THE GILDED AGE
Chapter 13
section 3-5
THE GILDED AGE
 Term for the era ; coined by Mark Twain & Charles Warner
 They were sounding an alarm about the time period!
 Industrialization & urbanization changed the way Americans
looked at themselves & society.
1. Individualism- no matter your origins, you can rise as far as
your talents & abilities will take you ( Horatio Alger).
2. Social Dar winism: Darwin’s theory applied to society; if you
are wealthy—you are more talented or skilled.
 People who supported Social Darwinism= would have also
supported “laissez-faire”.
THE CHURCH REACTS TO DARWINISM
 The Churches in America did not like Darwin’s theory's about
evolution. It contradicted the Biblical version of creation.
 Some minsters however, believed that God may have used
evolution to create the world (Henry Ward Beecher - “Christian
evolutionist”.
**THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH
 Advocated by Andrew Carnegie
 The wealthy should engage in “philanthropy” & use their good
fortune to make society better.
 Building schools, hospitals, public libraries
 Opposed giving “handouts” to the poor.
CULTURE IN THE “GILDED AGE”
 Realism- new movement in art & literature in the 1800’s.
 Painters & writers tried to depict the world “realistically”.
 Thomas Eakins- best known American realist painter.
REALISM IN WRITING
 Mark Twain (Samuel Clemmons)- Adventures of Huckleberr y
Finn; Tom Sawyer.
 Twain used the dialect of the region & humor.
 Wrote the true American novel - characters, setting, subject,
language, & style= clearly American.
POPULAR CULTURE IN THE GILDED AGE
 Popular culture changed considerably in the late 1800’s.
 Standard of living improved for many people= more money=
more entertainment & recreation.
 People separated their lives into : work, home, play.
1. The Saloon- outnumbered grocery stores & meat markets in
cities.
2. Amusement Parks & Sports - entertainment for working class
families & single adults.
 Coney Island (NY)
 1869- 1 ST PROFESSIONAL baseball team- Cincinnati Red
Stockings (1903- 1 st World Series PLAYED)
 Football— gained popularity by the late 1800’s
 1891- James Naismith –invented Basketball .
3. Vaudeville & Ragtime – Vaudeville (a variety show); Ragtime - a
type of music (Scott Joplin -King of Ragtime)
POLITICS IN WASHINGTON DURING THE
GILDED AGE
The Presidency of Ruther ford B. Hayes (1877 -1880)
 Reconstruction came to an end (Compromise of 1877)
 Tried to end the “Spoils System” patronage (giving jobs to loyal
supporters).
 Republicans became divided on the issue.
 “Stalwarts”- Republicans who supported keeping the Spoils System.
 “Half-Breeds”- Republicans who wanted to reform the Spoils
System.
Election of 1880
 Republicans nominated- James Garfield (Half-Breed)
 Vice Presidential running mate - Chester Arthur (Stalwart)
 Garfield & Arthur won the election!
 One month later Garfield was assassinated by Charles Gateau (a
would be office seeker).
 The public grows angry & demands an end to the Spoils System.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
1883- Congress passed the Pendleton Act ( law required
some government jobs be filled by people who take & pass an
exam)= start of the professional civil service.
 Only 10% of federal government job were made civil service
positions in 1883—it went up over time.
 Significance--This means the end of the Spoils System
ELECTION OF 1884
Democratic Party nominated– Grover Cleveland.
 governor of NY; Reformer with honesty.
Republican Party nominated- James G. Blaine.
 Former Speaker of the House; reputed to have taken bribes.
• Republicans tired of corruption (“ Mugwumps”) voted for the
Democrat—Cleveland.
• Blaine needed the votes of Catholic voters to catch up (“Rum,
Romanism, and Rebellion” comment by a supporter)
• Cleveland narrowly wins the election.
• 1 st Democrat elected president since 1856.
POLITICAL ISSUES: CONTROLLING
CORPORATIONS
 Many Americans were concerned about the power of large
corporations, monopolies, and especially Railroad Companies.
 Large corporations could arrange to get “ REBATES” & lower rates
while farmers and others could not.
 Many states began to pass new laws to regulate railroad rates in
their states.
**1886- Wabash v. Illinois - the US Supreme Court ruled that
states cannot regulate railroad rates ( interstate commerce ), only
the Federal government could.
** 1887- Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act.
 Created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)- federal
agency to regulate railroad rates.
 1 st law passed to regulate business for public good!
 Not very effective—relied on courts to enforce rules.
ISSUES: TARIFFS
 Democrats believed tariff rates should be reduced because
they hurt people who bought manufactured goods.
 No need for high tarif fs now —corporations now can compete
internationally without help.
 Tariffs caused “trade wars”
 Congress deadlocked on the issue
Election of 1888
Republicans- Benjamin Harrison (got large money contributions
from big businesses)
Democrats- Grover Cleveland (campaigned for lower tariffs)
** Harrison wins the election
* Republicans control both houses
CONGRESS PASSES NEW LEGISLATION
The McKinley Tariff (1890)
1890- Congressman William McKinley - pushed a new tariff bill (cut
rates on tobacco & sugar; raised rates on textiles etc.)
