1. National Politics in the Gilded Age
Gold background

2. Characteristics of Gilded Age Politics
GA Politics:
Political Stalemate
Complacency
Conservatism
Causes:
Political ideology of the time = limited government
Campaign tactics = don’t alienate voters
Party patronage: get and stay in office
Laissez-faire economics
Social Darwinism
Republicans: “wave the bloody shirt”
Democrats: states’ rights, limited
government
“Give jobs to those who
are faithful”

3. The Four First Gilded Age Presidents
President Hayes (1876)
Ended Reconstruction
Was a temporary reformer (wife, “Lemonade Lucy,” cut off liquor in the White House)
Vetoed Chinese immigration restriction
President Garfield (1880)
Halfbreeds v. Stalwarts sought political jobs
Was shot by a deranged stalwart office-seeker.
President Arthur (1881)
Reformed civil service
Approved the development of the Navy
Questioned high protective tariffs
President Cleveland (1884)
Created a new Civil Service System
Signed the Interstate Commerce Act
Regulated railroad fees
Passed the Dawes Act
Distributed land to individual American Indians

4. Three Political Issues of the Gilded Age
The Money Question:
Should the government make more money available??
Debtors and farmers wanted to borrow at low interest and pay off loans easily.
Many thought the gold standard (restricted money) had caused the Panic of 1873; they wanted greenbacks (paper money) and unlimited silver coins.
Opponents felt dollars backed by gold would hold their value against inflation.
The Specie Resumption Act (1875) withdrew greenbacks that had been issued during the Civil War.
Farmers associated them with prosperity.
Others felt greenbacks violated natural law.
The Greenback Party supported paper money; their goal was to increase the amount of money in circulation. They elected 14 members to Congress in 1878.
“The Crime of 1873”: Congress also stopped coining silver; when silver was discovered in Nevada, many demanded it be used to increase the money supply
The Bland-Allison Act allowed limited coinage of silver each month. Farmers pressed for unlimited coinage of silver.
The Tariff Issue
During the war, high tariffs protected industry.
Some Americans disliked the high tariffs:
They raised consumer prices.
Other nations taxed American farm products.
Farmers lost a share in the market & didn’t sell all their corn and wheat.
Surpluses meant lower farm profits.
Protective tariffs are taxes on foreign-made goods; they keep people buying
American-made products.
Civil Service Reform
The public was outraged at Garfield’s assassination.
The Pendleton Act created the Civil Service commission and awarded jobs based on performance on an examination.
Politicians adapted by depending on the wealthy instead of supporters.

5. Growth of Discontent President Harrison (1888)
Felt lower tariffs would ruin business prosperity.
Republican “Billion Dollar Congress” passed:
McKinley Tariff of 1890 (48% tax on foreign products)
Sherman Antitrust Act
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (increased silver coinage a little)
Raised Civil War pensions
X a bill protecting African American voting rights.
President Cleveland again (1892)
The Panic of 1893 was the worst and longest depressions thus far.
The stock market crashed because of over-speculation and overbuilding of railroads.
20% unemployment
Cleveland, who supported the gold standard was unpopular because he:
Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act to try to prevent the gold reserve to drop too low.
Borrowed $65 million in gold from JP Morgan
Crushed the Pullman strike.
Arrested men at the Coxey’s army march (unemployed men demanded a public works program)
The Democrats’ more popular action was:
The William-Gorman Tariff (1894)
A moderate reduction in taxes; 2% income tax on the wealthy.
Coin’s Financial School by William H. Harvey
Taught Americans that their problems were caused by rich bankers
Taught that prosperity would return if the government coined unlimited silver.

6. Populists The Omaha Platform Political Goals:
Agrarian discontent was growing in the South and West. Farmers’ Alliances led to the formation of a political party. Delegates met in Omaha, Nebraska to establish their platform.
Populists
The Omaha Platform
Political Goals:
Direct election of senators
Voters should have the ability to create initiatives that will become state laws
Economic Goals:
Unlimited coinage of silver
Graduated income tax
Public ownership of railroads
Government-owned telegraph and telephone systems
Loans and federal warehouses for farmers to store their crops
An 8-hour work day for industrial workers
The Populists were revolutionary because:
They attacked laissez-faire economics.
They formed an alliance between poor whites and blacks.
In 1892, the Populist Candidate (Weaver) won 1 million votes, but ultimately, the Populists lost in the South and failed to attract urban industrial workers.

7. Election of 1896 William Jennings Bryant (D) William McKinley (R)v.
Famous “cross of gold” speech: “You shall not crucify man upon a cross of gold” made him famous overnight.
Platform:
Favored unlimited coinage of silver; thus supported by Populists.
Campaign:
Nationwide crusade
Energy, positive attitude, great speeches.
Convinced farmers of the benefits of silver
Platform:
Favored high tariffs; seen as a “friend of labor”
Promised a strong, industrial nation
Promised to uphold the gold standard.
Campaign:
Raised money from business leaders
Mark Hanna used the money to sell McKinley to the mass media.
→ A rise in the price of wheat
→ Employers threatening workers to vote for McKinley
Led to McKinley’s victory

8. Significance of the Election of 1896
It ended the political stalemate of the gilded age.
It began an era of Republican dominance
The Republican Party became the political party that supported businesses.
It led to the demise of the Populist Party (though some of their platform was adopted during the Progressive Era).
It was the beginning of urban industry dominating the country over rural agrarianism.
It marked the beginning of modern politics (The U.S. became a world power, and the mass media would become important in winning campaigns.)

9. Overview of Gilded Age Presidents
Hayes (R) 1876
Compromise of 1877; end of Reconstruction
Garfield (R) 1880
Political favors; assassinated.
Arthur (R) 1881
Garfield’s VP; Civil Service reform
Cleveland (D) 1884
Dawes Act, Interstate Commerce Act
Harrison (R) 1888
Billion Dollar Congress (48% tariff)
Cleveland (D) 1892
Panic of 1893, borrowed from JP Morgan, Pullman Strike, Coxey’s Army
McKinley (R) 1896
First modern president; elected with help of mass media.