1. POLITICS IN
THE GILDED AGE
"The golden gleam of the gilded surface hides the
cheapness of the metal underneath.“ Mark Twain

2. Popularity in 1880
Rank Male name Female name
1 John Mary
2 William Anna
3 James Emma
4 Charles Elizabeth
Popular 5
6
George
Frank
Minnie
Margaret
Names 7
8
Joseph
Thomas
Ida
Alice
1880 9
10
Henry
Robert
Bertha
Sarah
11 Edward Annie
12 Harry Clara
13 Walter Ella
14 Arthur Florence
15 Fred Cora
16 Albert Martha
17 Samuel Laura
18 David Nellie
19 Louis Grace

3. Grant – Great General, Poor President
 Lots of Corruption
 Is he involved?
 Or too inept to notice?
 Re-elected in 1872
 Decides not to seek
3rd term in 1876
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ulyssessgrant

4. Grant – Corruption
 Crédit Mobilier– Pacific Railroad
hires itself to build railroad, bribes
lawmakers. - V.P. is involved
 Whiskey Ring - steals excise
taxes – Grant’s secretary
 Bribes to Sec of War from
suppliers to Indian Reservations
http://cprr.org/Museum/Credit_Mobilier_1873.html

5.  As cities grew in the late 19th
century, so did political
machines
 Political machines controlled
the activities of a political
party in a city
 Ward bosses, precinct
captains, and the city boss
worked to ensure their
candidate was elected

6. ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS
 The “Boss” (typically the
mayor) controlled jobs,
business licenses, and
influenced the courts
 Precinct captains and
ward bosses were often
1st or 2nd generation
immigrants so they
helped immigrants with
naturalization, jobs, and
housing in exchange for
votes
Boss Tweed ran NYC

7. MUNICIPAL GRAFT AND SCANDAL
 Political machines used
fake names and voted
multiple times to ensure
victory
 “Vote early and often”
 Graft (bribes) common
among political bosses
 Construction contracts
often resulted in “kick-
backs”
 Police forces were hired
by the boss prevented
close scrutiny

8. THE TWEED RING SCANDAL
 Boss Tweed, (William M.
Tweed) - head of Tammany
Hall, NYC’s powerful
Democratic political
machines
 Between 1869-1871, led the
Tweed Ring, defrauding the
city
 Indicted on 120 counts of
fraud and extortion
 Sentenced to 12 years in jail
– released after one,
arrested again, and escaped
to Spain

10. CIVIL SERVICE REPLACES PATRONAGE
 Some politicians pushed for
reform in the hiring system
 The system had been based
on Patronage; giving jobs and
favors to those who helped a
candidate get elected
 Reformers pushed for an
adoption of a merit system of
hiring the most qualified for
jobs
 The Pendleton Civil Service
Applicants for federal jobs are
Act of 1883 authorized a
required to take a Civil Service Exam
bipartisan commission to
make appointments for
federal jobs based on
performance

11.  What symbols do you see?
 What do they mean?
 What is the message about Boss Tweed?

12. The “Brains” that
achieved the
Tammany Victory
at the Rochester
Democratic
Convention
http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/images/the_brains100.jpg

13. http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/images/tammany_tiger100.jpg

14. “What are you
laughing at? To the
victor belong the
spoils.”
http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/images/what_are_you_laughing100.jpg

16.  Nast’s most famous
cartoon
 1862
 Drew upon his
German heritage
http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/santa_claus.htm

17. Election of 1876
 Hayes (R) v. Tilden (D)
 Tilden win popular vote, one vote shy of
electoral college victory, but
 Four states (20 votes) in doubt
 Compromise of 1877, Hayes wins, if he ends
reconstruction

19. SEGREGATION & DISCRIMINATION
 After Reconstruction,
Southern States
adopted system of
legal discrimination

20. VOTING RESTRICTIONS
 Poll Tax
 Literacy Tests – link
 Grandfather Clause

21. JIM CROW LAWS
 named after an old
minstrel song
 separate public and
private facilities

22. PLESSY v. FERGUSON
 Plessy arrested for
sitting in whites-
only train car
 Supreme Court
ruled segregation
was legal and did
not violate the 14th
Amendment
 “Separate, But
Equal”

23. DISCRIMINATION IN THE NORTH
 Many blacks migrated to the North in hopes
of better jobs & equality
 Still faced discrimination: low paying jobs
and segregated neighborhoods

24. Chinese Exclusion
Act
 1882 – Immigration
from China is ended

25. The “Forgettable Presidents” 1876-96
 Hayes
 Garfield
 Arthur
 Cleveland
 Harrison
 Cleveland
 McKinley

26. Voter Turnout
 2008 - 56%

27. Democratic Republican
Bloc Bloc
Well-Defined Voting Blocs
 White southerners  Northern whites
(preservation of (pro-business)
white supremacy)
 African Americans
 Catholics & Jews
 Northern
 Recent immigrants Protestants
 Urban working  Old WASPs (support
poor (pro-labor) for anti-immigrant laws)
 Most farmers  Most of the middle class

28. Farmers & the Populist
Movement

29. Farmers Unite to Address Problems
Late 1800 Economic Problems
 Falling prices
 Mortgaged farms / equipment  buying on credit
 Increase in bank foreclosures
 Increase in railroad shipping charges – Long haul v.
Short haul

30. Effects of Retiring the Greenbacks
 Farmers borrowed – Greenbacks not worth as much
 Greenbacks retired - $ left in circulation worth more
 Farmers had to pay back loans w/ crop prices down
 less profit
 Farmers wanted more $ (silver) in circulation –
to cause inflation (good for borrowers)

31. Gold Bugs Silverites
Who they were Bankers and Farmers and laborers
businessmen
What they Gold standard Bimetallism
wanted Less $ in circulation More $ in circulation
Why Loans would be repaid Products would be
with stable $ sold at a higher $
Effects Deflation Inflation
-Prices fall -Prices rise
-value of $ increases -value of $ decreases
Fewer people have $ -more people have $

32. The Grange (The Patrons of Husbandry)
 1867
 Social outlet for farmers
 Educational forum
 Fight Railroads (high pricing / legislation)
 Established coops (cooperatives)

33. Farmers Alliance
 Education of farmers (business & agriculture)
 Southern Alliance – white farmers
 Colored Farmers’ National Alliance – black farmers

34. Populism
 People’s Party (1892)  Populist Party Convention
oIncrease in $ supply  increasing prices
oGraduated income tax
oFederal loan program
oPopular vote of U.S. Senators
oTerm limits – President / Vice President
oSecret Ballot
o8 hour work day
oRestrictions on immigration
oAppealed to Farmers and Laborers

36. Panic of 1893
Causes
 Farm debt
 Railroads  decreasing markets  railroad
bankruptcy
 Decrease in government supply of gold from
buying silver
Effects
 People panicked  stock market prices drop
 Price of silver falls  silver mines close
 Increase  national bankruptcy  less investment
 Decrease consumer spending, wages, prices

37. Election of 1896
Republicans Democrats / Populists
 Industrial East  South + West
 Gold Standard  Bimetalism - “Silverites”
“Gold Bugs”  William Jennings Bryan
 William McKinley  Effects
 Effects Inflation
Deflation Decrease in $
Increase value of $ Increase in prices
Decrease of prices More people have $
Fewer people have $

38. Cross of Gold Speech
“You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this
crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon
a cross of gold.”

39. Election of 1896
Election Results
 McKinley wins
 Industrial Midwest feared inflation  McKinley

40. Effects of Populism
 “Little guy” can organize and be
effective in elections
 Begins reform movement that will move
into 20th Century