Urban Politics, Urban Politics, Populism, and Populism, and ProgressivismProgressivism

Gilded Age 1870-1900Gilded Age 1870-1900

Term first seen in Twain & Term first seen in Twain & Warner’s novel Warner’s novel The Gilded The Gilded AgeAge

Gilded- covered with gold, Gilded- covered with gold, but made of cheap materialbut made of cheap material

beneath the surface beneath the surface (inventions, cities (inventions, cities expanding, skyscrapers built expanding, skyscrapers built & electricity) lay corruption, & electricity) lay corruption, poverty, & crimepoverty, & crime

Urban PoliticsUrban Politics

Political Machine- informal Political Machine- informal political group designed to gain & political group designed to gain & keep powerkeep power– In exchange for votes, the party In exchange for votes, the party

bosses provided jobs, housing, food, bosses provided jobs, housing, food, heat, & police protectionheat, & police protection

– Party bosses controlled the city’s Party bosses controlled the city’s financesfinances Grew rich by fraud (graft)—getting Grew rich by fraud (graft)—getting

money through dishonest or money through dishonest or questionable meansquestionable means

Example- “Boss” Tweed of Tammany HallExample- “Boss” Tweed of Tammany Hall“Boss” Tweed

UrbanizationUrbanization

Town populations of 2,500 or more Town populations of 2,500 or more grew from 10 mil. in 1870 to over 30 grew from 10 mil. in 1870 to over 30 mil. in 1900mil. in 1900

Most immigrants lacked the money & Most immigrants lacked the money & education—stuck in the cities working education—stuck in the cities working long hours for little paylong hours for little pay

In NY, ¾ residents squeezed into In NY, ¾ residents squeezed into tenements (dirty, crowded tenements (dirty, crowded apartments)apartments)

Problems of UrbanizationProblems of Urbanization Crime & ViolenceCrime & Violence

– Murder rate jumped 25 to 100 Murder rate jumped 25 to 100 mil. b/w 1880- 1900mil. b/w 1880- 1900

– Nativists blamed immigrants Nativists blamed immigrants for increase in crimefor increase in crime

Fire Fire – Buildings/apartments Buildings/apartments

touching each other– fire touching each other– fire spread easilyspread easily

Disease & PollutionDisease & Pollution– Improper sewer disposal Improper sewer disposal

contaminated drinking watercontaminated drinking water– Smoke, soot, & ash Smoke, soot, & ash

accumulated from coal & accumulated from coal & wood fireswood fires

Populism- mvmt. to increase farmer’s political Populism- mvmt. to increase farmer’s political power & to work for legislation in their interestpower & to work for legislation in their interest

Farmer’s GrievancesFarmer’s Grievances– Farm prices had dropped Farm prices had dropped

due to new technologydue to new technology– High tariffs made it High tariffs made it

harder for farmers to sell harder for farmers to sell goods overseasgoods overseas

The Grange The Grange – National farm National farm

organizationorganization– First met about social & First met about social &

educational purposeseducational purposes– Formed cooperatives (co-Formed cooperatives (co-

ops)ops)– Failed in the 1870sFailed in the 1870s

Farmer’s Alliance- Farmer’s Alliance- 18771877– Formed when the Formed when the

Grange failedGrange failed– Organized large co-Organized large co-

ops called exchanges ops called exchanges – Failed to fix farmers’ Failed to fix farmers’

problemsproblems

– Colored Farmers’ Colored Farmers’ National Alliance National Alliance 18911891

Populist MovementPopulist Movement People’s Party (from the People’s Party (from the

Farmer’s Alliance)Farmer’s Alliance)– pushed for political pushed for political

reforms:reforms: Adoption of the sub-Adoption of the sub-

treasury plan (warehouses treasury plan (warehouses that stored crops)that stored crops)

Free coinage of silverFree coinage of silver End to protective tariffs & End to protective tariffs &

national banksnational banks Tighter regulation of the Tighter regulation of the

railroadsrailroads Direct election of senators Direct election of senators

by votersby voters

– 1892- nominated Weaver 1892- nominated Weaver for Populist Party rep. for for Populist Party rep. for Pres.Pres. Cartoon, Houston Daily

Post, March 30, 1896

Populist MovementPopulist Movement

1893- Economic crisis- created a crisis for 1893- Economic crisis- created a crisis for the U.S. Treasurythe U.S. Treasury– Goldbugs- believed American currency should Goldbugs- believed American currency should

be based on goldbe based on gold– Silverites- believed coining silver in unlimited Silverites- believed coining silver in unlimited

quantities would solve nation’s economic crisis quantities would solve nation’s economic crisis (supported by farmers)(supported by farmers)

1900- U.S. officially adopted a gold-based 1900- U.S. officially adopted a gold-based currencycurrency– Silver Crusade died out & Populism lost its Silver Crusade died out & Populism lost its

momentummomentum

Race IssueRace Issue Mississippi (1890) required a poll Mississippi (1890) required a poll

tax of $2 & a literacy testtax of $2 & a literacy test

Some states gave whites a Some states gave whites a special break- grandfather clause special break- grandfather clause (allowed any man to vote if he (allowed any man to vote if he had an ancestor on the voting had an ancestor on the voting rolls in 1867)rolls in 1867)

