Politics of the Gilded Age Unit 1: The Gilded Age Politics of the Gilded Age 1865-1900s

Bell Ringer: What are two things you learned from the Crash Course video? https://youtu.be/Spgdy3HkcSs

Problems w/ politics Patronage Political machines Scandals Giving gov’t jobs to supporters of the winning party in the election AKA: Spoils system Political machines Scandals

Controlled the activities of the political Political Machines Controlled the activities of the political parities in the city. Had ward bosses, precinct captains, and city bosses to work for political machines to: 1.ensure that their candidates were elected 2. make sure that city government worked to their advantage

Role of the Political Boss The “Boss” usually Mayor, controlled jobs, business licenses, & influences the court system Precinct captains & ward bosses, often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, helped new immigrants with jobs, housing and naturalization in exchange for votes William “Boss” Tweed of NYC

William “Boss” Tweed “Boss” Tweed: Head of NY City Democratic Political Machine Tammany Hall was the Democratic Headquarters in NY B/w 1869-1871, led the Tweed Ring of corrupt politicians in defrauding the city (stole b/w 30-200 million that’s $365 million to 2.4 billion today) Eventually convicted of fraud and larceny.

Thomas Nast Political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly Attacked political machines, especially Boss Tweed Also created the Democratic Donkey, the Republican Elephant and the Tammany Tiger

“Boss” Tweed’s actual quote towards Thomas Nast Can you feel the Love?!

Scandals Popular during Gilded Age Illegal bribes paid to politicians by business leaders

Credit Mobilier company hired to build the Transcontinental RR Charged USA Gov’t nearly 2x actual cost of project The company was paid $94 million by Congress for work actually worth $44 million Bribed Congress to stop the investigation Largest scandal in US history & led to greater public awareness of gov’t corruption President Grant

Time to clean up gov’t & business

Assassination of a President President James Garfield is assassinated in 1881 in a train station Charles J. Guiteau did not received a gov’t job after supporting the President in the election.

Pendleton Act- Civil Service Commission Was passed in reaction to Garfield’s assassination jobs within the federal gov’t should be awarded on the basis of merit & exams. No more based on political affiliation

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), 1887 1st federal law to regulate interstate commerce Had to charge “just and reasonable rates” Not very effective

Sherman AntiTrust Act (1890) First measure passed by the U.S. Congress to prohibit trusts. The Sherman Antitrust Act was based on the constitutional power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. The Sherman Act broadly prohibits (1) anticompetitive agreements and (2) unilateral conduct that monopolizes or attempts to monopolize the relevant market. The Act authorizes the Department of Justice to bring suits to prohibit conduct violating the Act, and additionally authorizes private parties to bring suits for damages.

Turn of the Century Immigrant Activity

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