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The Gilded Age
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS
SE: US 2A, 3A, 3B. 3C
Historical ErasCharacteristics of an Historical Era
1) They have certain recognizable characteristics.
2) They often overlap with other eras and time periods.
3) They are often unique to a specific country or area.
Historical Eras
Historical Eras of U.S. History (since 1877)
1) Gilded Age ………………………..
(1870s-1900)2) Progressive Era ……………….
(1900-1920)3) World War I ………………………..
(1914-1918)4) Roaring ‘’20s ……………………..
(1920-1929)5) Great Depression ……………
(1929-1939)6) World War II ……………………..
(1939-1945)7) Cold War …………………………..
(1945-1991)8) Civil Rights Movement ….
(1950s-60s)
The Gilded Age
The term “Gilded Age” was coined by writer Mark Twain
The Gilded Age is the period in U.S. history between 1870 to around 1900
The Gilded Age
The era was called the Gilded Age because although life in the U.S. looked bright and shiny, underneath the surface, there was
lots of poverty and corruption.
The Gilded Age
1) New policies dealing with Native Americans
2) Rise of political machines running local politics
3) The growth of industrialization
Characteristics of Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
Native AmericansNative Americans were forced onto reservations and their children were forced to assimilate into American culture
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
African AmericansBlacks were denied many basic rights and lynching of blacks was a common occurrence in the South
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
FarmersOverproduction of goods and price gauging by railroads drove many farmers out of business
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
ImmigrantsMany immigrants were discriminated against and
most lived in horrible inner city conditions
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
WomenWomen were denied the right to vote in most states
and could not work the same jobs as men
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
The Gilded Age
ChildrenMost children lacked good educations because they
went to work after they learned to read and write
Coming up next:
The Old West
TheOld
WestBy Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS SE: US 3A, 12A, 15A
Rise of the Iron Horse
Following the Civil War, many Americans began
moving West. The growth of railroads quickened this
migration.
Most people who moved west were
ranchers who raised cattle or farmed the land, or were miners looking for gold or
silver.
Railroad Pioneers
Leland Stanford
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Founded Central Pacific Railroad, the
largest railroad
company in the West
Largest railroad
tycoon in the Eastern
United States during the late 1800s
Transcontinental Railroad
The railway completed in 1869 between Omaha, Nebraska and
Sacramento, California It was built in large part by Chinese
immigrants
Transcontinental Railroad
It joined the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads and greatly improved travel from the eastern United States
to the West.
Homestead ActThe law passed in 1862 that
encouraged the settlement of the Great Plains
People got a plot of land for free as long as they:1) Filed a application2) Improved the land
3) Filed for a deed ($10)
Settlement of the West
Four things drew settlers to the Central Plains
1) the Homestead Act allowed people to own their own land
2) the land was rich and fertile for farming3) the development of the steel plow made
farming easier4) the land was flat without any major
mountains
Settlement of the West
This flood of people moving westward angered many Native Americans living
in the Plains.
Settlement of the West
To make room for white settlers, herds of buffalo were killed and Native
Americans were placed on reservations, leading to…
“Indian Wars”
The movement west led to a series of “Indian wars”
between homesteaders and Native Americans
The clashes led to numerous massacres, throughout the late 1800s
Among these were the Sand Creek Massacre, Fetterman Massacre and
the Massacre at Wounded Knee
Indian Peace Commission
Three years after the Sand Creek Massacre, the federal government tried to step in and settle disputes between U.S.
settlers and Native Americans by creating the Indian Peace Commission in 1867
The Indian Peace Commission tried to end conflicts by creating new lands
for Native Americans only.
These lands were known as
reservations.
