1866-1896. Warm up List three ways in which the Federal gov’t was involved in the economy from...

1866-18961866-1896

Warm up

List three ways in which the Federal gov’t was involved in the economy from

1793 - 1865

The Party Machine: Graft• political organization in

which an authoritative boss commands a corps of supporters and businesses (usually campaign workers), who receive rewards for their efforts

• Democrats - “Boss” Tweed (NY) ‘Tammany Hally’– Controlled NY politics from

1845 -1877– 3rd biggest landowner in NYC,

Member of US H of R, the NY State legislature, eventually found guilty of embezzling $25 Mil.

1. A Two-Party 1. A Two-Party StalemateStalemate

1. A Two-Party 1. A Two-Party StalemateStalemate

Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”

2. 2. Intense Intense

Voter Voter Loyalty Loyalty to theto the

Two MajorTwo MajorPolitical Political PartiesParties

2. 2. Intense Intense

Voter Voter Loyalty Loyalty to theto the

Two MajorTwo MajorPolitical Political PartiesParties

3. Well-Defined Voting 3. Well-Defined Voting BlocsBlocs

3. Well-Defined Voting 3. Well-Defined Voting BlocsBlocs

DemocraticBloc

DemocraticBloc

RepublicanBloc

RepublicanBloc

White southerners(preservation ofwhite supremacy)

Catholics

Recent immigrants(esp. Jews)

Urban working poor (pro-labor)

Most farmers

Northern whites(pro-business)

African Americans

Northern Protestants

Old WASPs (supportfor anti-immigrant laws)

Most of the middleclass

4. Very Laissez Faire 4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.Federal Govt.

4. Very Laissez Faire 4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.Federal Govt. From 1870-1900 Govt. did

verylittle domestically.

Main duties of the federal govt.:

Deliver the mail.

Maintain a national military.

Collect taxes & tariffs.

Conduct a foreign policy.

Exception administer the annual Civil War veterans’ pension.

5. The Presidency as a 5. The Presidency as a Symbolic OfficeSymbolic Office

5. The Presidency as a 5. The Presidency as a Symbolic OfficeSymbolic Office

Party bosses ruled.

Presidents should avoid offending anyfactions within theirown party.

The President justdoled out federal jobs.

1865 53,000 people worked for the federal govt.

1890 166,000 “ “ “ “ “ “

Senator Roscoe Conkling

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: RepublicansElection: Republicans

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: RepublicansElection: Republicans

Half BreedsHalf Breeds StalwartsStalwarts

Sen. James G. Blaine Sen. Roscoe Conkling (Maine) (New York)

James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur (VP)

compromise

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: DemocratsElection: Democrats1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential

Election: DemocratsElection: Democrats

Inspecting the Inspecting the Democratic Curiosity Democratic Curiosity

ShopShop

Inspecting the Inspecting the Democratic Curiosity Democratic Curiosity

ShopShop

1880 1880 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection


ElectionElection

1881: Garfield 1881: Garfield AssassinatedAssassinated

1881: Garfield 1881: Garfield AssassinatedAssassinated

Charles Guiteau:I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

Chester A. Arthur:Chester A. Arthur:The Fox in the Chicken The Fox in the Chicken

Coup?Coup?

Chester A. Arthur:Chester A. Arthur:The Fox in the Chicken The Fox in the Chicken

Coup?Coup?

Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)

Civil Service Act.

The “Magna Carta” of civil service reform.

1883 14,000 out of117,000 federal govt.jobs became civilservice exam positions.

1900 100,000 out of 200,000 = civil service federal govt. jobs.

Republican Republican “Mugwumps”“Mugwumps”

Republican Republican “Mugwumps”“Mugwumps” Reformers who wouldn’t re-

nominateChester A. Arthur.

Reform to them create a disinterested, impartial govt. run by an educated elite like themselves.

Social Darwinists.

Laissez faire government to them:

Favoritism & the spoils system seen as govt. intervention in society.

Their target was political corruption, not social or economic reform!

TheTheMugwuMugwu

mpsmps

TheTheMugwuMugwu

mpsmpsMen may come and men may go, but the work of reform shall go on forever. Will support

Cleveland in the1884 election.

1884 Presidential 1884 Presidential ElectionElection


Grover Cleveland James Blaine * (DEM) (REP)

A Dirty A Dirty CampaignCampaign

A Dirty A Dirty CampaignCampaign

Ma, Ma…where’s my pa?He’s going to the White House, ha… ha… ha…!

