Issues of the Gilded AgeChapter 16

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Segregation and Social TensionsSection 1

• Obj: Asses how whites created a segregated society in the South and how AA’s responded

• Analyze efforts to limit immigration and the effects

• Compare the situations of Mexican Americans and of women to those other groups

A: AA’s lose Freedoms

• After reconstruction, AA’s would lose many freedoms

• 1876, President Hayes removes troops from the south

• Soon, southern gov’ts enact Jim Crow Laws- keep blacks segregated

• Loss of voting rights- 15th amendment prohibited denying someone the right to vote

• South gets around this – 1. Poll Tax– 2. literacy tests– 3. grandfather clauses– 4. All white primaries– 5. Violence

• Works- Black vote only 3%

B: Segregation Laws

• 1896- Supreme court rules “separate but equal” Plessy v. Ferguson

• South passes all sorts of Jim Crow Laws– Examples??

• North- de facto segregation- not in law but still happens

C: Opposition

• Booker T. Washington- argued AA’s needed to “accommodate themselves to segregation”– Build resources, and demand equality later– Established Tuskegee institute

• W.E.B. Du Bois- couldn’t disagree more. Must seek equality now!!

• Ida B. Wells- crusade to end lynching

D: Other discriminated Groups

• 1. Chinese Americans- 1879 California passes laws prohibiting hiring of Chinese – Separate schools, Chinese attacked – Chinese Exclusion Act- prohibited immigration

• 2. Mexican Americans- After treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 4 out of 5 Mexicans Americans lost their land to white settlers

• Courts sided with whites settlers in land disputes

• Las Gorras Blancas- fight back, destroy fences and property – Take fight to labor unions

• 3. Women- help free slaves, but realize slaves themselves

• Push for a constitutional amendment- right to vote

• Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton – formed National women’s suffrage association

• Tried to vote in 1872- arrested • Four states would grant right to vote by 1906-

Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho• Also fought for education and temperance

movement- WCTU

Political and Economic ChangeSection 2

• During Gilded Age Political corruption ran wild as politicians used positions to make money and stay in power

• A. Power Stalemate– 1877 to 1900- neither political party maintains

power– Presidents weak and surrounded by political

scandal

• Rutherford B. Hayes- 1876– Won on secret deal

• James Garfield- 1880– shot

• Chester Author- 1881• Grover Cleveland- 1884• Benjamin Harrison- 1888– Lost popular vote, won election

• Grover Cleland- 1892– Only one seen as honest

B. Corruption in Politics

• Political Cartoonist brought attention to the politics- most famous “the bosses of the Senate”

• Most famous Boss- William Marcy Tweed- Ran New York politics, eventually arrested, but escaped to Spain

C. Spoils System

• First to use- Andrew Jackson• Reward political supporters with government

jobs• Most of the time, not qualified

• Ex. Postal service, thousands of jobs to supporters

D. Reform

• Civil Service- gov’t jobs that serve people- became very inefficient

• Chester Arthur signs Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883- created civil service commission to test candidates for gov’t jobs

• Had to pass exam to get the job

E. Other Issues

• Gold Standard- gov’t backed money in gold– Farmers want to add silver to circulation- increase

inflation– Bankers and big business against

• Tariffs- Republicans want high tariffs, Democrats want low tariffs

Why?

Farmers and PopulismSection 3

• A. Plight of the Farmer– Life was already very difficult– Prices of crops fall as more is produced• Cotton 1870- 15cents, 1895 – 6 cents

– Cheaper to burn crops as fuel– The more produced, the worst it got

B. Big Business Practices

• Railroad hurt farmers by over charging• Banks, because of lack of currency, set interest

rates extremely high• New presidents interested only in big business

C. Farmers Organize

• Oliver H. Kelly- created the Grange- union calling for regulation of railroad and taught new farming techniques

• Millions join• Farmers Alliances replaces as Grange fades– Formed coops – Asked gov’t for low interest loans

D. Populist Party

• Created in 1892- People’s party• Goals:– Coinage of silver– Gov’t ownership of railroad– Women’s suffrage

• Tried to unite White and Black Farmers, but Southerners would have no part

• Populist would be very successful in local and state elections

E. WJB

• Populist try to unite farmers and industrial workers

• William Jennings Bryan- Nebraskan, runs for president under populist and democratic nomination

• Gave the famous speech “Cross of Gold”

F. Election of 1896

• WJB against William McKinley• WJB ran extensive campaign- toured nation• McKinley didn’t leave Ohio: Back Porch

Candidate• McKinley, backed by big business

G: Defeat

• McKinley won election• Populist could not win urban workers• Did lobby for 8 hour day, but minting silver

would hurt urban workers• Populist would disappear after the election