Indian Reservations
The Dawes ActLaw passed in 1887
attempting to assimilate Native Americans into
American society
The law led to the creation of “Indian Territory”
in what is today the state of Oklahoma
The Dawes ActNative American
children were forced to learn English and
became more “Americanized”
Native American families were forced
from their homelands and onto reservations
The U.S. government had to use force to move some Native American
Flight of the Nez Perce
Often, Native Americans were chased off land that they had been settled on for centuries
The Nez Perce tribe – led by Chief
Joseph – refused to move from
their lands to a reservation
in Idaho
The army chased the Nez Perce all the way to
Canada before Chief Joseph surrendered
Famous Indian Chiefs
Sitting Bull Crazy Horse
Red Cloud Geronimo
Custer’s Last StandThe Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876
was one of the most famous massacres
in U.S. history
It was in this battle Lt. Colonel George Custer and the U.S. 7th Army was
ambushed by Native Americans. It became known as Custer’s Last Stand
Coming Up Next
The Industrial
Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS
SE: US 3B, 3C, 24B
Presidents of the Gilded Age
Grover Cleveland
Chester A. Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
James Garfield
During the Gilded Age, it can be argued that the President of the United States had less power
than the business leaders
The policies and actions of the U.S. government during the Gilded Age gave large corporations the freedom to do most whatever it wanted, leading
to an industrial boom in the U.S.
Free Enterprise SystemThe free
enterprise system is the
economic system in
which citizens are free to run a business the way they want
The system is based on the laissez-faire theory, meaning a business will succeed or fail and the
government will not interfere
The free enterprise system allowed the United States to become a world industrial
giant in the late 1800s and led to numerous new inventions
Free Enterprise System
Bell develops telephone
The free enterprise system helped to lead to new inventions by private businesses. One of the most dramatic inventions of the late 1800s was in the field of communications.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell developed the first telephone, which revolutionized
communication by increasing the scale and speed of nationwide communications.
"Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you."
Edison and the Light BulbIn 1879, American inventor Thomas
Edison developed the first light bulb. The invention led to the wide spread use of electrical power and factories being able to run at night.
Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding
1,093 U.S. patents in his name.
This in turn produced more jobs and more product, which led to
lower prices.
The Bessemer Process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the
mass-production of steel. By the late 1880s an immigrant by the
name of Andrew Carnegie used this process to become a millionaire
Entrepreneurs & Industrialists like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan were able to build great fortunes
during the Gilded Age
Captains of Industry
The government created policies to support the industrialists• High tariffs led to lower prices for American made goods
• There were very few government regulations on big business• Government supported owners over workers in labor disputes
Oil
John D. Rockefeller
Steel
Andrew Carnegie
Railroads
Cornelius Vanderbilt
J.P. Morgan
Banking
Captains of Industry …
…or Robber Barons?
Carnegie Mansion
Millionaire’s Row, New York
Millionaire’s Row, New York
Vanderbilt Chateau
Tenements in New York City
Tenements in New York City
The Gospel of WealthMany Christians rejected Social Darwinism because it contradicted the Bible
Many believed that those who profited from society owed something in return. This philosophy of giving back to society became known as the Gospel of Wealth.The Captain of Industry who most believed in the Gospel of Wealth was Andrew Carnegie, who gave millions of dollars to numerous charities
©CSCOPE 2008 47
Ups and Downs of the Economy
During the Gilded Age, the U.S. economy went through periods of growth and depressions, due to
tariff and currency policies 1870-1900
Major depressions occurred in 1873 and 1893
Farmers were especially hard hit. Since the U.S. put high tariffs on imports, Europe refused to buy
our agricultural products
©CSCOPE 2008 49
Rich vs. PoorWhile wealth and
affluence were growing and the middle class was
rising, the number of poor were also
growing
The poor (immigrants,
minorities, unskilled laborers) flooded to the cities looking for work in
the factories
Farmers were greatly impacted by increased production (which seems like a good thing), but it drove prices down.
“Rags to Riches”Immigrants came to America with the
hope they could become rich and successful if they worked hard enough
Novelist Horatio Alger wrote stories where the main character went
from “rags to riches.”
The belief that people who worked hard could raise their standard of living was known as “Individualism”
Rich Uncle Pennybags
Going from “rags to riches” became known as achieving “The American
Dream”
Social DarwinismNot everyone was able to achieve the American
Dream
Many people ended up broke trying to achieve wealth
The belief that things that can not adapt to their environment will eventually die out is known as
Social Darwinism
“Survival of the fittest”
Coming Up
Next…
Immigration during the Gilded Age
The Industrial Revolution
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS
SE: US 3B, 3C, 24B
Presidents of the Gilded Age
Grover Cleveland
Chester A. Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
James Garfield
During the Gilded Age, it can be argued that the President of the United States had less power
than the business leaders
The policies and actions of the U.S. government during the Gilded Age gave large corporations the freedom to do most whatever it wanted, leading
to an industrial boom in the U.S.
