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Politics in the Gilded Age

 Local and national
political corruption
in the 19th century
leads to calls for
reform.
Political Machines

 Political machine—organized group that controls
city political party
 After the Civil War Political Machines control many
cities
 Machine organization: precinct captains, ward
bosses, city boss
 City bosses guaranteed their candidates were elected
and city government went their way.
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Political Bosses

Controlled access to city jobs, business
 Influenced courts
Arranged building projects, community services
Bosses were paid by businesses, get voters’ loyalty
Many were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants
Machines help immigrants with naturalization, jobs,
housing
Corruption

 Machines use fraud to
win elections
 Graft—illegal use of
political influence for
personal gain
 Machines take
kickbacks, bribes to
allow legal, illegal
activities
Tweed Ring

 1868 William M. Tweed,
or Boss Tweed, heads
Tammany Hall in NYC
 Leads Tweed Ring,
defrauds city of millions
of dollars
 Cartoonist Thomas Nast
helps arouse public
outrage
 Tweed Ring broken in
1871
Thomas Nast
Boss Tweed
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APPENDIX A-Analyze the political cartoon.
Patronage

 Patronage (or the “spoils system”)—government
jobs to those who help candidate get elected
 Lifeblood of both parties disbursing jobs by the
bucketful in return for VOTES!
 Civil service (government administration) are all
patronage jobs
 Some appointees not qualified; some use position for
personal gain
Civil Service Reform

 Members of the federal government also participated in unethical
activity.
 (1872) The Credit Mobilier scandal -Union Pacific RR insiders formed
the Credit Mobilier construction company and then hired themselves
at inflated prices to build the railroad line earning a lot of money.
 The company paid off members of Congress and the Vice President.
 Reformers and Half-Breeds (Republicans who wanted reform)
press for a merit system of hiring for civil service
 Republican President Rutherford B Hayes (1877-1881)
 names independents to cabinet & creates commission to investigate
corruption
 fires officials; angers Stalwarts (Republicans who opposed reform)
Garfield Assassinated

 1880, Republican independent
James A. Garfield wins election
 Stalwart Chester A. Arthur is
vice-president
 Garfield gives patronage jobs to
reformers;
 A disappointed and mentally
deranged “office seeker,” Charles
J. Guiteau, shot President Garfield
in the back at a Washington
railroad station.
Charles Guiteau:
“I Am a Stalwart, and
Arthur is President now!”
Reform Begins

As president, Arthur urges Congress to pass
civil service law
Garfield's assassination spurs passage of the
Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)
 The “Magna Carta” of civil-service reform
Appointments based on exam score
Document Analysis

 APPENDIX B: Analyze the excerpt from the
Pendleton Act to complete question.