Politics in the Gilded Age Chapter 7 – Section 3

Gilded Age: Politics of Corruption

Politics in the Gilded Age – Objective explain the role of political machines and political bosses

Politics in the Gilded Age – Chapters in Brief Chapter Overview: The population rises as immigrants supply a political base for many urban politicians. Abuses in local and national government calls for reform. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The large populations of cities provided an opportunity for a new political force – the political machine controlled by a boss. A machine was a group that controlled a political party. By giving voters services they needed, the machine won their votes and controlled city government. The city boss controlled the whole machine – and the city. Bosses controlled jobs in the police, fire, and sanitation departments. They controlled the city agencies that granted licenses to business. They controlled the money used to fund large construction projects. Many bosses were first- or second-generation immigrants, and they understood immigrants’ concerns. By helping to solve immigrants’ problems, they won loyalty.

Politics in the Gilded Age – Chapters in Brief Political machines could point to many accomplishments. As they gained power, though, some individuals became corrupt. Some used illegal methods to win elections. Others abused power to become wealthy. Since the bosses controlled the police, they were seldom pursued. The Tweed Ring of New York was one of the most famous examples of corruption among city officials. Boss Tweed and many associates were finally convicted of various crimes. Corruption reached national politics. For many decades, presidents had given jobs to loyal party workers in what was called the spoils system. As a result, some workers were not qualified for their jobs. Others used their positions to get money. Reformers wanted to end these abuses. They proposed a civil service system in which government jobs would go only to those who proved they were qualified.

Politics in the Gilded Age – Chapters in Brief President Rutherford B. Hayes took some steps to reform the federal government. This aroused the anger of some members of his own party. These Stalwarts, as they were called, opposed any changes. The next president, James Garfield, favored the reform movement, and he was shot and killed by an unbalanced Stalwart. His successor, Chester Arthur, pushed through the Pendleton Act of 1883. It created the Civil Service Commission to give government jobs based on merit, not politics. The act helped Reform the civil service. However, some politicians now turned to wealthy business leaders for campaign money. As a result, some corruption continued. Another issue was how high to make the tariff, or tax on imported goods. Business leaders and Republicans wanted high tariffs so they could cut foreign competition. Democrats favored low tariffs. Under Republican Presidents Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley, the tariff was high. Under Democrat Grover Cleveland, the tariff was lower for a short period.

Chapters in Brief 3. What role did political machines play in cities? 4. What led to the call for civil service reform?

Chapters in Brief - Answers 3. What role did political machines play in cities? > political machines helped immigrants adapt to life and helped build the cities > many officials became corrupt 4. What led to the call for civil service reform? > unqualified government employees interfered with the daily functioning of the government > other appointees used their positions for personal gains > this lack of ability and corruption led many to urge civil service reform for federal workers

Gilded Age: 1868-1896 Gilded refers to the glitter of wealth and the flashy display of high society made possible by the expansion of industry and America as an Industrial giant in the world majority of presidents were Republicans government tended to side with big business wealth for some meant dismal living and working conditions for many others Written by Mark Twain: satirizes greed and political corruption in post-Civil War America

The Emergence of Political Machines In the late 19th century, cities were in trouble Rapid growth and inefficient government opened new types of politics Political machines, groups that controlled a political party in a city, emerged during this time period ** Political machines were wrong during the Gilded Age (1865-1900) because most of the candidates who were elected through a machine used their position to steal tax dollars**

The Emergence of Political Machines Political boss Political Machines controlled the activities of a political party in a city offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for political and financial support were organized like a pyramid TOP: political boss BASE: local precinct workers and captains workers and captains worked to gain voters’ support on city block or neighborhood – reported to a ward boss who worked to secure the vote in all the precincts in the ward Precinct Captains

The Role of the Political Boss controlled city jobs, police, firemen, licenses and inspections influenced courts and other municipal agencies used influence to assist schools and hospitals

Immigrants and the Political Machine Immigrants 1. received sympathy 2. became legal supporters 3. provided votes for the machine Political Bosses 1. 1st or 2nd generation who were raised in poverty 2. could speak the native language of immigrants 3. not only understood problems, but found solutions 4. helped find jobs and places to live

Municipal Graft and Scandal Fraud political machines turned to fraud to accomplish their goals they ran phony elections “vote early and vote often” they padded the list of eligible voters with names of dogs, children, and dead people

Municipal Graft and Scandal overcharge for a job they used kickbacks, which was were illegal payments buy land before it will be developed with inside knowledge once in office, political machines used graft Graft: illegal use of political influence for personal gain

Municipal Graft and Scandal Graft Example: > a political machine helps a person find work on a construction project for the city > the political machine could ask the worker to bill the city for more than the actual cost of materials and labor > the worker then “kicked back” a portion of the earnings to the political machine

“Boss Tweed” and the Tweed Ring Scandal William Marcy Tweed was known as “Boss Tweed” head of Tammany Hall, which was the democratic political machine that dominated New York City in the late 19th century ran the Tweed Ring, which was a group of corrupt politicians between 1869 and 1879, the Tweed Ring pocketed approximately $200,000,000 from New York City Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, took on the Tweed Ring with his political cartoons

Boss Tweed and the New York Machine Tweed Video (9:18) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YildL_ilQFY

Thomas Nast Cartoon 1. Under the Tammany tiger’s victim is a torn paper that reads “LAW.” What is the significance? 2. Boss Tweed and his cronies, portrayed as noblemen, watch from the stands on the left. The cartoons caption reads “What are you going to do about it?” What effect do you think Nast wanted to have on his audience?

Politics in the Gilded Age Nast Cartoons

Thomas Nast Cartoons

Civil Service Replaces Patronage the desire for power and money that made local politics corrupt in the industrial age also infected national politics since the beginning of the 19th century, presidents had complained about the problem of patronage Patronage: the giving of government jobs to people who had helped a candidate get elected

Civil Service Replaces Patronage reformers began to press for the elimination of patronage and the adoption of a merit system of hiring civil service: non-military branch of government administration those reformers said that jobs in civil service should go to the most qualified person

Civil Service Replaces Patronage Quote that reflects the concept of “nativism” as it existed in the Gilded Age: ** The best reason that could be given for this radical restriction of immigration is the necessity of protecting our population against degeneration and saving our national peace and quiet from imported turbulence and disorder **

Essential Question Why did machine politics become common in big cities in the late 19th century? Justify your answer. Write three complete sentences in the summary location on your note sheet

Politics in the Gilded Age – Objective explain the role of political machines and political bosses