3.5 – Politics and Reform
• This section takes a look at politics and
issues happening in the United States at
the same time as all of the other topics
we’ve studied (industrialization,
urbanization, child labor, Social Gospel,
Philanthropy...etc.)
Cleaning Up Politics
1. Spoils System- gov’t jobs went to
supporters of winning party in election
2. Americans believed that spoils system
prevented law makers from dealing with
national issues
3. After Garfield’s assassination Congress
passed the Pendleton Act – a civil service
system with appointments of candidates
based on examinations
Two Parties Neck and Neck
•
1870’s-1880’s few new policies were
introduced
4. There was a split in government power
between the two main parties
–
–
Democrats controlled House
Republicans controlled Senate
5. Elections of 1876 & 1888 – a candidate lost
the popular vote, but won the election
• Presidents had to deal with a divided Congress
and a party run by party bosses at the local
level
Election of 1884
6. Grover Cleveland (D) vs. James Blaine
(R)
7. Voters focused on personal morals of
the candidates
8. Cleveland told the truth about his
illegitimate child and showed his
honesty, which helped him keep votes
9. Cleveland won NY by less than 1,000
votes and won the election
Commerce, Trusts and Tariffs
10. Angry small businesses and farmers felt that
the railroads were price gouging
• Gov’t and courts felt corporations were like
individuals and shouldn’t be interfered with
11. Public pressure forced Congress to pass the
Interstate Commerce Act – created ICC to
regulate interstate commerce
• Many felt high tariffs could now be lowered.
Pres. Cleveland proposed lowering thempassed the Dem. House, but not the Rep.
Senate
Republicans Regain Power
12. Election of 1888 gave Rep. all 3 parts of
gov’t.
13. Passed McKinley Tariff – lowered some taxes
and raised rates on other goods
14. This lowered gov’t revenue and
transformed the nation’s budget surplus
into a deficit
15. Congress passed Sherman Anti-Trust act
(public wanted it) but it was so vague that the
courts said they couldn’t enforce it = no real
reform
Populism: Unrest in Rural America
16. Farmers were having trouble – surplus crops,
low prices, high taxes on imported goods…
17. They embraced populism- movement to
increase farmers’ political power and to
work for legislation in their interest
• Wide change in money supply and types of
currency created deflation = prices down &
money increased in value. This hit farmers
hard
Populism: Unrest in Rural America
18. Some farmers tried to use co-ops to
force prices up
19. States passed Granger Laws setting
maximum rates and prohibiting
railroads from charging more for
short hauls than long hauls.
Farmers’ Alliance
• Lack of success in co-ops and Grange
20. Some members formed the People’s
Party or the Populist Party and decided
to nominate candidates for Congress and
State legislatures
Rise in Populism
•
People’s Party had some success in the
election of 1890
21. Also were able to demand help w/ deflation –
Sherman Silver Act = moderate help
• By 1891 party began working to endorse and
run candidate for President
• By 1892 Southern farmers had also reached
the point where they were willing to leave
Democratic Party for the People’s Party
A Populist for President
22. Populist Platform: federal ownership of
Railroads, graduated income tax, 8- hour
work days, restrict immigration, denounce
strike breaking
23. Graduated income tax- More you make-the
more you pay
• Populist candidate did well, but Grover
Cleveland won
24. Panic of 1893 – railroads and other
companies declared bankruptcy, stock
market crashed, banks closed.
25. 1894 – country was in depression w/ 18%
unemployment (10% today in US)
Election of 1896
26. Dems blamed for economic crisis & Reps
promised a “full dinner pail”
Election of 1896
27.McKinley’s reputation for moderation on
labor issues & tolerance toward ethnic
groups helped improve party image w/
urban workers and immigrants
• McKinley won solidly
• While in office, economy turned around &
Populist Party eventually died out
Classwork/Homework
• Read pages 279-281 on your own and
complete questions 28-39.
• These questions will be due for a stamp
tomorrow when you come to class.
Rise of Segregation:
Resistance and Repression
28. African Americans were free, but poor.
29. Many African Am. eventually left farming to
take jobs in Southern towns or go west to
claim homesteads
30. Some farmers created Colored Farmers’
National Alliance. Dems feared this party
would gain strength, so Dem leaders
scared poor white farmers into staying
• Election officials also began using various
methods to make it harder for Africa Am. to
vote
Disenfranchising African Americans
31. Loopholes around the 15th amendment
–
–
–
•
Poll tax - $2
Property ownership
Literacy test – read and understand state const.
Led to a huge drop in African Am. voters and
poor whites
32. Grandfather Clause – if your grandfather voted –
you can vote – aimed at poor whites
Legalizing Segregation
33. Segregation- separation of races
–
Jim Crow Laws – enforcing legal segregation
34. Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibited keeping
people out of public places based on race
35. SC overturned the Act in 1883. Said the
14th only required “states” to give equal
protection- not private businesses like
railroads, , hotels, theatres were free to
practice segregation
Legalizing Segregation
•
This opened the way for virtually all
things to be separate
– Railroad cars, dining halls, water fountains
•
Homer Plessy contended the law
requiring him to ride in separate RR car
36. SC: Plessy vs. Ferguson ok to have
separate but equal facilities
37. Usually far from equal – usually
inferior
African American response
• Increased violence in South – lynchings
38. Ida B. Wells fought against lynchings
– She felt lynchings were due to both greed
and racial prejudice
39. Booker T. Washington proposed to
concentrate on achieving economic
goals rather than legal or political
ones.
Plessy v. Ferguson
Activity
• Read through and review the basic
Arguments and decisions for Plessy.
• Read the information regarding Brown v.
Board of Education (1954)
• Read the argument responses and decide
whether they are from the Court’s Plessy
decision or Brown decision.
• Underline the words or phrases in each
line that influenced your answer.
Plessy/Brown Arguments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Plessy
Brown
Plessy
Brown
Brown
Plessy
Plessy
8. Brown
9. Plessy
10.Brown
11.Plessy
12.Plessy
13.Plessy
14.Brown
• Do you think the Brown court would have
said that people could be separate by race
on a train?
• Yes?- Arguments?
• No?- Arguments?
Notebook Check 12/12
Notes:
• 3.1 Intro/3.1 SG
• Study ?’s p. 244-248
• 3.2 Lecture- part 1
• 3.2 Part 2
• 3.3 SG
• 3.4 SG
• 3.5 SG
Journals:
• CNN SN
– 11/19,
– 12/1-12/3 (2 entries), 12/5
Activities:
• Ch. 3 Wordsearch/Vocab
• Child Labor Photo Analysis
• Plessy v. Ferguson Act.
Video Guides:
• Guilded Age
• Gilded Age Follow up
Response