TOPIC 3: Challenges in the Late 1800s (1865-1914)
Lesson 3 Corruption Plagues the Nation
Who stole the people’s money?
Learning Objectives
• Analyze the issues of weak leadership and
corruption in national and local politics in the 1870s
through 1890s.
• Discuss civil service reform in the late 1800s.
Corruption in the Gilded Age
• Reconstruction after the Civil War= reforms to rebuild
the South and US
• Between 1877-1900= little reform
• Instead, political, economic and social corruption
during the Gilded Age
• National political corruption (examples):
• Credit Mobilier railroad scandal Congressmen/VP
took bribes from railroad company
• Compromise of 1877: in exchange for the military
leaving the South to the Redeemer governments,
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected
president
Corruption in the Gilded Age
• Local political corruption:
• Spoils system (patronage, cronyism): “to the victor
go the spoils of war” also at federal level too
• Loyal party members get government jobs
• Political machines: jobs/housing, infrastructure
solutions in exchange for votes
• Power of immigrant voters
• Contracts for city buildings, roads etc. were given
out in exchange for bribe money
• Ex. “Boss” Tweed in NYC’s Tammany Hall
Growth of Political Machines and Corruption
Analyze Data Is it probable that the presidents of the Gilded Age enjoyed strong popular support for
their ideas? Why or why not?
Early Reforms
• Civil service reform focused on ending the Spoils System
• After President Garfield’s assassination by disgruntled
job seeker, Congress passed Pendleton Civil Service Act
1883
• Federal government jobs now based on a Civil Service
Exam, NOT party loyalty
• Political cartoons focused on raising awareness about
corruption (especially at local level)
• Thomas Nast credited with bringing Boss Tweed’s
corruption to voters’ attention
• Many New Immigrants couldn’t read English, but
understood the pictures
Thomas Nast
Boss Tweed