Republican

Republican

Republican

Democrat

Republican

Republican Democrat

Republican

Notate 3 significant observations about the presidents of the Gilded Age.

In cartoon 1, what is Rockefeller holding in his hand? What does this infer about the national government during the Gilded Age?

Cartoon 2 deals with who has the most power in the national government. Based on the image, who does the cartoonist believe controls the national government? Notate 3 images or texts from the cartoon that justify that position.

In the Gilded Age, presidents were seen as less powerful than

monopolists like Carnegie, JP Morgan,

and Rockefeller

Republican

Republican

Republican

Democrat

Republican

Republican Democrat

Republican

The “Forgettable Presidents”

Republican dominated Congress “rowdy”, “inefficient” and corrupt

Very little accomplished Senate known as “rich man’s club”

because often paid for, literally! President did not challenge Congress Lots of corruption everywhere

Harrison later discovered that his support had been bought by the machine: “I could not name my own cabinet. They had sold out every position in the cabinet to pay the expenses.” PATRONAGE

Big Issues of the day: tariff & money

Credit Mobilier - A construction company that Union Pacific Railroad hired to build the transcontinental railroad Really Credit Mobilier was being run by

executives of Union Pacific (T. Durant) Credit Mobilier overcharged Union Pacific

for its work 348% profits!

Gave stock to Congressmen & VP Schuyler Colfax to keep it quiet

Uncovered by newspaper 72 million given for a 53 million railroad

Whisky Ring Black Friday Nepotism – 40 family

members!

1876 election: Hayes Versus Tilden20 electoral votes in dispute because of

widespread fraud reports Compromise 1877 Hayes gets the

office!Agreed to end reconstruction in the South

Garfield: shot by a distraught patronage seeker!

Chester Arthur, the reformed crook, becomes president. Pendleton Civil Service Act – qualifying

exam to get a job in the national government Supposed to end spoils system Enforcement questionable!

Tariff: tax on imports (stuff from other countries) Big Business wants high tariffs Average Americans want low tariffs

Tariffs during Gilded Age VERY high – Cleveland proposed lower tariff but shot down! Make sense based on what we have said so far??

Currency: value of America’s money Big business/banks wanted “hard money”/less in

circulation & backed by gold so value stays stable Farmers wanted “soft money”/more in circulation so

value decreases Greenback Party/Populist Party/William Jennings Bryan

Why would these be THE issues of the era?

Give 5 VARIED reasons