Post on 16-Dec-2015
GILDED AGE POLITICSGILDED AGE POLITICS
Unit VBUnit VB
AP United States HistoryAP United States History
Third Party System (1860-1896)
► Politics Spoils system dominated the early period Electorate
►Strong loyalty and intense interest
Regional campaigning
► Economics Laissez-faire policies “Business ran politics and politics was a branch of
business.”
Third Party System (1860-1896)► Democrats
Coalition► White Southerners,
Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, Immigrants
► States’ rights; laissez-faire
Bourbon Democrats► Pro-business Democrats
Laissez-faire Against protectionism Gold standard
► Supported civil service reforms
Redeemer Democrats► Southern Democrats return
after Compromise of 1877
► Republicans Coalition
►Business, upper-class, northern WASPs, reformers, blacks, scalawags, carpetbaggers
►Pro-business; tariffs; protectionism
Stalwarts►Preserve spoils system and
machine politics
Half-Breeds►Pursued civil service reform
Mugwumps► Independents discouraged with
corrupt GOP
Third Party System (1860-1896)
►Minor Parties Greenback Party
►Wanted to continue paper currency policies
Prohibition Party►Pursued policies to outlaw alcohol
Populist Party►Discontent among farmers led to populism►Bimetallism and progressive policies
Rutherford B. Hayes (R)(1877-1881)
► Removed federal troops from the South Attempted to pursue racial
equality
► Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Ordered federal troops to
settle labor strikers
► Civil service reform Promoted meritocracy in
federal government
Election of 1880
► Republicans James A. Garfield
► Democrats Winfield S. Hancock
► Issue Tariffs
►Republicans favored for businesses
►Democrats opposed for farmers
James A. Garfield (R)(1881)
► Challenged political machines, spoils system, and senatorial courtesy
► Assassination July 2, 1881 Charles J. Guiteau
► “a disgruntled office-seeker”
► Death September 19, 1881
► Chester A. Arthur assumes presidency
Civil Service Reform► Patronage/Spoils System dominated political
appointments since Jackson► Corruption during Grant administration called for
reform Stalwarts
►Supported machine politics and spoils system►Roscoe Conkling
Half-breeds►Pursued civil service reform►James G. Blaine
► Garfield’s assassination► Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)
United States Civil Service Commission Federal employees based on expertise, civil service exams Prohibited federal employees and campaign contributions
Chester A. Arthur (R)(1881-1885)
► Assumed office after Garfield’s assassination
► Pendleton Act (1883) Despite being a Stalwart
► Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
► United States Navy Pursued modernization and
expansion of U.S. fleet
Election of 1884► Republicans
James G. Blaine► Democrats
Grover Cleveland Support from
Mugwumps► Campaign
“Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine. Continental liar, from the state of Maine”
“Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”
“Mama, mama! Where’s my pa?”
► “On to the White House, HA HA HA”
Grover Cleveland (D)(1885-1889)
► Considered presidency as a watchdog office - caretaker president Vetoed twice as many as predecessors
combined
► Haymarket Riot (1886)► Interstate Commerce Act (1887)
Established Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
► First regulatory agency
► Opposed Civil War veteran pensions Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
advocacy
► Pursued tariff reform
Election of 1888
► Democrats Grover Cleveland
►Lost independent GOP support with tariff reduction policy
► Republicans Benjamin Harrison
►Grandson of William Henry Harrison
► Election Cleveland barely
won popular vote, but lost electoral vote to Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (R)(1889-1893)
► Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)► Billion Dollar Congress
Federal budget over $1B Dependent Pensions Act
(1890)
► Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)
► McKinley Tariff (1890)► Homestead Strike (1892)
The Populist Movement► Origin and Evolution of Populist Party
Granger Movement -> Farmers Alliance -> Populist Movement -> People’s Party/Populist Party
► Concentrations and bases in West and South► Omaha Platform (July 4, 1892)
Coinage of silver Direct election of Senators Graduated income tax State laws through referendums/initiatives Government ownership of infrastructure 8-hour workday Abolition of national banks Civil service reform
Bimetallism► For Silver
Overproduction led to decreased prices therefore a call for increase in money supply
Silver coinage would cause inflation lessening farmer and consumer debt to banks
Free Silver► For Gold
Sound money Banks and businesses preferred gold
standard Stable economy and prevents inflation
► Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) U.S. Treasury ordered to buy 4.5 million
oz of silver monthly Treasury notes could be turned in for
silver or gold► Most took gold depleting U.S. gold
reserves
McKinley Tariff (1890)
► Protective tariff Raised duties to 48.4%, highest
peacetime rate ever
► Support Republicans Manufacturers/Industrialists Wage Earners
► Opponents Democrats Farmers Inflation
Election of 1892
► Democrats Grover Cleveland
► Republicans Benjamin Harrison Hurt by inflation
caused by Sherman Silver Purchase Act and McKinley Tariff
► Populists James B. Weaver Coalition built on
perception of government in the pockets of industrialists
Failed to coalesce support with South
Grover Cleveland (D)(1893-1897)
► Panic of 1893► Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894)
Eliminated McKinley Tariff and reduced rates
► Monetary Debate Supported gold standard and
repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act
► Pullman Strike (1894) Deployed federal troops to settle
the strike Threatened postal mail delivery
Panic of 1893► Causes
Overexpansion Railroad speculation
► Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad bankruptcy
Silver prices decreased► Cleveland had Sherman Silver
Purchase Act repealed
► Impact Unemployment to 18.4% 16,000 businesses and 500 banks
bankrupt/failed Pullman Strike (July 1894) Coxey’s Army (1894)
► March on Washington by unemployed workers and farmers $500 million for jobs
► Dispersed by federal troops J.P. Morgan and the Treasury
► Cleveland and U.S. borrowed $65 million in gold
William Jennings Bryan (D)► Panic of 1893 hurt
Democrats► “The Great Commoner”
Appealed to farmers, working class, middle class
► Amazing and passionate orator
► Became lightning rod for Populists/Silverites
► “Cross of Gold” Speech Support of bimetallism Earned him Democratic
presidential nomination
Cross of Gold Speech► “If they dare to come out in the
open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”
Election of 1896► Democrats
William Jennings Bryan► Virtually assimilated
Populist platform Gold Bug faction
► Republicans William McKinley
► Mark Hanna and mass media
► Massive financial support from big business
Outspent Bryan 5 to 1► Benefited from recovering
economy European crop failures Massive urban
immigration Klondike Gold Rush
► Campaign Bryan on nationwide
campaign McKinley’s “front-porch”
1896 - Realignment Election
► Coalitions Republicans
►Will dominate national government for next 35 years►Business, professionals, skilled workers, middle class,
commercial farmers►Northeast, Upper Midwest, Pacific
Democrats►Farmers, immigrants, unskilled labor►South, Midwest
► Campaign Finance Contested States Stump speech