Free Enterprise SystemThe free
enterprise system is the
economic system in
which citizens are free to run a business the way they want
The system is based on the laissez-faire theory, meaning a business will succeed or fail and the
government will not interfere
The free enterprise system allowed the United States to become a world industrial
giant in the late 1800s and led to numerous new inventions
Free Enterprise System
Bell develops telephone
The free enterprise system helped to lead to new inventions by private businesses. One of the most dramatic inventions of the late 1800s was in the field of communications.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell developed the first telephone, which revolutionized
communication by increasing the scale and speed of nationwide communications.
"Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you."
Edison and the Light BulbIn 1879, American inventor Thomas
Edison developed the first light bulb. The invention led to the wide spread use of electrical power and factories being able to run at night.
Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding
1,093 U.S. patents in his name.
This in turn produced more jobs and more product, which led to
lower prices.
The Bessemer Process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the
mass-production of steel. By the late 1880s an immigrant by the
name of Andrew Carnegie used this process to become a millionaire
Entrepreneurs & Industrialists like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan were able to build great fortunes
during the Gilded Age
Captains of Industry
The government created policies to support the industrialists• High tariffs led to lower prices for American made goods
• There were very few government regulations on big business• Government supported owners over workers in labor disputes
Oil
John D. Rockefeller
Steel
Andrew Carnegie
Railroads
Cornelius Vanderbilt
J.P. Morgan
Banking
Captains of Industry …
…or Robber Barons?
Carnegie Mansion
Millionaire’s Row, New York
Millionaire’s Row, New York
Vanderbilt Chateau
Tenements in New York City
Tenements in New York City
The Gospel of WealthMany Christians rejected Social Darwinism because it contradicted the Bible
Many believed that those who profited from society owed something in return. This philosophy of giving back to society became known as the Gospel of Wealth.The Captain of Industry who most believed in the Gospel of Wealth was Andrew Carnegie, who gave millions of dollars to numerous charities
©CSCOPE 2008 67
Ups and Downs of the Economy
During the Gilded Age, the U.S. economy went through periods of growth and depressions, due to
tariff and currency policies 1870-1900
Major depressions occurred in 1873 and 1893
Farmers were especially hard hit. Since the U.S. put high tariffs on imports, Europe refused to buy
our agricultural products
©CSCOPE 2008 69
Rich vs. PoorWhile wealth and
affluence were growing and the middle class was
rising, the number of poor were also
growing
The poor (immigrants,
minorities, unskilled laborers) flooded to the cities looking for work in
the factories
Farmers were greatly impacted by increased production (which seems like a good thing), but it drove prices down.
“Rags to Riches”Immigrants came to America with the
hope they could become rich and successful if they worked hard enough
Novelist Horatio Alger wrote stories where the main character went
from “rags to riches.”
The belief that people who worked hard could raise their standard of living was known as “Individualism”
Rich Uncle Pennybags
Going from “rags to riches” became known as achieving “The American
Dream”
Social DarwinismNot everyone was able to achieve the American
Dream
Many people ended up broke trying to achieve wealth
The belief that things that can not adapt to their environment will eventually die out is known as
Social Darwinism
“Survival of the fittest”
Coming Up
Next…
Immigration during the Gilded Age
SE: US 3C
Child Labor during
the Gilded
AgeBy Brad Harris,Grand Prairie
HS
Immigrant children were put to work in sweatshops – jobs with harsh working
conditions
Child Labor
Child Labor
Businesses wanted to hire
children because they were a cheap
source of labor.
Child Labor
Parents wanted children to work for 3 reasons:
1) their families needed the money2) they thought hard work built character
3) they believed once children learned how to read, write,
and do basic math, they were educated enough
Child Labor
Child labor included factory work, mining or quarrying, agriculture, or
doing odd jobs.
Child Labor
Children often worked in dangerous
factory jobs…
Child Labor
...or dangerous jobs in mines because of their size
Child Labor
Newspaper carriers were known as “Newsies”
Coming up next…
Political Machines and Inner
City Corruption
Politics of the Gilded Age
City Bosses and Political Machines
SE: US 3A
Political MachinesPolitical machines
controlled the activities of political parties in the city.
Ward bosses, precinct captains, and the city boss
worked to: 1) ensure that their
candidates were elected;
2) make sure that city government worked to their advantage.
