GILDED AGE POLITICS
description
Transcript of GILDED AGE POLITICS
GILDED AGE POLITICS
POLITICAL MACHINES, REFORM, POPULISM
POLITICAL MACHINES
• DEFINITION:– A “GANG” OF PEOPLE WHO
CONTROLLED CITY GOV’T FOR THEIR OWN PROFIT AND SELF INTEREST
HOW THEY GOT MONEY
• GRAFT/PADDING BILLS:– ILLEGAL USE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE FOR
PERSONAL GAIN– OVERCHARGE TAX PAYERS TO BUILD STUFF
FOR THE GOV’T. THE BUILDERS AND MACHINE MEMBERS SPLIT THE EXTRA $$.
• BRIBES:– GOV’T OFFICIALS WOULD ACCEPT BRIBES FOR
LICENSES, NOT DOING INSPECTIONS, ETC. THE OFFICALS WOULD “KICKBACK” SOME OF THE MONEY TO THE MACHINE
HOW THEY GOT VOTES
• IMMIGRANTS:– THE MACHINE MEMBERS GAVE
IMMIGRANTS JOBS, ARRANGED FOR HOUSING IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTES
• PADDING LISTS/FRAUD:– MACHINE MEMBERS USE DEAD PEOPLE’S
NAMES, DOGS, IMGINARY PEOPLE’S NAMES THEN ADD THEM TO THE LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND VOTE ILLEGALLY
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTUREPARTY BOSS
WARD BOSS
PRECINCT CAPTAIN
COMMON PEOPLEBUSINESSMEN
EXPOSING MACHINES &CORRUPTION
• THOMAS NAST– A CARTOONIST WHO EXPOSED
POLITICAL MACHINES THROUGH HIS DRAWINGS
– MOST POOR PEOPLE COULDN’T READ WELL
– RAISED AWARENESS AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE OF WHY POLITICAL MACHINES WERE BAD
EXAMPLE
• TAMMANY HALL: DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS OF NY CITY/POLITICAL MACHINE OF NYC
• BOSS TWEED: POLITICAL BOSS OF NY CITY• TWEED RING: GROUP THAT CONTROLLED
TAMMANY HALL• NY COUNTY COURTHOUSE- BOSS TWEED
CHARGED TAXPAYERS $13 MILLION TO BUILD COURTHOUSE BUT IT ONLY COST $3 MILLION. HE POCKETED $10 MILLION
REFORM IN THE GILDED AGETARIFF
• POOR WANT
• RICH WANT
• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS
• RESULT
• WINNER
• LOWER TARIFF: • HIGHER TARIFF: HIGHER TARIFF
DON’T WANT TO COMPETE WITH FOREIGN GOODS
• CLEVELAND- TRIES TO LOWER, NO SUCCESS
• HARRISON- RAISED TARIFFS TO 48%
• CLEVELAND- ONLY LOWERED TO 41%
• MCKINLEY- RAISED BACK TO 46%
• HIGH TARIFF
• RICH
REFORM IN THE GILDED AGEMONETARY
• POOR WANT
• RICH WANT
• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS
• RESULT
• WINNER
• MORE $ PRINTED- BIMETALLISM (GOLD AND SILVER)
• LESS $ PRINTED- GOLD STANDARD TO MAKE VALUE HIGHER
• HAYES VETOES, BUT CONGRESS PASSES BLAND ALLISON ACT- ALLOWED SOME SILVER COINAGE
• 1890- SILVER PURCHASE ACT PASSED BY HARRISON- GOV’T BUYS EXCESS SILVER
• CLEVLAND REPEALS• 1900- GOLD STANDARD ACT
PASSED
• GOLD STANDARD
• RICH
REFORM IN THE GILDED AGECIVIL SERVICE
• POOR WANT
• RICH WANT
• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS
• RESULT
• WINNER
• END OF SPOILS SYSTEM- WANT JOBS BASED ON MERIT
• CONTINUE SPOILS SYSTEM- MEANS FED. EMPLOYEES WOULD CHANGE WITH EVERY PRESIDENT
• HAYES TRIES TO CLEAN UP THE NYC CUSTOM HOUSE BUT CONGRESS DOES NOT SUPPORT
• STALWARTS FORM TO OPPOSE REFORM• GARFIELD STARTS REFORM BUT
ASSASSINATED!!• VP ARTHUR TURNS REFORMER PASSES
PENDLETON ACT- MAKE FED. APPOINTMENTS BASED ON CANDIDATES PERFORMANCE ON TEST
• CIVIL SERVICE REFORM- NOW LIMITED # OF PEOPLE ARE CHANGED
• POOR
FARMERS IN THE GILDED AGEDEBTS
• OWED $ FOR– NEW MACHINERY, SEED, LAND, ETC.
• HARD TO PAY DEBTS SINCE– BANKS AND WEALTHY CONTROLLED THE $
SUPPLY (UNDER PRINTING MONEY)• RICH WANT LESS $ PRINTED, ONLY
BACKED BY GOLD- CALLED– “GOLDBUGS”
• FARMERS WANT GOLD AND SILVER USED TO BACK $ SO MORE CAN BE PRINTED- CALLED– “SILVERITES” AND BIMETALLISM
FARMERS IN THE GILDED AGERAILROADS
• WERE OVERCHARGING FARMERS TO SHIP CROPS. HAD A MONOPOLY
• FARMERS WANT THE GOV’T TO STOP THIS AND REGULATE THEM
• THEY FORM A SOCIAL/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION CALLED GRANGE FOUNDER OLIVER HUDSON KELLEY
• THE GRANGE SUCCESSFULLY ELECT LOCAL AND STATE POLITICIANS TO REGULATE RRDS IN STATES. UPHELD BY COURT CASE MUNN V. ILLINOIS
• BUT MOST RRDS RUN BETWEEN STATES AND NEED FEDERAL OVERSIGHT
• INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT WILL BE PASSED, BUT NOT ENFORCED
POPULIST PARTY
• POPULISM:– MEMBERS: FARMERS, FACTORY
WORKERS, “PEOPLE’S PARTY”, LITTLE PEOPLE, MINERS, WOMEN
– WANTED: BIMETALLISM AND FREE COINAGE OF SILVER, LIMITED HOURS OF WORK, GOV’T REGULATION OF RRDS
– NOMINATE: WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
POPULISM
• REPUBLICANS– MEMBERS: “GOLDBUGS”, WEALTHY,
POWERFUL, BUSINESS INTERESTS– MCKINLEY: THE “FRONT PORCH
CAMPAIGN”- AT HIS HOUSE COME AND WAVE
WIZARD OF OZ• OZ: OUNCES (GOLD AND SILVER MEASURED IN)-
WASHINGTON, D.C.• DOROTHY: COMMON MAN• WICKED WITCHES: RR-WEST, BANKS- EAST• MUNCHKINS: FACTORY WORKERS, FARMERS,
MINERS• YELLOW BRICK ROAD: GOLD STANDARD• SLIPPERS: SILVER• TIN MAN: FACTORY WORKERS (MISSING HEART
FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION)• SCARECROW: FARMERS (MISSING BRAIN)• LION: WJB• WIZARD: PRESIDENCY