Little Lost Little Lost MugwumpMugwumpLittle Lost Little Lost MugwumpMugwump

Blaine in 1884

Rum, Romanism & Rum, Romanism & Rebellion!Rebellion!

Rum, Romanism & Rum, Romanism & Rebellion!Rebellion! Led a delegation of

ministers to Blaine inNYC.

Reference to the Democratic Party.

Blaine was slow torepudiate the remark.

Narrow victory forCleveland [he wins NYby only 1149 votes!].

Dr. Samuel Burchard


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

Cleveland’s First Cleveland’s First TermTerm

Cleveland’s First Cleveland’s First TermTerm The “Veto Governor” from New

York.

First Democratic elected since 1856.

A public office is a public trust!

His laissez-faire presidency:

Opposed bills to assist the poor aswell as the rich.

Vetoed over 200 special pension billsfor Civil War veterans!

Bravo, Señor Bravo, Señor Clevelando!Clevelando!Bravo, Señor Bravo, Señor Clevelando!Clevelando!

The Tariff IssueThe Tariff IssueThe Tariff IssueThe Tariff Issue After the Civil War, Congress raised

tariffs to protect new US industries. Big business wanted to continue this; consumers

did not.

1885 tariffs earned the US $100 mil. in surplus!

Mugwumps opposed it b/c farmers did not get protections & gov’t surplus was potential for graft

President Cleveland believed that tariffs should be lowered to help the common man

Tariffs became a major issue in the 1888presidential election.

Filing the Rough Filing the Rough EdgesEdges

Filing the Rough Filing the Rough EdgesEdges

Tariff of 1888



Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (DEM) * (REP)

Coming Out for Coming Out for HarrisonHarrison

Coming Out for Coming Out for HarrisonHarrison

The Smallest The Smallest Specimen YetSpecimen YetThe Smallest The Smallest Specimen YetSpecimen Yet


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

Disposing the Disposing the SurplusSurplus

Disposing the Disposing the SurplusSurplus

Changing Public Changing Public OpinionOpinion

Changing Public Changing Public OpinionOpinion Americans wanted the federal govt. to

dealwith growing soc. & eco. problems & to curbthe power of the trusts:

Interstate Commerce Act – 1887

Sherman Antitrust Act – 1890

McKinley Tariff – 1890

Based on the theory that prosperityflowed directly from protectionism.

Increased already high rates -48%

Rep. Party suffered big losses in 1890 (evenMcKinley lost his House seat!).



Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again! * (DEM) (REP)


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

Cleveland Loses Cleveland Loses Support Fast!Support Fast!

Cleveland Loses Cleveland Loses Support Fast!Support Fast! The only President to serve two

non-consecutive terms.

Blamed for the 1893 Panic

Defended the gold standard.

Used federal troops in the 1894Pullman strike.

Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act

Went to J.P. Morgan “the banker’s banker” to shore up US gold reserves -$65 million with a $7 million commission

The Money Question • The gold standard –prior to 1933, all US

Treasury notes had to be backed by gold– Greatly limited the money supply– 1869 Jay Gould & Jim Fisk tried to corner the

gold market (control enough to rival US holdings)

• Treasury Dept. insisted that 1 oz of silver = 1/16th of an ounce of gold

• Panics of 1873 & 1893 were both brought on by speculation in land, railroads & gold AND the gov’t lack of foresight– Resumption Act of 1879– Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

The wreckage of Black Friday, Sept. 24, 1869 (courtesy of Gould & Fisk)

Populism

• Populist Party (People’s Party) emerged out of the Farmer’s Alliance –militant group of southern & western farmers– Hoped to build a coalition with disgruntled workers– Popular in the Midwest, but never caught on in the East

• Southern Blacks joined, so whites would not– Rose to prominence after passage of the McKinley Tariff

• Wanted silver-backed currency• Graduated income tax• Nationalized railroads, telephone & telegraph service• Direct election of Senators• A one-term presidency• National referendum & initiative

Elite Reactions to Populism

• Homestead Strike– Andrew Carnegie’s steel mill in Pittsburg, PA– Federal troops & private Pinkerton guards

put down strikers & stop unionization• Coeur d’Alene silver mine strike in Idaho

over increased hrs & decreased wages– Infiltrated by Pinkerton men; led to violence

that had to be put down by the National Guard

• ‘Grandfather laws’, literacy tests and poll taxes to suppress black vote in the South

Play it ‘SAFE’

• Satire• Audience• Figures• Elements

With your group, analyze the 5 Gilded Age political cartoons

posted throughout the room

1866-1896. Warm up List three ways in which the Federal gov’t was involved in the economy from...

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