A People and a Nation Chapter 20 Guilded Age Politics 1877-1900

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By Anran Li

Transcript of A People and a Nation Chapter 20 Guilded Age Politics 1877-1900

By Anran Li

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pol·i·tics Pronunciation:     'pä-lə-ˌtiks Function:           noun plural but singular or plural in construction Etymology:          Greek politika, from neuter plural of politikos (political) Date:               circa 1529 1: Poly (many) + Tics (blood-sucking leeches)

View the notes on each slidefor detailed information.

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This is the notes. See notes on other slides for detailed information on each slide.

VERY IMPORTANTPlease read my disclaimer

on the last slide.

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VERY IMPORTANT: Please read my disclaimer on the last slide. Even though it is not a legal disclaimer, I hope it can alleviate some of the blame. Just because.

Mary Elizabeth Lease

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Mary Elizabeth Lease was one of the founders of the Populist party in Kansas. Tall and intense, she had a deep, almost hypnotic voice that made her an effective publicist for the farmer’s cause.

Roscoe Conkling

The Stalwarts

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The "Stalwarts" were a faction of the Republican Party toward the end of the 19th century. Stalwarts such as (most notably) Roscoe Conkling, who were in favor of Ulysses S. Grant (18th president) running for a third term. They were the "traditional" Republicans who opposed Rutherford B. Hayes' civil service reform. They were pitted against the "Half-Breeds" (moderates) for control of the Republican Party. The Half-Breeds worked to get civil service reform, and finally created the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.

The Half‐Breeds

James G. Blaine

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The "Half-Breeds" were a political faction of the Republican Party in the late 19th century. The Half-Breeds were a moderate-wing group, and they were the opponents of the Stalwarts, the other main faction of the Republican Party. The main issue that separated the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds was political patronage. The Stalwarts were in favor of political machines and spoils system-style patronage, while the Half-Breeds, led by Maine senator James G. Blaine, were in favor of civil service reform and a merit system.

The Mugwumps

Grover Cleveland

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The ”Mugwumps” were Republican political activists who supported Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland in the United States presidential election of 1884. They switched parties because they rejected the financial corruption associated with Republican candidate James G. Blaine. In a close election, the Mugwumps supposedly made the difference in New York state and swung the election to Cleveland. The word Mugwumps is from Indian derivation to suggest that they were “sanctimonious.”

“Waving the bloody shirt”

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Waving the bloody shirt refers to the practice of politicians referencing the blood of martyrs or heroes to inspire support or avoid criticism. The phrase implied that members of the Democratic Party (which gained much of their support from the south) were responsible for the bloodshed of the war and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Some candidates of the Republican Party as well a few candidates of other parties rivaling the Democratic Party used this notion to get elected to office, under the idea Democrats and Southerners are one and the same, and men should "vote as they had shot”.

Grand Army of the Republic

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The Grand Army of the Republic was an organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who had served in the American Civil War. The GAR was among the first organized interest groups in American politics.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

George H. Pendleton

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The Pendelton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 established the United States Civil Service Commission, which placed most federal government employees on the merit system and marked the end of the so-called "spoils system." The act provided for some government jobs to be filled on the basis of competitive exams.

Munn v. Illinois

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Munn v. Illinois (1876), was a Supreme Court case dealing with corporate rates and agriculture. The Munn case allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads, and is commonly regarded as a milestone in the growth of federal government regulation.

The Wabash case

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Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois, 1886 also known as the Wabash Case, was a Supreme Court decision that severely limited the rights of states to control interstate commerce. It led to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Interstate Commerce Act

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The Interstate Commerce Act allowed the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. The agency was abolished in 1995, and the agency's remaining functions were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board.

The Maximum Freight Rate case

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In the Maximum Freight Rate case (1897), the Supreme Court declared that although Interstate Commerce Commission could set aside any existing rate as unfair, it did not have the power to establish a fair rate in its place.

Alabama Midlands case

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The Alabama Midlands case (1897) furthermore invalidated the long and short haul regulations. The court found out that the Interstate Commerce Commissions was unsuccessful with controlling the railways because they often could not find eyewitnesses.

Tariff controversy

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The purpose of revenue tariffs were to help fund national dept. These tariffs were hated, and caused much controversy.

McKinley Tariff of 1890

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The McKinley Tariff of 1890 set the tariff on imports to the US. Its importance was to protect manufacturing, however, this hurt American farmers because it made foreign made products more expensive, and often times, foreign farm equipment became unaffordable.

Wilson‐Gorman Tariff of 1894

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The Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894 reduced the tariff rates to a 2% income tax. It is named after William L. Wilson and Arthur P. Gorman.

Dingley Tariff of 1897

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The Dingley Act was introduced by Nelson Dingley, who wanted to raise tariffs in the United States to undo the changes made by the Wildson-Gorman Tariff Act.
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Get Rich

Currency Controversy

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Remember the bi-metallic standard (yeah—we went over that stuff and watched the Wizard of OZ… remember?) Well, farmers wanted silver-backed and investors wanted gold-backed. This was known as the currency controversy.

