GILDED AGE POLITICS GILDED AGE n n 1869

GILDED AGE POLITICS

“GILDED AGE” n n 1869 -1900 Term coined by Mark Twain in 1873 Referred to the superficial glitter of the new wealth, but internal corruption Era of “Forgotten Presidents”

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY n n Candidates avoided taking a position on issues Close popular votes Brass bands, flags, buttons, picnics, free beer, & crowd pleasing speeches 80% of voters turned out for Presidential elections

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY n Republicans ¡ ¡ n “Bloody Shirt” Lincoln Businessmen & middle class Protestants Economic program of high protective tariffs Democrats ¡ ¡ Solid South Political Machines & immigrants Objected to temperance Believed in states rights

PARTY PATRONAGE n Republican Party splits ¡ ¡ ¡ Stalwarts-Roscoe Conkling Halfbreeds-James Blaine Mugwumps-fence sitters

ELECTION OF 1880 n Republicans ¡ n James Garfield (halfbreed) & Chester Arthur (stalwart) Democrats ¡ Winfield Hancock n n Union General Garfield wins

JAMES GARFIELD n n 1881 Chose halfbreeds for most government positions Summer 1881 -shot in back by deranged office seeker Died 11 weeks later

CHESTER ARTHUR n n 1881 -1885 Distanced himself from party patronage Civil Service Reform ¡ Pendleton Act-required application and exam for federal government positions ¡ Reviewed by bipartisan Civil Service Commission ¡ Ended patronage/spoils system Not considered for re-election

ELECTION OF 1884 n n Dirtiest election to that time Republican ¡ James Blaine n n Democrat ¡ Grover Cleveland n n Questioned about honesty while serving as senator Takes responsibility for illegitimate child Cleveland wins ¡ ¡ Mugwumps switch New York Catholics

GROVER CLEVELAND n n 1885 -1889 Interstate Commerce Act (1887)-Railroad Regulation (Ch. 26) Dawes Act-Indian Policy (Ch. 26) Major Issues. Currency & Tariff

CURRENCY n Debtor, farmers, & small business owners want more money in circulation ¡ ¡ ¡ Lower interest loans Pay off debt Blamed “gold standard” for restrictive economy n n n More paper money (greenbacks) Unlimited coinage of silver coins Bankers, creditors, investors, & established business owners-hard money ¡ ¡ Keep dollar on gold standard No inflation

CURRENCY n Greenback party ¡ n Believed paper money should not be backed by specie (gold or silver) Silver money ¡ Bland-Allison Act-limited coinage of silver

TARIFF n Main opponent-farmers ¡ n Couldn’t sell goods overseas Main proponent-industrialists ¡ Foreign goods expensive, so people bought American goods

ELECTION OF 1888 n n Major issue-tariff Democrats ¡ Grover Cleveland n n Low tariff Republicans ¡ Benjamin Harrison n High tariff ¡ n Big Business support Harrison wins ¡ Cleveland received majority of popular vote

BENJAMIN HARRISON 1889 -1893 Republican control of Congress n Passed first billion dollar budget ¡ 1. Mc. Kinley Tariff-raised tax to 48% ¡ 2. Increased pensions to Civil War veterans ¡ 3. Sherman Antitrust Actoutlawed monopolies (Ch. 24) ¡ 4. Sherman Silver Purchase Act-increased coinage of silver-not enough to satisfy farmers

ELECTION OF 1892 n Republicans ¡ n Democrats ¡ n Grover Cleveland Populists ¡ ¡ ¡ n Benjamin Harrison New 3 rd party of farmers (Ch. 26) James Weaver 22 electoral votes-most of any third party candidate Cleveland Wins ¡ ¡ Mostly due to unpopular tariff Only president to serve two terms non-consecutively

GROVER CLEVELAND n n 1893 -1897 Panic of 1893 ¡ Stock market crashed ¡ A lot of foreclosures ¡ 20% unemployment ¡ Silver prices fell ¡ Coxey’s Army

GROVER CLEVELAND ¡ ¡ ¡ Cleveland repeals Sherman Silver Purchase Act Borrows money from JP Morgan to save economy n Big Business now rules Washington DC Wilson-Gorman Tariff n Reduction in tariff rate n 2% income tax on wealthy n Supreme Court declares Unconstitutional