? ? Cowardly Lion Cowardly Lion ? ? Yellow Brick Road Yellow Brick Road

? ?

Silver Slippers Silver Slippers ? ? Emerald City Emerald City ? ? Oz Oz ? ? The Wizard The Wizard ? ? Munchkins Munchkins ? ? Wicked Witch of Wicked Witch of

the West the West ? ? Flying Monkeys Flying Monkeys

? ?

Heyday of Western Heyday of Western PopulismPopulism