Bland‐Allison Act of 1878

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The Bland-Allison act was passed over the veto of President Rutherford B. Hayes. It required the purchase of a certain amount of silver, retain it, then put it into circulation. It was replaced by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act (similar) and was repealed by congress. The act was named after Richard P. Bland and William B. Allison.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

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The Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which apparently was too bland, was replaced by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act (similar) and was repealed by congress.

Rutherford Hayes

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Hayes was elected president during the election of 1876. He won by one electoral vote. Compromise of 1877 (1877) Desert Land Act (1877) Bland-Allison Act (1878) Timber and Stone Act (1878) Munn v. Illinois (1876) Great Railroad Strike (1877)

James Garfield

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James Garfield is the 20th president of the United States. He went against his own cabinet and ended up assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, famous for crying “I am Stalwart of the Stalwarts… Arthur is president now!” upon being arrested. However, Garfield did not die (they could not find the second bullet) until much later, causing him much pain. His presidency was the shortest in US history.

Chester Arthur

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After James Garfield was assassinated by Guiteau, Arthur became president, as predicted by Guiteau. Standard Oil Trust (1882) Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883) Civil Rights Cases (1883) Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois (1886)

Presidential campaign and election of 1884

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The United States presidential election of 1884 was violent, and contained bitter feelings and mudslinging. Grover Cleveland narrowly defeated James G. Blaine of Maine to become the first Democrat elected President of the United States since the election of 1856, before the American Civil War.

Grover Cleveland

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Cleveland was the president after Chester Arthur. He was involved in many disputes with his own party members.

“Rum, Romanism, & Rebellion”

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“We are Republicans, and don't propose to leave our party and identify ourselves with the party whose antecedents have been rum, Romanism, and rebellion. We are loyal to our flag.” –Dr. Samuel D. Burchard Rum—Women's Christian Temperance Union had brought about some controversy. Romanism—Catholicism was feared minority. Rebellion—The Civil War All of these are associated with Democrats.

Presidential campaign and election of 1888

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The United States presidential election of 1884 was violent, and contained bitter feelings and mudslinging. Grover Cleveland narrowly defeated James G. Blaine of Maine to become the first Democrat elected President of the United States since the election of 1856, before the American Civil War.

Benjamin Harrison

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Benjamin Harrison was elected president following Grover Cleveland. Sherman Silver Purchase Act

Dependent’s Pension Act

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Providing for the needs of Union war veterans was one of the great issues of the day. Cleveland had incurred the voters' wrath by vetoing a major pension bill in 1887. Congress overrode this veto, passing the Dependent Pension Act for all disabled (those unable to do manual labor) former Union soldiers. Benefits were also expanded to veterans' parents, widows and children.

“Billion Dollar Congress”

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Benjamin Harrison and his congress were known for having lots of money and wasting it. Hence, “Billion Dollar Congress”.

Ida B. Wells

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Ida Bell Wells was an African American sociologist, civil rights leader and a women's rights leader active in the Woman Suffrage Movement.

Poll Tax

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Poll Taxes prevented most black farmers, who could not spare one or two dollars, from voting.

Mississippi Plan

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The Mississippi Plan was a coordinated attempt to prevent blacks from voting. The plan was to scare away Democrats, inflict fear on voting blacks (used violence, and caused strong fears). Their horrible plan was unfortunately successful, as President Grant was hesitant to do much about it.

“Grandfather Clause”

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Grandfather Clause was one of the Jim Crow laws that unfairly prevented blacks from voting.

Civil Rights cases

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The Civil Rights cases were five similar cases involving Civil Rights: United States v. Stanley United States v. Ryan United States v. Nichols United States v. Singleton Robinson et ux. v. Memphis & Charleston R.R. Co. All of the above cases concluded similarly; that the Equal Protection Clause applies only to state action, not segregation by privately owned businesses.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Cumming v. County Board of Education

Jim Crow Laws

National Woman Suffrage Association

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The National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who opposed the Fifteenth Amendment unless it included the vote for women. Membership was open to women only.

Susan B. Anthony

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Famous woman activist. Her works led to the passing of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote. Unfortunately, she died five months before the amendment was passed.
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That’s her, too.

Crop‐lien system

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To finance the sharecropping system, southerners turned to the crop-lien system. Landowners and sharecroppers borrowed (at high interest rates) against the future harvest. Lenders insisted that they produce cash crops like cotton. The system made landowners and sharecroppers dependent on local merchants, and it prevented the development of diversified farming in the South. This is different from sharecropping.

Grange Movment

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The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, AKA the Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encouraged farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being.

White Hats

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The White Hats, or Las Gorras Blancas, struggled to control lands that their Mexican ancestors had once held. They harassed Anglo ranchers and destroyed fences that whites had erected on public land. Whites ended up buying the public land and therefore, kicking out the White Hats, many whom them moved to the cities.

