THE GILDED AGE Reconstruction to 1896. Gilded Age Who? What was the Gilded Age? Time of economic...
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Transcript of THE GILDED AGE Reconstruction to 1896. Gilded Age Who? What was the Gilded Age? Time of economic...
THE GILDED AGE
Reconstruction to 1896
Gilded Age
• Who? • What was the Gilded Age? • Time of economic growth and ostentatious
displays of wealth• Cause?• 2nd Industrial Revolution • Result? • A) new group of wealthy B) impoverished workers
1868-1912
• REPUBLICANS DOMINATED POLITICS IN WITH EXCEPTIONS OF
• CLEVELAND AND WILSON • DEMS STRONG IN THE SOUTH• EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS A
SQUEEKER
REPUBLICANS
• NORTHERN WHITES ( PRO-BUSINESS) • BLACKS• NORTHERN PROTESTANTS • MIDDLE CLASS• ANTI- IMMIGRANT GROUPS
DEMOCRATS
• WHITE SOUTHENERS ( WHITE SUPREMACY) • CATHOLICS • RECENT IMMIGRANTS- ESP JEWS• URBAN WORKERS• MOSTLY FARMERS
IN GENERAL
• MOST PRESIDENTS AFTER CW WERE FORGETTABLE ( H, G,A, H) ( C was ok)
• GREATEST PROBLEMS FACED HAD TO DO WITH • A) PATRONAGE• B) POLITICAL STALEMATE• MOST POLITICIANS “TIPTOED TIMIDLY”• MOST AMERICANS NOT REALY CONCERNED
ABOUT POLITICAL LEADERS –more with making money and surviving
THE FORGETTABLES
• Grant• Great general • Lousy president • He was corrupt but many of his appointments
were
• HAYES:A)DID TRY TO BRING HONESTY TO
GOVERNMENT B)TRIED TO LIMIT CHINESE IMMIGRATIONWhy? West Coast Irish thought Chinese taking
jobs- anti- Chinese led by Dennis Kearney( Chinese Exclusion Act 1882- prohibited nearly
all immigration from China- stayed shut until 1943 )
Some tried to limit citizenship for Chinese but
• +++ Supreme Court Case- 1898• U.S. vs Wong Kim Ark guaranteed citizenship
to all persons born in the USA
James Garfield
• GARFIELD - VP was Chester Arthur … an afterthought
• Waved “ the bloody shirt” • Assassinated• 1860, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1940,1960 but 1980
• WHAT WAS GOOD ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION?
• CAUSED POLITICIANS INTO REFORMING THE SPOILS SYSTEM
• THE PENDLETON ACT- 1883- • A) made campaign contributions from federal
employees illegal• B) established the CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION• appointments to federal jobs based on exams
rather than “pull” • At first just about 10% of Federal jobs
Chester Arthur
ARTHUR
• Not a reformer but tried to support Civil Service reform and end of nepotism in government
1884Cleveland
Cleveland- not forgettable
• New York Democrat • “Could Democrats – party of disunion- be
trusted to govern the Union”?• Outspoken and unbending • Named two former CSA officer to Cabinet
POLICIES
• HANDS OFF BUSINESS- LAISSEZ-FAIRE • TRIED TO REFORM CORRUPTION BUT GAVE IN
TO DEMS WHO WANTED JOBS • TRIED TO LOWER THE TARIFF- BUT MET
OPPOSITION ( thought lower tariff good for people, treasury had TOO MUCH MONEY IN IT,
less protection for monopolies BUT BUT BUT BUT
1888
• Election= first time an issue divided the parties … in a long time
• What was the issue?? The tariff• Republicans- Benjamin Harrison • Democrats- incumbent- Cleveland • Meaning of incumbent- existing office holder
• The idea of a lower tariff pushed the Republicans forward - ANGERED REP
• Republicans raised 3 million dollars ( 2016 election candidate will probably raise over 2 BILLION dollars)
• Harrison won a narrow victory • Cleveland actually had more popular votes
Benjamin Harrison
HARRISON AS PRES
• CONGRESS PASSED:• McKinley- Tariff Act of 1890=raised the rate
to about 48%• New Tariff hurt farmers- countries hurt by our
high tariff raised tariffs on our farm products
IMPORTANT
• 1892- new Populist / People’s Party• Attempted to unite the farmers • spoke in favor of:• Government ownership of RR – believed RR
exploited farmers, govt own telegraph and telephone
• Unlimited coinage of silver• The direct election of senators ( Senators were
elected by state legislatures at this time)
• Referendums- word means that citizens vote directly on issues
• Shorter workday• Immigration restrictions• Populists nominated- General James Weaver• And supported William Jennings Bryan in 1896
Election of 1892
• Populist candidate Weaver received 22 electoral votes
Incumbent Harrison- 145 and Democrat Cleveland won because Populist
and Republicans were divided “even though it was the same old Cleveland, it
was not the same old country”
Cleveland’s second term
• Only President elected after a defeat• Country experienced a Depression of 1893• “ the most crushing economic downturn of
the 19th century”• Businesses collapsed, soup kitchens fed
people, hoboes• Cleveland has a ton of trouble including a
tumor on the roof of his mouth
• Cleveland alienated Democrats by asking Republican J. P. Morgan – a powerful banker
• Bankers lent the government 65$ in gold• The loan helped to restore confidence in the • nation’s finances• Cleveland failed to cope with the crisis as a real leader
Allowed Federal troops to crush the Pullman strike+++ WORKERS WHO MADE RAILROAD PASSENGER CARS.
Election of 1896
• “ game changer” election – why?NOT BECAUSE OF THIS:• Dems nominated- young William Jennings
Bryan – • ( in a sense a Populist idea) • Bryan viewed by some as “dangerous, crazy
and radical”
Wm J Bryan
• Known as the “Boy Orator of the Platte”
• Speech at the Dem Convention• “You shall not crucify mankind on a cross of
gold”
WJBryan- great public speakerYOUNG!!
Meanwhile… in the South
• South had put in place “process” for restricting the Black vote:
• Literacy tests • Poll taxes
Game changer
• The amount of money spent- almost bought election
• Manipulation of the facts • “dirty tricks”
• But more importantly, election seemed to divide country into Big Business/ Big cities vs. poor and underprivileged
• Dems and Populists lost because they were not able to unite under “ one tent” to defeat McKinley
• Republicans control the White House • 96,00,08,20, 24,28
Wm McKinley