1. Government Corruption “City Bosses” and Early Reform
Gilded Age

2. Growth of cities = City Bosses
Urbanization required the expansion of public services (streets, subways, parks, sewers, etc)
Led to the development of the “Professional Politicians”
Also known as “city bosses”
Many times these men were corrupt, but ensured public services and provided stability.

3. “Boss” Tweed Most notorious was William Tweed of New York City.
Led the Tammany Hall political machine
Democratic party organized at the “grassroots” level.
Power based on loyalty and patronage; Push voters to support certain candidates and receive kickbacks and bribes from politicians
Created a “shadow” government, more powerful than the city’s elected officials

4. Tweed’s rule
Patronage - Purpose was to win elections and reward its followers with jobs on the city’s payroll.
Graft – inflating the cost of city projects in order to pocket or keep some of the money (ex. NYC courthouse)

6. George Washington Plunkett
An influential leader in Tammany Hall, New York's Democratic political machine.
He served as a state senator and a representative to the New York Assembly.
He exercised great political influence as a ward boss in New York's Fifteenth Assembly District.
Use political power to advance his own personal interests
Grafting and spoils, okay. It helps the weak!

7. Reform Reformers Voting Reforms
Thomas Nast used political cartoons to expose the corruption of Tammany Hall.
Boss Tweed would be tried and convicted and died in jail.
Lincoln Steffens “The Shame of the Cities” exposed the corruption of another city boss.
Initiative
Uses a public petition to propose legislation.
Referendum
Submits an issue to popular vote.
Recall
Method of removing elected officials by calling a special election.

8. Presidents of the Gilded Age
From , most presidents are forgotten.
Few Americans expected so little of them.
Ideas of Laissez-faire Economics (Government Leave Economy Alone) & social Darwinism discouraged them from becoming involved in regulating business.

9. Federal Government Corruption
Whiskey Ring - in this scandal federal officials were charged with increasing liquor taxes and transferring the funds to the Republican Party for campaigning.
Credit Mobilier Affair - charged congressmen buying or taking shares of railroad companies, and then approving federal money to help build these railroads.
End of President Grant remember!

10. Comstock Act 1873
Congress passed the Act for the "Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use".
The Act criminalized usage of the U.S. Postal Service to send any of the following things: erotica. contraceptives.

11. Bland-Allison Act 1878
Grand Bland Plan was an act of United States Congress requiring the U.S. Treasury to buy a certain amount of silver and put it into circulation as silver dollars
Democrats and populists favored
Republican President Hayes vetoed but Congress passed
bimetalism

12. Civil Service (Government Jobs)
Republicans were divided in the late 1800s
Stalwarts – Republicans supporters of city bosses – against CSS, wanted Grant to run 3rd term in Led by Roscoe Conkling NY politician against the Civil Service radical
Half-Breeds – Republicans supported by city bosses, backed reform for their own purposes, led by James Blaine moderate
Mugwumps – Republicans who left party and wanted major reform; voted Democrat in 1884

13. Election of 1880 James Garfield of Ohio, a half-breed won
Chester A. Arthur, a stalwart and friend of Roscoe Conkling became VP
Winfield Scott, general, hero and no political ties LOST!
After 200 days, Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau a stalwart!

14. Pendleton Act 1883 President Arthur
Federal law that required federal employees take and pass exam for employment with federal jobs
Merit system
End to spoils and corruption in government
Create Civil service Commission to administer & regulate exams

15. Garfield’s Assassination & CSS
Less than 4 months after inauguration, Garfield was fatally shot by Charles Guiteau, who claimed he was a Stalwart.
Increased support for the CSS followed his death.
Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883
Established Civil Service Commission
People were required to pass examinations and prove qualifications before working for the govt.

16. Thomas Nast German-born cartoonist
Father of American Political Cartoons
He hated Democrat Boss Tweed
Republican Party elephant
Harper’s Weekly

20. Muckraking Sensationalizing stories to sell papers
Reporting of abuses of corporations and companies
Exposing scandals and corruption

21. Henry Demarest Lloyd
American progressive political activist and pioneer muckraking journalist
Known for writing about the Standard oil monopoly
Wealth Against Wealth 1894
History of Standard Oil Company 1904

22. Election of 1884 Democrat Grover Cleveland (#22) wins
Against Republican James Blaine (stalwart)
Republican Mugwumps supported
Cleveland had an  illegitimate child he financed that stalwart Republicans fed on to hurt his character

23. Silver Sherman Purchase Act 1890
1890 act that was a compromise between the western silver agitators (Democrats) and the eastern protectionists (Republicans).
The Westerners agreed to support higher tariffs and the protectionists agreed to use silver to help aid the economy (cheaper)
Treasury ordered 4.5 million ounces of silver each month (high supply, cheaper prices)
Wages and jobs cut out west in the mines!

24. Election of 1892 Democrat Grover Cleveland (#24) wins again!
Priority: dealing with Panic of 1893
Repeal the Sherman Silver Act and maintain the Gold Standard only
Had to deal with the Railroad Strike: When railroad strikers in Chicago violated an injunction, Cleveland sent Federal troops to enforce it. "If it takes the entire army and navy of the United States to deliver a post card in Chicago," he thundered, "that card will be delivered."

25. Panic of 1893 Causes
National economic crisis set off by the collapse of two of the country's largest employers, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the National Cordage Company. F A panic erupted on the stock market. Hundreds of businesses had overextended themselves, borrowing money to expand their operations. When the financial crisis struck, banks and other investment firms began calling in loans, causing hundreds of business bankruptcies across the United States.

27. Panic of 1893 Effects
Banks, railroads, and steel mills especially fell into bankruptcy. Over fifteen thousand businesses closed during the Panic of 1893.
Unemployment rates soared to twenty to twenty-five percent in the United States during the Panic of Homelessness skyrocketed, as workers were laid off and could not pay their rent or mortgages. The unemployed also had difficulty buying food due to the lack of income
5-YEAR DEPRESSION!

28. U.S. v EC Knight Co. 1895
American Sugar Refining Company (American) purchased four refineries in Philadelphia, effectively monopolizing sugar refining in the United States. The company was subsequently sued by the federal government for engaging in combinations in restraint of trade.
Did Congress overuse the Commerce Clause?