Machine Organization
City Boss = Power broker
(most were democrats and
many were immigrants
themselves)
Like a pyramid: local precinct workers and captains at the base, ward bosses in the middle, and the city boss at the top
Role of the Political Boss The “Boss” (typically the
mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and
influenced the court system.
Precinct captains and ward bosses, often 1st or
2nd generation immigrants, helped new immigrants with jobs, housing, and
naturalization in exchange for votes. Boss Tweed ran
NYC
HOW THE POLITICAL MACHINE WORKS
Residents Vote for candidates supported
by political machines.
Machines maintainpower over city
governments
Political Machines work to control city
politics
Run by powerful “Boss”who has influence with
or over city officials
Machines hand out jobs,contracts, and favors to
City Residents
Role of Immigrants Immigrants were the workers
who ran the political machine.
They offered their loyalty and votes in exchange for favors and solutions to their problems.
Graft and Scandal Some political bosses
were corrupt and their political machines practiced election fraud by using fake names and voting multiple times to ensure victory.
Bribes were common and construction contracts often resulted in kick-backs. Because the police were hired by the boss, there was no close scrutiny.
What is Graft? Graft is the illegal use of
political influence for personal gain.
How did the bosses use graft for their own personal gain?
To win elections To make themselves richer To finance the operations of the
political machine
What are kickbacks? A Kickback is the illegal practice of
getting contract workers hired by the bosses to overcharge the city for their services. Then the overpayment would be split between the city boss and the contract-worker How did the bosses use kickbacks for their own personal gain?
The bosses would enrich themselves as well as the machine
Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall William M. Tweed, known as Boss
Tweed, was head of Tammany Hall, New York City’s powerful Democratic political machine.
Between 1869-1871, he led the Tweed Ring of corrupt politicians in defrauding the city.
Convicted of 120 counts of fraud & extortion, he was sentenced to 12 years in jail, but released after one. Rearrested, he escaped to Spain.
Boss Tweed
©CSCOPE 2008 92
"Stop them damn pictures. I don't
care what the papers write about
me. My constituents can't read. But,
damn it, they can see the pictures." William “Boss”
TweedTammy Hall Party
Boss
New_York_City__Five_Points_Neighborhood_and_Tammany_Hall (1)
Thomas NastAs a political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly, Nast attacked the Tammany Hall (Democratic) political machine that ran New York City in the late 1800s . Along the way, Nast created the Democratic Donkey (he did not like the Democrats), and the Republican Elephant symbols, the Tammany Tiger, and even Santa Claus.
94Tammany TigerDemocratic DonkeyRepublican Elephant
Coming up Next…
The Birth of
Unions
The Birth of Unions
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS
SE: US 3B
What is a Labor Union?
A labor union is an organization of workers who unite to protect the rights of the workers from
abusive practices of the employer
What is a Labor Strike?
A labor strike is when a labor union refuses to go to work in order to shut
down a business because of poor working conditions or poor pay
Early UnionsThe free enterprise system meant that businesses
made their own rules
Without government interference, business owners could pay their workers what they wanted
and make them work as long as they wanted
Industrialization during the late 1800s contributed to the development of organized labor
because it created low-wage, low-skill jobs that made employees easy to replace.
Suppressing the Unions
• Union organizers were blacklisted, making it impossible for them to get a job
• Businesses locked workers out and refused to pay them• Workers were forced to sign contracts saying they
would not join a union
Karl Marx
Marx argued that free market capitalism, like previous socio-economic systems, will inevitably produce
internal tensions which will lead to its destruction
Karl Marx was the German philosopher, whose ideas
are credited as the foundation
of modern communism.
Marx believed that workers would eventually revolt, take control of factories, and overthrow the government. Once the workers did this, the new workers-led government would take all private property and distribute wealth evenly among every citizen.
Marxism
Marxism greatly influenced European unions and led to numerous revolutions in Europe in the mid-1800s. When immigrants came to the U.S. from Europe, many feared they would bring their ideas of workers revolutions with them, leading to a distrust of many Americans of immigrant workers.
Mary Harris “Mother” JonesMother Jones was the nation’s most
prominent woman union leader during the American Industrial Revolution
Jones became an organizer for the United Mine
Workers
She traveled to numerous mining camps to see conditions miners had to endure. She gave fiery speeches for miners to unite to fight for better working conditions and better pay.
Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs was the powerful
leader of the American
Railway Union.
Debs would run for president four times as a candidate for
the Socialist Party
American Federation of LaborThe American Federation
of Labor was the union of over 20 trade unionsSamuel
Gompers was the union’s first leader.
Gompers believed unions should stay out of politics and that they should negotiate rather than go on strike.
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
In 1877, an economic recession led to some railroads cutting wages, triggering
the first nationwide labor strike. It became known as the Great Railroad Strike.
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Some workers turned violent and numerous states had to call out their
state militias to stop the violence.
Knights of LaborIn response to the Great
Railroad Strike of 1877, labor organizers formed the first
nationwide industrial union – the Knights of Labor.
The Knights called for an eight-hour workday, supported the use of arbitration AND began to organize strikes.
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot was the disturbance that took place on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, and began as a rally in support of striking
workers.
Haymarket Riot
A bomb was thrown during the rally, which started a riot. Eight men were convicted
and four of them were executed. One was a member of the Knights of Labor.
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike occurred in 1892 when workers of Andrew Carnegie’s U.S. Steel went on strike after a tense labor
dispute led to a lockout.
The Homestead Strike one of the most violent strikes in U.S. history and was a
major setback for unions.
Homestead Strike
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike refers to a
nationwide conflict between labor unions and
railroads that occurred near
Chicago in 1894.
Pullman Strike
Following the firing of union workers, Debs
organized a strike that shut down the nation’s
railroads and threatened the economy.
Union membership declined as many people saw unions as being Un-American and violent
Impact of union strikes
IWW (Wobblies)The International Workers of the World (IWW) is the union
created in Chicago in 1905 that was made up primarily of
socialists and anarchists
The IWW called for all workers to be united as a
class and no wage system
Women’s Trade Union LeagueIn the early 1900s, women were
paid less than men, and most unions did not include women.
As a result, in 1903 the Women’s
Trade Union League was
formed
This was the first union organized to address women’s labor issues.
Summary• The free enterprise system is based on the laissez-faire
theory, meaning that the government should not interfere with or regulate business
• Industrialization contributed to the development of labor unions because it created low-wage, low-skill jobs that made employees easy to replace
• The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 led to the first nationwide industrial union – the Knights of Labor
• Samuel Gompers formed the American Federation of Labor, the largest trade union in the nation
Coming up
Next…Politics
and Reform
during the Gilded Age
THE GILDED
AGE
Politics and Reform
StalemateTwo sides are even and there is not a
way for one side to beat the other
Republicans Party of morality Reformers Abolition Temperance
Democrats Party of Personal
Liberty Dominated the South
Unusual Elections 1876 and 1888 Presidents Hayes and Harrison win the
Electoral College but lose the popular vote Has this happened recently?
Patronage The act of giving government jobs to
supporters of the winning party in an election
Also called the "Spoils System”
Half-breeds
Republican reformers who wanted an end to the patronage system
Stalwarts
Republicans who supported patronage Government jobs went to family and friends
Assassination of a PresidentPresident James Garfield is assassinated in 1881 in a train station
by a supporter who did not receive a job after the election
“I am a Stalwart and Arthur is President now!!”
Pendleton ActWas passed in reaction to Garfield's assassination
Jobs must be filled according to the rules made by a bipartisan committee (Civil Service Commission)
Candidates must take an examination (Civil Service Exam) to qualify
Civil Service Replaces Patronage
Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system, which had been based on Patronage (giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected). Reformers pushed for adoption of a merit system (hiring the most qualified for jobs). The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on performance.
Applicants for federal jobs are required to take a Civil Service Exam
Rise of Monopolies
A monopoly is having exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market,
or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices.
Robber Barons
Examples: Andrew Carnegie (steel) U.S. Steel Milton S. Hershey (Chocolate) J. P. Morgan (banking, finance, industrial
consolidation) John D. Rockefeller (oil) Standard Oil Leland Stanford (railroads) Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads)
The 19th century term for a businessman or banker who dominated a respective industry
and amassed huge personal fortunes, typically by anti-competitive or unfair business
practices.
