Politics in the Gilded Age City Bosses, Political Machines, and Populism Politics in the Gilded Age City Bosses, Political Machines, and Populism

Political Machines  Political machines

Role of the Political Boss  The “ Boss ” (typically the mayor).  Precinct captains and ward bosses  Typically 1 st or 2 nd generation immigrants Boss Tweed ran NYC

Municipal Graft and Scandal  election fraud  Bribes  Corruption

The Tweed Ring Scandal  William M. Tweed  Boss Tweed  Tammany Hall, NYC  Corruption, scandal, imprisonment and escape.

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

The Election of 1896  The 1896 presidential election, which pitted Republican William McKinley against Democrat William Jennings Bryan, was a crucial turning point in U.S. history. Many contemporaries considered it the most important political event since Abraham Lincoln ’ s election in William McKinley

An Environment for Jim Crow  Bryan ’ s defeat was a loss for the West and the South, but the realignment of 1896 helped create favorable conditions for Jim Crow segregation and the disfranchisement of black voters in the South.