““THE GILDED AGE”THE GILDED AGE”

United States History and LiteratureUnited States History and LiteratureThe American Experience

UNIT OVERVIEWUNIT OVERVIEW(1865-1900)(1865-1900)

"What is the chief end of man?--to get rich. In what way? --dishonestly if we can; honestly if

we must.“--Mark Twain in 1871

DISRUPTION OF POLITICSDISRUPTION OF POLITICS• Compromise and

failure of compromise

• Importance of rival parties

• Re-emergence of political parties in new America

REPUBLICAN AGENDAREPUBLICAN AGENDA

Post-War Republican

Preoccupations

New tariff walls

National banking system

Program of railroad

subsidies

Policy of currency

stabilization and of gold payment on

governmental obligations

Position of African-

Americans in society

Republicans DividedRepublicans Divided

• Divisions muted during Civil War

• Lincoln then Johnson• “waving the bloody shirt”• Radical Republicans

(“stalwarts”) vs. Moderate Republicans (“half-breeds”)

• Divisions open door to Democratic resurgence President Grant

(1868-1876)

DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A

CAMPAIGN ISSUE

Democrats, also known as

"Copperheads," were identified with those who

had left the Union or collaborated with the South. They wanted to

distance themselves from

the war issue and found a new

agenda in the corruption of the

Grant administration.

Henry Adams wrote that

the succession

of presidents from

Washington to Grant was

enough to disprove Darwin.

“That, two thousand years after Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, a man like Grant should be called -- and should actually and truly be -- the highest product of the most

advanced evolution, made evolution ludicrous. One must be as commonplace as Grant's own commonplaces to maintain such an absurdity. The progress of evolution from

President Washington to President Grant, was alone evidence enough to upset Darwin.”

DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A

CAMPAIGN ISSUE

Newspapers ran stories

about corruption.

One of the most egregious examples

concerned cots overruns on Boss

Tweed's Courthouse in

New York City, where the exterior

painting alone cost a million

dollars.

In the absence of welfare, corruption was accepted as

one means of meeting the needs

of the poor, but the scale of this corruption was unprecedented.

People became concerned about

honor and responsibility, character traits that had been demonstrated

abundantly during the civil war.

Other corruption, such as selling of railroad contracts, Indian agencies,

and postal routes, was exposed.

“It’s not my enemies but my friends that will do me in!”

DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A

CAMPAIGN ISSUE

Samuel Tilden, HeroRich and incorruptible

The Democrats turned to Samuel Tilden, a wealthy railroad

lawyer, to fight the

corruption. He sent Boss

Tweed to prison and gained a national

reputation.

The dual issues of a victimized South and Republican corruption

united northern

Democrats and

impoverished southern.

Democrats back in business!

DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A

CAMPAIGN ISSUE

Newspapers ran stories

about corruption.

One of the most egregious examples

concerned cots overruns on Boss

Tweed's Courthouse in

New York City, where the exterior

painting alone cost a million

dollars.

In the absence of welfare, corruption was accepted as

one means of meeting the needs

of the poor, but the scale of this corruption was unprecedented.

People became concerned about

honor and responsibility, character traits that had been demonstrated

abundantly during the civil war.

NY Tammany Hall Political Machine

Civil service reform!

Democrat Samuel Tilden

ELECTION OF 1876ELECTION OF 1876

Republican Rutherford Hayes

• Scandal and more scandal

• Economic depression and liberal Republican revolt

Compromise of 1877 – End of military occupation in south, Jim Crow and Plessey v. Ferguson

ELECTION OF 1880ELECTION OF 1880

• “Rutherfraud”

• Garfield vs. Winfield Scott Hancock

• Assassination in September 1881

• 1884 election

• Democrat Cleveland vs. Republican Blaine

• Mudslinging

• “mugwumps”

• Outcome

Cleveland AdministrationCleveland Administration(1884-1888)(1884-1888)

• Civil service reform

• Tariff reduction

•

President Grover Cleveland

Harrison AdministrationHarrison Administration(1888-1892)(1888-1892)

• Republicans back in White House: ”Billion dollar Congress” and Congressional pork

• Thomas “Czar” Reed

• Rising disgust and populist outbreak in Midwest

• Loses re-election to Democrat Cleveland

President Benjamin Harrison

Cleveland Admin, Part IICleveland Admin, Part II(1892-1896)(1892-1896)

• Depression of 1893

• Even more corruption

• Backlash

President Benjamin Harrison,Part II