Politics and Government: 1877 - 1900
AP United States History
West Blocton High School
Mr. Logan Greene
Chapter Objectives
• How were the campaigns run in the
late 1800’s and what role did partisan
politics play?
• How effective was the federal
government in addressing the problems
of America’s industrializing economy?
• What were the main policy issue of the
1880’s and the 1890’s?
• What was the platform of the Populist
Party?
Campaigns and Elections
• During the era of the Gilded Age
politics turned to a new style of lavish
grand campaigns
• In part this led to huge voter turnout,
averaging 80% in the elections of 18761900 (2008 election: 57%)
• This was also due to party practices of
“ensuring” registered voters who had
supported them in the past continued
to vote through bribes or
“encouragement”
Partisan Politics
• During the period the Democratic and
Republican parties were essentially
evenly split for electoral support
• It was extremely rare for a party to
control both Congress and the
Presidency leading to little real
progress
• The swing states of Indiana, New York,
New Jersey, and Ohio gained massive
attention during elections
Partisan Politics
• Republicans controlled the North and
Midwest
• Democrats controlled the South and
parts of the urban Northeast
• Republicans were for nationalism and
the idea of larger national government
• Democrats argued for traditionalism
and small government
• Both parties used “political machines”
to control votes and run campaigns
Third Parties
• Despite the control of the two parties
numerous third parties appeared at the
time
• Populist: By far the strongest,
advocated for farmers and workers
• Prohibition: Argued for the total
prohibition of alcohol in America
• Greenback: Argued for paper money
allowing for inflation to temporarily
help debtors
Associational Politics
• People not involved in party politics also
fought for change to assist their members in
Associational Politics
• Granger Laws in the Midwest to benefit
farmers are an excellent example
• Mugwumps argued for a return to honest
and efficient government
• National American Women Suffrage
Association argued for the vote for women
• The Women’s Christian Temperance
Movement argued for a control of alcohol
The Weak Presidency
• The era between the death of President
Lincoln and the ascension of William
McKinley in 1896 was defined by
exceptionally weak Presidents
• Presidents made no effort to exert
control and offered few initiatives
• Presidents completely bowed to
Congress and rarely listened to the
public
The Inefficient Congress
• Despite controlling every facet of the
Federal government the Congress of the
Gilded Age was terribly inefficient
• Arguments, a chaotic chamber, and
completely ridiculous procedural rules
kept Congress from enacting needed
business
• Even as the growing economy called
for a busier legislature the Congress
was slow to reform
Federal Bureaucracy and the Spoils System
• The federal bureaucracy was limited at
this time as the Federal Government
only employed about 50,000
• Most were hired through the spoils
system, or rewarding supporters with
federal government jobs
• As the spoils system took hold critics
accused it of being corrupt and
destroying the idea of fairness
Public Policies: Civil Service Reform
• Reforming the spoils system became the
prominent issue of the nation during the
Hayes administration
• Reformers wanted exams and tests to
determine the worthiness of a candidate with
the hopes of improving the government
• Eventually after the assassination of
President Garfield by an angry supporter the
Pendleton Civil Service Act was passed
requiring hires on a merit basis
Tariffs
• Tariffs or taxes on imported goods
were one of the most important federal
government issues
• Republicans championed protective
tariffs so industry at home could
charge higher prices while Democrats
wanted tariffs removed to achieve the
lowest price for farmers and workers
• By 1890 triumphant Republicans
passed the McKinley Tariff raising
tariff rates to all time highs
Federal Regulation
• As large corporations spun out of
control in the late 1800’s the
government began to regulate
• The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
set standards for prices that railroads
could charge
• The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
made trusts that restrained trade or
commerce “illegal”
The Money Question
• Currency at the end of the 19th century was a
mess of different policies
• Many creditors and bankers wanted to limit
the supply of paper money, they called this
“sound money”
• Farmers and workers wanted to expand the
money supply
• Sound money won out as some greenbacks
were withdrawn in 1875
The Money Question
• As the greenback issue died down silver
took center stage
• In 1873 the government put America
on a “Gold Only Standard” making
silver “worthless”
• Despite this the government “passed” a
law to purchase silver but rarely met
its minimum amount and people across
the country who needed silver coinage
suffered
1890’s Farmers Protest
• As the 1880’s saw falling prices and
issues with agriculture many farmers
came together to protest the issues
• Farmers formed the Farmers Alliance
and protested against issues with
banks, credit, railroad charges, and the
growing influence of big business
The Populist
• As farmers grew angrier the Populist
Party emerged to advocate for workers
and farmers
• The Populists quickly gained
momentum and won several state
legislatures
• The Populists formed the Omaha
Platform which called for reforms to
help farmers and workers and an end
to Laissez Faire economics
The Depression of 1893
• A harsh and lengthy depression struck
in 1893 forcing 20 percent of the labor
force into unemployment
• State governments offered little relief
to struggling citizens
• Instead of helping the Federal
government strengthened bonds with
business hoping the economy would
bounce back, this enraged everyday
citizens
The Election of 1896
• The election of 1896 pitted Republican
William McKinley versus
Democrat/Populist backed William
Jennings Bryan
• The silver issue became huge as Bryan
advocated allowing silver into the
monetary system to rescue the
economy in his “Cross of Gold” speech
• McKinley won as Bryan became to
bogged down in the silver issue
Chapter Objectives
• How were the campaigns run in the
late 1800’s and what role did partisan
politics play?
• How effective was the federal
government in addressing the problems
of America’s industrializing economy?
• What were the main policy issue of the
1880’s and the 1890’s?
• What was the platform of the Populist
Party?