Politics in the Gilded Age Chapter 23 Lecture Standard 11.2

Gilded Age Period from During period America grew into crowded cities, big business, and extremes of wealth and poverty

Parties in Balance from different in popular vote was 1% between dems & republicans Caused presidents to seldom have their party in control of both houses = period of timid Presidents

The Spoils System Government jobs were given to people who helped the campaign but knew nothing about the position or job Caused Civil Serve Reform movement = qualified people should hold government jobs DUH……

Grant Presidency Scandle, Scandle, Scandel Jim Fisk and Jay Gould “Black Friday”- worked to make profit off the gold market Credit Mobilier railroad construction company scandel (reached the VP) Whiskey Ring scandel

Presidents of the Gilded Age Presidents of the Gilded Age AKA:The Forgettables 1.Hayes 4. Cleveland 2.Garfield 5. Harrison 3.Arthur 6. Cleveland

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) Cold, honest, straightforward man Sought civil service reform Weakened his position by stating that he would only run for one term

James A. Garfield- R 1881 Also followed civil service reform Shot in the back by a Chicago lawyer Lived for 11 weeks after his gun shot wound

Chester A. Arthur- R People thought he would support the big bosses Instead called for civil service reform (due to the death of the President) Pendleton Act- passed by congress: said that government appointments must be based on political qualification and not $$$

Cleveland was he really “Grover the Good”??? ® “Ma Ma Where’s my pa?’ (D) “Gone to the White House HA HA HA!”

Grover Cleveland- D “Grover the Good” After 3 years of being Governor becomes president As President he did little as he thought the President should not be very active = Laissez faire policy Left Presidency with a surplus (145 million a year) Issue of lower tariffs

Benjamin Harrison- R Stole election from Cleveland Republicans bought votes in the big states Cleveland had won the popular vote by more than 100,000 but lost the electoral vote ex: Bush/ Gore

Harrison cont. Tried to pass a civil rights bill (Democrats filibustered the bill) Bill later defeated by Republicans to support a new coinage bill = equal rights were put once again on the sideline Increased tariffs

Harrison’s stance on Bigness Bigness = Monopoly Monopoly meant that only a few people had power to dictate to everyone else Standard Oil controlled 90% of lamp oil in the U.S.; only 1 sugar company Sherman Antitrust Act law against trusts in order to protect small businesses and farmers

Grover Cleveland take People thought Harrison did little to help the nation so they re-elect Cleveland 2nd term was a disaster Nation was in a depression the whole 4 years Millions were out of work

The People’s Party Chapter 26 review

The Populist Party “Wall Street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master”. Mary Elizabeth Lease

The Forming of the “People’s Party” Sept several Eastern banks failed Caused financial panic Greenback Party was formed Greenback’s believed paper money would bring more prosperity to the farmers and merchants

Populist are born 1890 the Greenback party becomes the Populist Party or “Peoples Party” Party campaign ran against the corruption in big business and government Wanted government to reform the railroads, telegraph and telephone industries Were not afraid to shock the rich and upper class Wanted an 8hr. work day and the direct election of senators by the people

Free Silver Platform Plan to put more $$$ into circulation by coining silver dollars 16 to 1 ratio Farmers thought it would raise prices of crops Issue died off after gold was found in Alaska in 1896 increasing the money supply US went off the gold standard in 1971

Election of 1896 & The Death of the Populist William Jennings Bryan- would become the most successful of the farm crusaders Problem was he couldn’t get the cities vote- didn’t appeal to factory workers/city people Put on Democratic ticket for President and ran on Populist issues- lost election to McKinley = decline of the Populist Party.

By 1904 no more populist party Many of its goals were adopted by the progressive movement FYI- today the term populist refers to a politician who opposes party leaders and appeals to the people for support

Populist Party policical cartoon