The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873)
A book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner,
which, though fiction, is a critical examination of
democratic politics, and corruption in the United States
at the time. Twain and Warner depict an American
society that, despite its appearance of promise and
prosperity, is riddled with corruption and scandal.
Politics of the Gilded Age:
1. “Forgettable Presidents” & Laissez- Faire philosophy
2.
Corruption & power of govt. at local & state level
(Machines)
3.
Electoral Stability & Party Loyalty (Few Distinctions in
Parties)
4.
High Voter Turnout
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Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politics to 1890 = Growth of Discontent
A. The Grant Administration
1. Election
“waving the bloody shirt”
2. The Scandals
a. Gold Ring (Gould & Fisk)
b. Credit Mobilier
c. Whiskey Ring
2
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politics to 1890 = Growth of Discontent
B. Boss Tweed
1. Tweed Ring/Tammany Hall
3
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politics to 1890 = Growth of Discontent
B. Boss Tweed
1. Tweed Ring/Tammany Hall
a. Give out jobs & contracts for
support & $
b. Stole $200 million from city =
submit for work never done
c. Investigated by NY Times &
convicted
C. 1873 Depression
“hard-money” vs. “cheap-money”
Creditors vs. Debitors
“Greenback Party” & Silver
advocates
“crime of 73”
Bland-Allison Act (1878)
Can the Law Reach Him? 1872
4
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politics to 1890 = Growth of Discontent
C. Immigration & The Chinese
5
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politcs to 1890 =“Growth of Discontent”
D. Politics of the 1880s
1. Stalwarts & Half-Breeds
2. Election of 1880 & James
Garfield
Assassination: Charles Guiteau, “I
am a Stalwart. Arthur is now
President of the United States.”
6
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politcs to 1890 =“Growth of Discontent”
D. Politics of the 1880s
3. Chester Arthur
a. Pendleton Act
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Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politcs to 1890 =“Growth of Discontent”
D. Politics of the 1880s
4. Election of 1884
a. Dem. = Cleveland
8
Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politcs to 1890 =“Growth of
Discontent”
D. Politics of the 1880s
4. Election of 1884
b. Rep. = Blaine
c. “rum, Romanism, &
rebellion”
d. Mugwumps
James G. Blaine, depicted as Little Bo Peep, tries to woo the errant
Mugwump reformers back into the Republican fold in 1884.
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Politics of the Gilded Age
I. Politcs to 1890 =“Growth of
Discontent”
D. Politics of the 1880s
5. Cleveland’s First Term
a. Vetoes & Military
Pensions
b. Calls for reduction of
tariff
c. Reforms & Regulation
i. Wabash= overturn
Granger Laws
ii. Interstate
Commerce Act/ICC
6. Harrison and the “BillionDollar Congress”
a. 1890 McKinley Tariff
b. Increase veteran
pensions
c. 1890 Sherman Silver
Purchase Act
d. 1890 Sherman Antitrust
Act (used more against
unions)
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– A. Rise of Populists
• 1. Agrarian Discontent
– a. The Grangers
» Oliver Kelley
» Cooperatives
» Granger Laws
– b. Farmer’s Alliance
– c. People’s Party
» Coin’s Financial
School
•This poster from 1875 expresses one of the agrarian radicals’ fundamental premises: that all other walks of
life were de pendent— or even parasitic—on the indispensable work of farmers. In his famous “Cross of
Gold” speech in 1896 (see p. 661), Populist presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan put it this way:
“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy
our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– A. Rise of Populists
• 2. Omaha Platform
– 1. Increase circulation of $
– 2. Unlimited coinage of silver
– 3. Progressive Income Tax
– 4. Govt. Regulate RR &
communications
– 5. 8 hr. work day
– 6. Direct Election of Senators
Raise less corn, and more
hell
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– A. Rise of Populists
• 3. Election of 1892
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– B. Cleveland’s 2nd Term = Depression
Politics
• 1. Panic of 1893
– a. Failure Reading RR =
Failure banks and businesses
= stock market plunge
– b. Ag. Depression
– c. Silver Purchase Act &
Tariff Blamed = there had
been a gold drain on Tres.
– d. Cleveland doesn’t take
action
– e. Consolidation of
businesses
• 3. Coxey’s March
• 4. Pullman Strike
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Politics of the Gilded Age
“You shall not press down upon the
brow of labor this crown of thorns,
you shall not crucify mankind upon
a cross of gold.”
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– C. Election of 1896
• 1. Bryan, Populists, and Democrats
“Cross of Gold” Speech
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– C. Election of 1896
• 2. McKinley, Hanna, and Republicans
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– C. Election of 1896
• 3. Campaign
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Politics of the Gilded Age
•
II. Turning Point = 1890s
– D. The Significance of Election-1896
• 1.Populist Demise
• 2. Urban Dominance
• 3. Beginning of Modern Politics
– E. McKinley and Recovery
• 1. High Tariffs
• 2. Gold Standard Act of 1900
• 3. Imperialism
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