Chapter 17: Politics in the Gilded Age

Section One: Political Machines

I. The Rise of the Political Machines

A. Challenges of city government1. Public services- fire, police, and sanitation departments2. Bridges, parks, schools, streets, sewer, utility

B. Political Bosses1. well- organized political parties- political machines2. Dictated positions and made deals- pocketed money3. Precinct captains and voters4. Offered jobs, political favors, and services

C. Public Services1. Alexander Shephard- D.C.2. Jobs to supporters

II. Immigrants and Political Machines

A. Immigrants supportersB. As soon as they arrivedC. Tammany Hall- New York CityD. Jobs for votes

III. Graft and Corruption

A. Election Fraud- vote early and oftenB. Graft

1. Acquisition of money or political power through illegal or dishonest methods

2. Bribes, payoffs, kickbacks3. George Washington Pluckitt- Tammany Hall- pg 522

C. Tweed Ring- 1860s1. $200 million in graft2. Thomas Nast- cartoonist

Section Two

Restoring Honest Government

I. Scandal in the White House

A. Grant’s first term1. Scandals

a. Jay Gould- Gold Scandal- 1869b. V.P. Schulyer Colfax- Credit Mobilier Scandal- 1872

B. The election of 18721. Civil Service Reform2. Easily re-elected

C. Grant’s second term1. More corruption

a. 1874- taxation of whiskey

D. Politics of the Gilded Age1. 1873- Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner- The Gilded Age2. Money lust- politicians take advantage

II. The Struggle for Reform

A. Election of 1876- Dem. Tilden vs. Rep. HayesB. Republican split

1. Hayes order prohibits federal employers from participating in campaigns

2. Stalwarts- opposed civil service reforms3. Half-Breeds- supported civil service reforms4. Election 1880- Hayes does not run

a. James A. Garfield- Half-Breed for pres.b. Chester A. Arthur- Stalwart- for V.P.

II. Struggle for Reform cont.

C. Garfield’s assassination1. July 2, 1881- four months shot by Charles Guiteau

D. Reforms and reactions1. Pendleton Civil Service Act- competitive exams2. 1884 Election- Grover Cleveland

III. Advances and Setbacks

A. Advances1. Double # of federal jobs requiring civil service

exams

B. Setbacks1. Election 1888- Cleveland beat by Benjamin

Harrison2. Rep. fill every job not on the civil service exam

list

Section Three

The Populist Movement

I. The Farmers’ Plight

A. Tumbling pricesB. OverproductionC. Financial trouble

II. Farmers Organize

A. The Grange Movement1. National Grange- Oliver Hudson Kelley- 1867

a. Social organizationb. Cooperatives- pool resources to buy and sellc. “Granger laws”- railroad regulation

B. The Alliance movement1. Farmers’ Alliance- Mary Elizabeth Lease

a. cooperatives, lobbyist, graduated income tax

C. African American Farmers1. Separate Alliance2. Organized strike

III. The Money Question

A. 1873- Gold Standard- money in circulation was limited to the amount of gold in U.S. Treasury

B. Bland-Allison Act 1878 and Sherman Silver Act in 1890

1. Allowed the gov. to mint silver coins

IV. A Decade of Populist Politics

A. Populist Party- Feb. 18921. Alliance members, farmers, labor leaders, and reformers2. Graduated income tax, bank regulation, government

ownership of railroad and telegraph, coinage of silver, immigrant restrictions, shorter work day, and voting reforms

B. Economic depression1. Panic of 18932. 3 million unemployed3. Cleveland stops silver coinage

V. Election of 1896

A. William Jennings Bryan vs. William McKinley1. Gold standard vs. free silver- populism

B. The end of populism1. Bryan lost2. Improvements in economy