Economic Issues
Railroads gave rebates to large corporations because of their volume seemingly gouging smaller volume customers
Tariffs increased prices on manufactured goods and made it difficult for farmers to export
Wabash v. IllinoisThe federal government has the
power to regulate rates for traffic between states
Interstate Commerce Commission
In response to Wabash v. Illinois, Congress passed a law that rates must be reasonable and just (fair)
It also made it illegal to charge higher rates for shorter hauls (prohibited discriminating against small markets)
It was ineffective because there was no enforcement of the law
Sherman Antitrust Act
Made it illegal to combine a company into a trust or conspire to restrain
trade or commerce The law was ineffective because it was vague and the courts did not
enforce it
So What? Although the ICC and Sherman Antitrust
Act were ineffective they did set a precedent for government regulation
Garfield's assassination leads to reforms that are still in practice today
Populism
SE: US 3A
By Brad Harris,Grand Prairie, TX
Farmers Struggle
During the 1880s, new inventions
greatly increased farm
production
But greater production led
to lower prices for
farm goods
They believed the only way to
convince the government to help
them was to organize.
A economic depression hit the nation and many farmers went bankrupt.
Farmers Struggle
The Grange
The first national farm organization was the
Patrons of Husbandry, also known as The
GrangeMany farmers joined the Grange to get help
during the difficult economic times
The Grangers pressured railroads to reduce their rates to haul their goods to market. Grangers created cooperatives, which were marketing organizations that worked for the benefit of their members
Farmers’ Alliance
By the late 1880s, a new organization known as the Farmers Alliance began to
formFarmers Alliances were created throughout the south and west but alliance failed help
the farmers enough
PopulismThe struggle of the farmers led to a rise of a
belief known as Populism
Populism was the movement to increase farmers’ political power to work to pass
laws in their interest
Populist Demands
1) unlimited coinage of silver
2) federal ownership of railroads
3) a graduated income tax 4) direct election of U.S.
Senators
Goldbugs v. Sliverites
America’s currency should
be based on Gold
Coining unlimited silver would solve the
nations economic crisis
When farmers found that the Democratic Party would not meet their demands, many broke away and created the People’s Party,
also known as the Populists
Election of 1896
William Jennings Bryan
William McKinley
In the Election of 1896, a major issue was improving the
U.S. economy Democrats
nominated William Jennings Bryan, a
supporter of unlimited silver, drawing most
Populists back to the Democratic
Party
Bryan: The Farmers Friend
Bryan: The Farmers Friend
18,000 miles of campaign “whistle stops.”
William Jennings Bryan
Was backed by people in the South and West, especially farmers
Silverite, was opposed to the “gold standard”
“You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”
“Cross of Gold” Speech
William Jennings Bryan’s speech denouncing the gold standard and calling
for the U.S. to use silver, which would lower the value of the dollar, thus leading
to an increase in the value of goods
William Jennings Bryan
The Democratic Party became split because of Bryan’s support for many
Populist beliefs
William McKinley
Governor of Ohio who was supported by the industrial part of the nation (Northeast and
Midwest)
McKinley supported the gold standard which would strengthen the value of the
dollar and big business
Election of 1896
Because many “Gold Democrats” would not vote for Bryan, McKinley won the election. The Populists lost most of its
following and Populism died out.
Gold Triumphs Over Silver
Gold Triumphs Over Silver
1900 GoldStandard Act
confirmed the nation’s commitment tothe gold standard.
A victory for the forces ofconservatism.
Republicans would dominate politics the next decade
Decline of Populism
The depression ends during the McKinley administration
Objections to the gold standard lessen
The Gold Standard is adopted when Congress passed the Gold Standard Act in 1900
Wizard of Oz connection
Wizard of Oz connection
“Parable of the Populists”?
“Parable of the Populists”? Tornado ?
Dorothy ?
Kansas ?
Wicked Witch of theEast ?
Tin Woodsman ?
Scarecrow ?
Cowardly Lion ?
Yellow Brick Road ?
Silver Slippers ?
Emerald City ?
Oz ?
The Wizard ?
Munchkins ?
Wicked Witch of the West ?
Flying Monkeys ?
So What? The United States stays on the
Gold Standard until the 1970s Third Parties can cause major
parties to change agendas Depressions cause panic in the
moment but are soon forgotten once prosperity begins
Many of the beliefs of the Populists were the root of Progressives
The Fight for
Civil Rights during
the Gilded Age
By Brad Harris,
Grand Prairie HS
SE: US 3C