Farmers’ Alliances

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The Farmers' Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement amongst U.S. farmers that flourished in the 1880s. First formed in 1876 in Lampasas, Texas, the Alliance was designed to promote higher commodity prices through collective action by groups of individual farmers. The movement was strongest in the South, and was widely popular before it was destroyed by the power of commodity brokers. Despite its failure, it is regarded as the precursor to the United States Populist Party, which grew out of the ashes of the Alliance in 1892’s.

Subtreasury plan

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In response to low cotton prices and tight credit, in 1892 the Omaha platform of the new Populist party adopted a subtreasury plan that would have farmers hold their crops off the market when prices were low. The federal government would make low-interest greenback loans to the farmers secured by the withheld crops stored in government warehouses (or "subtreasuries"). When prices rose, farmers could sell their crops and pay back their loans.

Populist Party

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The Populist Party, also known as the People's Party, was a relatively short-lived political party in the United States in the late 19th century. It flourished particularly among western farmers, based largely on its opposition to the gold standard. The party did not remain a lasting feature most probably because they had been so closely identified with the free silver movement which did not resonate with urban voters and ceased to become a major issue as the U.S came out of the depression of the 1890's.

Omaha Platform

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See the Subtreasury Plan. Otherwise, they were not very important.

James B. Weaver

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James Baird Weaver was the presidential nominee of the Populist Party in the 1892 election.

Depression of the 1890’s

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When the Gold standard was officially used, the United States fell into a period of depression because people tried to trade in their silver-backed money for gold. The US ran out of gold, causing wide-spread depression.

Cleveland‐Morgan Deal

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Mr. Cleveland the president struck a deal with J.P. Morgan, a rich guy who offered to give the US European gold to replenish the United States reserves. This saved the whole US from disaster, although this deal was looked down upon as corrupt.

Coeur d’Alene strike

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Out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho was an influx of gold ready to save the nation. However, like all US attempts to save the nation, some corruption is involved, and the company decides to try and maximize profits, strikes deals with railways, decreases wages, etc. So the workers go on strike.

Karl Marx

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Karl Marx is often credited with founding communism. Communism, he argued, was for the people. It was supposed to be a better place where everyone was equal. However, his plans for such a government didn’t really work, because corruption easily infiltrated such a government.

Daniel DeLeon

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Daniel DeLeon was an American socialist and Syndicalism-influenced trade unionist.

Eugene Victor Debs

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Eugene Victor Debs was one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Workers of the World, as well as candidate for the Social Democratic Party in 1900, and later as a member of the Socialist Party of America.

Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr.

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Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. twice led Coxey's Army (in 1894 and 1914), bands of unemployed men, on marches from Massillon to Washington, D.C. to present a "Petition in Boots" demanding that the United States Congress appropriate money to create jobs for the unemployed. Coxey believed the government should print unbacked paper money, or greenbacks, in order to finance public works projects. At the time, these ideas were greeted with ridicule by many in Congress and the press, but they later became founding principles of the New Deal era.

Free Coinage of Silver

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After silver was found in large amounts, investors began to pester the US government to allow them to change these silver into coins. However, large influxes soon led to inflation. Thus, the free coinage of silver was abolished.

Presidential campaign & election of 1896

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The Election of 1896, Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. See next slides.

William McKinley

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William McKinley was best known for high tariffs on imported goods. He supposedly held the key to prosperity. Dingley Tariff (1897) Maximum Freight Case (1897) Annexation of Hawaii (1898) Spanish-American War (1898) Philippine-American War (1899-1902) Boxer Rebellion (1900) Gold Standard Act (1900)

William Jennings Bryan

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William Jennings Bryan had very emotional speeches that turned agrarian unrest and the issue of free silver into a moral crusade. But, he did not become president.

Gold Standard Act

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As soon as William McKinley stepped in as president, he signed the Gold Standard Act, which he had been itching to sign since before his election. This act established gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money, stopping bimetallism.

DISCLAIMERSome secrets to getting a good grade:

• Eat cough drops (contains guanine, a legal stimulant found in Redbull)• Sleep and sleep some more.• Pray. I always pray before anything big happens.• Take lost of deep breaths. In fact, walk around and shout.• Drink lots of water. See next bullet.• Ten minute bathroom break—(procrastination)• Eat lots of sugar (i.e. Coke). Brain runs on sugar.• Snooze off before the test (refreshes memory, improves performance)

– Hey, if it worked on Brian, why not?

• If your head hurts, squeeze and bang hard (works for me).• Tell Ms. Zapanta you will fail. Groan in agony, fall down on the floor.

– (effectively arouses sympathy)

• (!) Please do not rely on this PowerPoint.– This PowerPoint will not help. Its just a review, OK?

Note: the last suggestion is very important.

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O yeah, uhm… good luck on the quiz.