Gilded Age Major Themes 1860s1900 Major Themes Why

Gilded Age Major Themes 1860’s-1900

Major Themes • Why was it called the Gilded Age? • What does this term imply? • How does Mark Twain relate to this?

• gild 1 (g ld) • tr. v. gild·ed or gilt (g lt), gild·ing, gilds • 1. To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold. • 2. To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to. • 3. Archaic To smear with blood.

Gilded Age • • • Outside Factors End of Civil War Industrial Boom Material Progress America beginning to enter the world stage • Millionaires and Philanthropy • • Inside factors Rampant Corruption Discrimination Weak and Ineffective presidents • Labor exploited • Farmer Problems • Business Cycle

Political Seesaw • 80 -90% voter turnout • Presidential Election close – (10, 000 -40, 000 popular votes) • House of Reps changes 5 times

Forgettable Presidents • • • Grant (R) 1868 and ’ 72 Hayes (R) 1876 Garfield (R) 1880 and Arthur V. P Cleveland (D) 1884 Harrison (R) 1888 Cleveland (D) 1892

Laissez-faire Govt. • Govt. tried not to intervene in people’s lives and the economy • When it did, it usually sided with wealthy and conservative factions in the Gilded Age

Recurrent Issues… Parties saw eye to eye and tried to avoid • Tariff – High Tariff vs. Low Tariff – Industry vs. Farmer • Monetary Policy – Hard money vs. Soft/ Cheap – Creditors vs. Debtors – East vs. West – Industrialist vs. Farmer – Deflation vs. Inflation • Civil Service Pol. machines, Patronage and Spoils System vs. Reform

Political Parties Strong, competitive, commanded loyalty and produced high voter turnout • Democrats – Solid South and Northern industrial immigrant cities – Lutherans and Catholics – Resisted govt. efforts to impose morality • Republicans – Midwest and rural/ small town Northeast – Big Business – Puritan base – Codes of personal morality – Govt. to have role in regulating the economy – Support of Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and Freedmen

Legacies of the Civil War • Elections – Waving the “Bloody Shirt” • Industry • Reconstruction • Race Relations

The Political Machine A Case Study of Gilded Age Politics Elected Official Party Boss Voters Corporations/ Business Local politics were controlled by bosses and political machines within the party.

Boss Tweed - William Tweed - Tammany Hall - Political Machine - Thomas Nast - New York Times

Ric Burns NY Clip on Tweed • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Yild. L_il QFY

Major Themes Recap • Gilded Age: Mark Twain – Outside versus Inside • • Political Seesaw Forgettable Presidents Laissez-faire Government Recurrent Issues – Tariff, Civil Service, Monetary Policy • Political parties – Democrats and Republicans • Civil War Legacies