Reform, Politics, & the Gilded Age

Created by Katherine Lacks

Reformers

• Social Gospel Movement– preached salvation thru service to the poor– inspired people to build churches in poor

communities and convinced some business leaders to treat workers more fairly

Created by Katherine Lacks

Reformers• Settlement-house Movement

– community centers in slum neighborhoods that gave assistance and friendship to locals - especially immigrants

– ran mostly by middle-class, college-educated women– promote education, culture, and social services– provide classes - English, health, crafts, drama, music, etc.– sent nurses to homes of sick, injured, etc.– Jane Addams - co-founder of Chicago's Hull House - 1889– Locust Street Social Settlement - Hampton, VA - 1st one for

African Americans

Created by Katherine Lacks

The Political Machine

Organization (city bosses)– organized group that controlled activities of

a political party in a city– offered services to voters and business in

exchange for political and financial support– voters received city jobs, contracts, political

appointments in exchange for votes– organized like a pyramid

Created by Katherine Lacks

The Political Machine

City Boss

Ward Boss

Local precinct workers & captains

• City Boss – controlled the political party throughout the city

• Ward Boss – worked to gain all precinct’s support during elections

• Local precinct workers and captains – gained voter support on block or in neighborhood

Created by Katherine Lacks

The Political Boss

• controlled 1000s of city jobs (including police, fire, sanitation), business licenses and inspections, influenced courts and agencies

• helped solve many urban problems which won loyalty from voters

• built parks, sewer systems, waterworks, gave money to schools, hospitals, orphanages, etc.

Created by Katherine Lacks

The Political Boss

• many were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants and had worked their way up from poverty

• spoke language and could relate to immigrant problems

• able to provide solutions• helped immigrants become

naturalized, find place to live and get a job in exchange for votes

Created by Katherine Lacks

Corruption was widespread during this era in the government

The rapid industrialization led to rapid urbanization and local governments could not keep up with the fast rate of

city growth

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe had no knowledge

of democratic society and were easy prey for city bosses

Businessmen were closely linked with big city bosses making corruption hard to

fightCreated by Katherine Lacks

Graft & Scandal

• fraudulent elections - use names of dogs, kids, deceased as voters

• graft - misuse of power– turning in a bill higher than actual cost and

"kickback" (illegal payments) go to the machine

– granting favors to businesses in return for cash

– accepting bribes to allow illegal activities

Created by Katherine Lacks

Tweed Ring

• William Marcy Tweed - head of Tammany Hall - NYC's powerful Democratic political machine (1863)

• pocketed @ $200 million from city in kickbacks (1869-1871)

• finally broken up in 1871• Tweed indicted on 220 counts of fraud and

extortion - sentenced to 12 years• escaped after serving 2 years but recaptured in

Spain later

Created by Katherine Lacks

William Marcy “Boss” TweedCreated by Katherine Lacks

A novel by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner which explored political and

economic corruption in the U.S. The phrase “Gilded Age”, commonly given to

the era, comes from the title of this book. The term gilded means to be covered with

gold. Twain and Warner used it in the novel to

refer to a city, which from a distance, looked as if it was made of gold, but instead, was

covered in cheap gold paint. This was a symbol of the truth about America, where

corporations like the railroad companies told lies about streets made of gold to attract

immigrants to work for them.The two major characters, Colonel Beriah Sellers and Senator Abner Dilworthy, are linked together by a government railroad

bribery scheme. Twain and Warner depicted an American

society that on the surface appeared prosperous and full of opportunities but

underneath was corrupt and scandalous.

The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873)

Warner

Twain

Created by Katherine Lacks

Gilded- “to make appear more bright and attractive”

“An era of slums and palaces”

Created by Katherine Lacks

Reasons that the RICH were so rich (and there were few of them) and the POOR were so poor (and there

were so many of them)• No income taxes• No Government regulations on

business (at first)• No unions to protect workers & help

increase wages• Lack of proper education & Child Labor• Strong Belief in Social Darwinism

(among “Rich”)• Massive graft and corruption

Created by Katherine Lacks

The Palacesof The Gilded

AgeCreated by Katherine Lacks

BiltmoreCreated by Katherine Lacks

Built by George Washington Vanderbilt between 1888 & 1895

Ashville, NC

Largest privately owned home in the US

255 rooms; 175,000 sq. ft.

Created by Katherine Lacks

Created by Katherine Lacks

Created by Katherine Lacks

George Washington Vanderbilt

Created by Katherine Lacks

The BreakersNewport, RI

Summer home of VanderbiltCreated by Katherine Lacks

Hearst CastleHearst CastleSan Simeon, CASan Simeon, CA

William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst Created by Katherine Lacks

Chateau-sur-MerNewport, RI

William Wetmore Created by Katherine Lacks

Marble HouseNewport, RI

Vanderbilt’s grandson

Created by Katherine Lacks

Rose Cliff

Created by Katherine Lacks

Whitehall

Created by Katherine Lacks

The wealthy who built the amazing homes were “industrial giants” and the new

“ultra” rich who’s families had succeeded in America beyond belief

Created by Katherine Lacks