Issues & Problems

The Gilded Age 1877-1900

African Americans & Social Tensions

Experienced a narrowing of rights

President Hayes removed federal troops from the South after the Election of 1876 Compromise of 1877

Southern states passed several restrictive measures to get around the 15th Amendment

Disenfranchisement

Literacy tests Poll Tax Grandfather clause

required ancestors to have voted prior to 1866

Intimidation by violence

1894—130,000 registered black voters v 1904—1,300

Image: http://bergetoons.blogspot.com

Segregation

Jim Crow Laws—kept blacks & whites segregated Railroad cars Waiting stations Jury boxes & Bibles Cemeteries Restaurants Parks Hospitals Image: www.solcomhouse.com

Segregation Cont’d

De facto Segregation

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)Homer Plessy sat in a car reserved for whites & was arrested Argued the Separate Car Act violated 14th amendment

Supreme Court maintained that Jim Crow Laws were constitutional because “separate but equal” facilities didn’t violate the 14th amendment

Not equal in reality Ex.: In 1915, $14 for every white student in S.C. v. less

than $3 for every black student

Booker T. Washington

Most famous black leader of the 19th century

Born a slave in 1856 Called for blacks to build

up economic resources & establish reputations Prove themselves Shouldn’t focus on

overturning Jim Crow Championed education Taught at Tuskegee

Institute in Alabama vocational education

W.E.B. DuBois

Criticized Washington for accommodating southern whites & segregation

Argued for full & immediate equality for blacks

Blacks should not limit themselves to a vocational education

Blacks shouldn’t have to “earn” the right to vote

W.E.B Du Bois

Wrote an essay called, “The Talented Tenth” in 1903

The term described the likelihood of 1 in 10 African American men becoming leaders

These talented tenth need to step up to the plate and be role models

Advocated classical education as opposed to just industrial/vocational education

Niagara Movement

Founded the Niagara movement in 1905 Black civil rights

organization Educated blacks should

make a difference and take action now

Called for end to disenfranchisement, segregation, and policies of accommodation

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Movement

Ida B. Wells

Fought for justice for blacks

Schoolteacher in Memphis, Tennessee

Bought a local newspaper— “Free Speech”

Wrote articles against mistreatment of blacks

Wrote editorials attacking lynching in the South

Run out of town for crusade against lynching

DISCRIMINATION IN THE WEST

Chinese & Mexican Americans

Chinese Immigrants

Barred from employment in California cities & attacked by mobs of whites for taking “white” jobs.

Segregated schools

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882—prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country

Several federal court cases sided with Chinese and upheld their rights

Yick Wo v. Hopkins

1886 Supreme Court sided with a Chinese

immigrant that challenged a California law banning him from operating a laundry

1898 Supreme court ruling of Wong Kim Ark

Mexican Americans

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) had guaranteed property rights of Mexicans who lived in the Southwest prior to the Mexican-American War

Despite treaty, many Mexican-Americans lost their land

Image: http://www.cah.utexas.edu

Mexican-Americans & Land

U.S. Courts put burden of proof on Mexican-Americans to show they owned the land

Different legal customs & communally held land made ownership difficult to prove

“Sante Fe Ring”—group of whites that used political connections to take millions of acres of land in New Mexico through fed. Gov. grants

Mexican Americans cont’d

Fought to maintain rights and land

“Las Gorras Blancas” (1889) fought back by cutting holes in fences, burning barns, haystacks, & scattering livestock of large white ranch owners.

Hispanic citizens in Tucson formed the “Alianza Hispano-Americana” in 1894 to protect their culture, interests, & legal rights.

Image: southvalleyart.com

WomenGains & Setbacks

Left out of 14th & 15th Amendments

In 1869, Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association

1872, Anthony voted illegally in an election in New York—tried and convicted

Fined $100 Never paid the fine U.S. Government took

no collection action against her

Women’s reform in other areas By 1906, only 4 Western states granted

women’s suffrage—Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, & Idaho

More women attending college By 1900, women represented 1/3 of ALL

college students. Frances Willard formed the Women’s

Christian Temperance Union prohibit sale of alcohol public health, welfare reform

POLITICS & ECONOMICS

Challenges of the Gilded Age

Stalemate in politics

Parties evenly divided No group could gain control for a

significant amount of time Between 1877-1897, Republicans or

Democrats gained control of the White House & both houses of Congress at the same time only twice.

Neither held control for more than 2 years

Difficult to pass new legislation

Presidents of the Gilded Age

Weak in comparison to Lincoln Won by slim margins Lacked integrity Hayes won through the Compromise of 1877 1880—Garfield (Republican)/ Arthur 1884—Cleveland wins as first democrat in 24

years 1888—Benjamin Harrison (Republican) lost

popular vote 1892—Cleveland 1896—McKinley (Republican)

Age of Corruption

Many government officials accepted bribes

Spoils System Made parties very

powerful Political cartoons—big

money & corruption Thomas Nast—editorial

cartoonist “Father of the American Cartoon

Image: www.npr.org

Civil Service Reform

Civil Service—system of federal jobs in the executive branch

Jobs to be awarded on basis of expertise regardless of reigning political party

Civil service reform becomes a reality after the assassination of President James Garfield (1881)

Shot by Charles J. Guiteau because he believed the Republican Party owed him a gov. job

Chester A. Arthur & Civil Service Reform

Garfield’s vice president

Supported civil service reform

Public indignation over assassination

Signed Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883

Formed Civil Service Commission Civil service exam

for those who wanted to work for the government

Reduced power of the spoils system

Economic Challenges

Debate on tariffs Republicans

supported high tariffs

Democrats thought tariffs increased cost of goods & hurt American farmers

Major parties committed to the gold standard

Rise of populists & bimetalists

Coinage act of 1873 Reversed policy of

making gold and silver coins

“Crime of 1873” Anti-silver—undermine

economy Pro-silver—rise in prices

would increase income