Segregation- separation Segregation- separation of the races of the races

Jim Crow Laws- laws that Jim Crow Laws- laws that enforced segregation enforced segregation (after Civil War)(after Civil War)

Violence- 1890-1899 Violence- 1890-1899 (average of 187 (average of 187 lynchings carried out lynchings carried out each year) 80% in the each year) 80% in the SouthSouth

African American LeadersAfrican American Leaders

W. E. B. DuBoisW. E. B. DuBois– Said African Americans Said African Americans

could regain civil rights could regain civil rights & achieve full equality & achieve full equality by demanding their by demanding their rights!rights!

Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. Washington– Said African Americans Said African Americans

should concentrate on should concentrate on achieving economic goals achieving economic goals rather than legal/political rather than legal/political onesones

– Urged African Americans Urged African Americans to postpone the fight for to postpone the fight for civil rights & instead civil rights & instead concentrate on preparing concentrate on preparing themselves educationally themselves educationally & vocationally for full & vocationally for full equalityequality

DuBois Washington

Progressivism 1890-1920Progressivism 1890-1920

A collection of different ideas & A collection of different ideas & activities designed to fix problems in activities designed to fix problems in American societyAmerican society

Believed industrialism & urbanization Believed industrialism & urbanization had created many social problems had created many social problems

wanted govt. to take a more active wanted govt. to take a more active role in solving society’s problemsrole in solving society’s problems

MuckrakersMuckrakers*journalists who investigated social conditions & *journalists who investigated social conditions &

political corruptionpolitical corruption

Upton Sinclair-Upton Sinclair- The JungleThe Jungle (meat packing industry problems) (meat packing industry problems) Ida Tarbell-Ida Tarbell- critical of the Standard Oil Co. critical of the Standard Oil Co. Jacob Riis-Jacob Riis- How the Other Half LivesHow the Other Half Lives (described the poverty, (described the poverty,

disease, and crime in NYC)disease, and crime in NYC)

Govt. ReformsGovt. Reforms

1.1. Direct Primary- all party members could vote for Direct Primary- all party members could vote for a candidate to run in the general electiona candidate to run in the general election

2.2. Initiative- allowed a group of citizens to Initiative- allowed a group of citizens to introduce legislation & required the legislature introduce legislation & required the legislature to vote on itto vote on it

3.3. Referendum- allowed proposed legislation to be Referendum- allowed proposed legislation to be submitted to the voters for approvalsubmitted to the voters for approval

4.4. Recall- allowed voters to demand a special Recall- allowed voters to demand a special election to remove an elected official from office election to remove an elected official from office before his/her term had expiredbefore his/her term had expired

5.5. Direct election of senators- by state voters (17Direct election of senators- by state voters (17thth amendment)amendment)

Suffrage MovementSuffrage Movement*suffrage- right to vote *suffrage- right to vote

1848- began 1848- began before the before the progressive progressive mvmt.mvmt.

Felt 14Felt 14thth & 15 & 15thth amendments amendments should be should be worded to worded to include womeninclude women

Suffrage Suffrage MovementMovement

National Women Suffrage National Women Suffrage AssociationAssociation– Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Elizabeth Cady Stanton &

Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony– Focus on passing a Focus on passing a

constitutional amendment constitutional amendment allowing woman suffrageallowing woman suffrage

American Woman Suffrage American Woman Suffrage AssociationAssociation– Lucy Stone & Julia Ward Lucy Stone & Julia Ward

HoweHowe– Strategy- convince state Strategy- convince state

govt.’s to give women the govt.’s to give women the right to vote before trying to right to vote before trying to amend the Constitutionamend the Constitution

National American National American Woman Suffrage Woman Suffrage Association (1890)Association (1890)– Helped by Alice Paul Helped by Alice Paul

& Carrie Chapman & Carrie Chapman CattCatt

– 1912- WA, OR, CA, 1912- WA, OR, CA, AZ, KS granted full AZ, KS granted full voting rightsvoting rights

– Nineteenth Nineteenth Amendment (1920)- Amendment (1920)- gave women the gave women the right to voteright to vote

Social Welfare ReformsSocial Welfare Reforms Child LaborChild Labor

– 1900- 1.7 mil. under 16 1900- 1.7 mil. under 16 worked outside the homeworked outside the home

– Laws passed limited the Laws passed limited the age a child could start age a child could start workingworking

Health/Safety CodesHealth/Safety Codes– Building codesBuilding codes– Worker’s compensation Worker’s compensation – Zoning lawsZoning laws

ProhibitionProhibition– Many progressives believed Many progressives believed

alcohol was responsible for alcohol was responsible for many problemsmany problems

– Temperance Mvmt.- Temperance Mvmt.- advocated the moderation advocated the moderation or elimination of alcoholor elimination of alcohol

Socialism- idea that Socialism- idea that the govt. should own the govt. should own & operate industry for & operate industry for the community as a the community as a wholewhole