Chapter 4 Urbanization Section 2, Politics in the Gilded Age

Political Machines  An organized group that controlled the activities of a political party in a city that offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for political support (votes) or financial support (money).  Worked like a pyramid  Top: City (Political) Boss who controlled the political party  Middle :“ward boss” who helped get services to people Bottom: Local workers/captains to gain votes

Political Boss  Controlled access to jobs, business licenses, influenced courts, etc.  Roscoe Conkling (New York) used power to build parks, orphanages, hospitals  Solved urban problems, controlled voter’s loyalty and increased political support.  Helped immigrants and worked their way up to get votes.

Election Fraud and Graft  If political bosses could not win elections, they turned to fraud- fake names, fixing elections and graft - illegal use of political influence for personal gain.  Example of graft: politician gives a worker a high paying job in exchange for a “kick back” (percentage of the money)  Political favors in exchange for cash, bribes, gambling, etc.

Boss Tweed  Head of Tammany Hall, New York City’s Democratic political machine.  Led a group of corrupt politicians to defraud the government millions of dollars.  Construction projects: over billing the City of NY and keeping the difference  Extortion – using one’s position to obtain property of money.

Civil Service vs. Patronage  Patronage – Giving government jobs to people the president knows or helped to get him elected rather than based on merit. (Spoils system)

Civil Service Reform  Rutherford B. Hayes – President (1876) Wanted to reform and reduce patronage, but Congress did not. He fired top officials in NY Gov, and political boss, Conkling and Stalwarts (supporters of Conkling) were outraged.  James A. Garfield – President (1880) independent and against patronage and Chester Arthur ; VP was a Stalwart)  Garfield was shot by a Stalwart and Arthur became a reformer when he became President.

Pendleton Civil Service Act  Bipartisan civil service law to appoint federal jobs based on merit and tests rather than patronage.  This act ended politicians and employees, relationship for contributions in exchange for jobs.

Business and Government  Tariffs – Business wanted the Government to raise tariffs (taxes on imports) to keep their prices high and earn more money.  Grover Cleveland - President (1884) tried to lower tariffs. (less money for businesses)  Benjamin Harrison – President (1888) passed McKinley Tariff Act which raised tariffs to highest levels.  Cleveland – was elected in 1892 – only president to serve 2 non-consecutive terms.

Farmer’s Alliance Movement – Mary E. Lease – helped to shed light on the issues of concern to farmers. Farmers turned the “Great American Desert” into the “breadbasket of the nation.” but were being taken advantage of by practices of the government and the railroad. Civil War Greenbacks were being taken out of circulation, and Farmer’s prices went down. Oliver Hudson Kelley – Patrons of Husbandry – provided social and learning opportunities for farmers, but began to focus on fighting the Railroads. Farmer’s cooperatives. Populist Movement

Populism – the movement of the people – they favored: 1. Graduated income tax 2. Popular election of Senators 3. Single terms for Pres and VP 4. Secret ballot. These changes attracted struggling farmers who elected a Democratic president, William Mckinley Government responsible for reforming social injustices. Populism

Gold Standard – Government gives only Gold in exchange for paper currency Bimetallism – Government will exchange silver or gold for paper currency. Republicans (McKinley) favored Gold Standard and Democrats (Williams Jennings Bryan) favored both gold and silver. When McKinley won the election, Populism ended. Legacy of Populism – the underdog can organize against business/government injustice. A list of reforms began, which would be enacted later during the Progressive Era. Silver or Gold?

McKinley was elected 1894  Raised tariffs  Ended Populism  Reforms were temporarily halted, but the ideas would come back later in the 20 th century.