1. US History
Chapter 23 / Note Page 35
“The Gilded Age”

2. NOTE PAGE 35
“The Gilded Age”
All the glitters
is not gold….

3. America looks Rich/Fancy:
Gilded Age??
America looks Rich/Fancy:
(big businesses, high profits, new inventions and cities)
But underneath:
(Corruption, Greed, Tenements, Native American wars, Labor
Unrest)
Gilded= when a cheaper metal is dipped in gold (make it look like it is worth more)
Why would this time period be considered the “Gilded Age”???

4. 5 Characteristics of Gilded Age Politics: Write these on the BACK of page 35

5. 1. A Two-Party Stalemate

6. 2. Intense Voter Loyalty to the Two Major Political Parties

7. 3. Well-Defined Voting Blocs
Democratic Bloc
Republican Bloc
White southerners (preserve white supremacy)
Catholics
Recent immigrants (esp. Jews)
Urban working poor (pro-labor)
Most farmers
South and Northern cities
Northern whites (pro-business)
African Americans
Northern Protestants
Old WASPs (support anti-immigrant laws)
Most of the middle class
Midwest; Rural towns

8. 4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.
From  Govt. did very little domestically.
Main duties of the federal govt.:
Deliver the mail.
Maintain a national military.
Collect taxes & tariffs.
Conduct a foreign policy.

9. 5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office Senator Roscoe Conkling
Party bosses ruled.
The President just doled out federal jobs.
Senator Roscoe Conkling

10. CORRUPT GOVERNMENT
-many people saw gov’t job as means of wealth
-graft: skimming taxpayers’ money into your own pockets
kickbacks: illegal payments
Fraud

11. POLITICAL MACHINES
- when a corrupt party comes to dominate an area
- patronage, loyalty, graft: rewarding voters with government jobs
- why did the public allow this system???
- boss controlled many jobs, services: police, firemen, sanitation, licensing

12. WHY CORRUPTION IS ALLOWED?
-most cities lacked services
-political machines helped those on bottom (IMMIGRANTS) in exchange for their voting loyalty
EX: you vote for me and I’ll tell you where to live, give you a job, and your house fire will be put out with my firemen
City Services (sewages, trash, police, fire)
JOBS
Immigrant Workers Newly arrived
Political Votes come Election time.
Local Political BOSS

13. TWEED RING
- controlled NYC
- Tammany Hall ring
Democratic Political machine led by William Tweed
lots of graft and corruption
- exposed by political cartoonist Thomas Nast: he drew political cartoons of Tweed and Tammany Hall exposing their corruption

14. OTHER SCANDALS
-Credit Mobilier
RR scandal
-lobbyists held great influence over Congress for the large trusts

15. - Rutherford B. Hayes campaigns for political reform
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
-patronage system puts unqualified people in positions (rewarding party supporters and friends with jobs)
- Rutherford B. Hayes campaigns for political reform
-urges the elimination of patronage system and establishment of merit system (giving government jobs to the most qualified person)

16. PRESIDENTS AND POLITICS
-Domination of Republican Party
-won most elections between
-James Garfield continues reforms
-Garfield assassinated by job seeker
Chester Arthur becomes President
-Pendleton Act passes:
Replaces Spoils System; to get a government job had to pass an EXAM (be qualified)

17. TARIFFS DOMINATES POLITICS
-Grover Cleveland(1884) 1st Democrat President in 28 years,
Cleveland is ANTI-Tariff
Benjamin Harrison(1888), he is PRO-Tariff
Cleveland again(1892)
-Tariff and reform are major issues
-Tariff reforms fail as
McKinley Tariff passes by Harrison– highest tariff yet

18. Class Work Thomas Nast Cartoon Analysis Plunkitt Quote Analysis
Read the instructions
Analyze the three cartoons and complete the chart
Plunkitt Quote Analysis
Read each of the 3 quotes by George Plunkitt as he describes political machines
Answer the Guided Questions

19. Homework
Fill in Vocabulary on Ch. 25 & 23 List (full list due Thursday!)
Read pg and complete the Ch. 23 part 2 Guided Note Taking Sheet