 Intended to protect US businesses from foreign competition &
get Americans to buy American made products.
 The tariff caused prices of all products to rise=angered
Americans.
The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)
 Meant to curb the power of large corporations & monopolies.
 Prohibited “any combination…or conspiracy, in restraint of
commerce or trade…”
 Law had little impact to stop monopolies.
 Used mostly to stop labor unions!!
POPULISM
Populism- a movement to increase the political power of farmers.
Problems of Farmers in the Gilded Age
 New farm tech = supply greater than demand= falling prices
(deflation)
 High tariffs= harder for farmers to sale products overseas.
 Railroad Companies= give big “rebates” to large corporations.
 Banks= charge high interest rates for loans; farmers loose farms
when they “mortgage” land to buy new tech.
 1873- Government stopped making “silver coins”= less money
(“Crime of 73”)
Solution to Farmer’s Problems
 Adjust the money supply= increase the types & amount of money
circulating in economy (gold & silver coins, paper money “Greenbacks”)
 Farmers began to organize!!
FARMERS ORGANIZE
The Grange (“Patrons of Husbandry”) (1867): 1 st national farm
organization.
 Founder—Oliver H. Kelley
 1 st met just to discuss new farm techniques & to have socials.
 1873- US had severe recession= farm incomes fell=
membership increased (800,000 to 1 .5 million members by
1874)
Grange calls for action
 States should regulate RR rates & warehouse rates.
 Created “Cooperatives” to try & increase farm prices.
 “Granger laws” passed by a few western states= set maximum
rates charged by RR= struck down by the Wabash case.
 Grange ==not ef fective at changing things for farmers
THE FARMERS ORGANIZE
The Farmer’s Alliance- had up to 3 million members by
1890.
 Strongly supported in the South & Great Plains.
 Supported “Exchanges” (very large Cooperatives)
 Ultimately– large cooperatives failed (lent too much money to
farmers at low interest rates -never repaid, bankers & RR
discriminated against them).
 Many famers began to push to create a NEW POLITICAL PART Y
The People’s Party (the Populists)1890
 Nominated candidates to Congress & state of fices.
 Subtreasury Plan- called on government to set up warehouses
to store crops= raise prices of farm products.
 lower tarif fs , regulate banks & RR,
PEOPLE’S PART Y
 1892- People’s party held it’s first convention
The Omaha Platform (agenda for the party & candidates)
 Called for unlimited coinage of silver
 Federal ownership of RR
 Graduated income tax
 Direct election of Senators
 8 hour workday (hoped city workers would join)
 Immigration restrictions
* Knights of Labor in decline & AFL steered clear of politics
(urban workers failed to join the fight)
ELECTION 1896
 People’s Party—make the free coinage a silver the main issue!
Democrats—nominate William Jennings Br yan (strong supporter of
silver coinage)
Republicans- nominated William McKinley (supported the Gold
Standard)
• People’s Party decided to endorse Bryan.
• At the Democratic Party convention, Bryan made a speech
favoring coinage of silver to help farmers.
• “The Cross of Gold”
The Campaign
• Bryan – 14 weeks; gave 600 speeches
• McKinley – “Front Porch Campaign”; promised a “Full Dinner
Pail”
• ** McKinley won the election!!
• **After 1896- The Populist Party declined
THE RISE OF SEGREGATION
After the Civil War, many African - Americans in the rural South
lived in poverty. Most were sharecroppers (in debt to landlords).
The Exodusters
 Benjamin “Pap” Singleton - (former slave)- urged AfricanAmericans to move west (Kansas).
 1879- 6,000 African- Americans left the south for Kansas.
Colored Farmer’s Alliance (1886)- blacks formed their own
farmer’s organization.
• If poor whites in the south & African - Americans joined forces in
voting for the Populist Party= unbeatable!
• Democrats divided white farmers (racism) from blacks= no
joining of the two= doom for the Populist Party.
THE UNDERMINING OF AFRICANAMERICAN RIGHTS
After Reconstruction ended in 1877, the rights of AA were
undermined.
Voting Rights
The 15 th Amendment denied states the power to deny the right to
vote based on “race, color, or previous servitude”
 States could ban someone from voting based on some other
criteria.
 1890- Mississippi required all citizens to pay a “ Poll Tax” &
“Literacy Test”
 Other southern states did the same.
 In Louisiana—number of registered AA voters fell from 130,000
(1890) to 5,300 (1900).
 The “Grandfather Clause ” – La. Allowed any man to vote IF he
had an ancestor who could vote in 1867 (this exempted most
whites from poll taxes & literacy tests.)
SEGREGATION
African- Americans in the north were banned from public places
but, it was dif ferent in the south.
States passed laws to enforce discrimination (“ Jim Crow Laws”).
1883- The Civil Rights Cases
 Supreme Court overturned the Civil Rights Act 1875
 Supreme Court said that individuals & business owners were
free to practice discrimination.
 States passed laws—established racial segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)- Supreme Court ruled racial
segregation in public places legal (did not violate 14 th
Amendment) = segregation in the south for 50 years.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESPONSE
1. Lynching- 1890-1899 = 187 lynching's of African Americans each year.
Ida B. Wells- African- American woman; pushed for an end to
lynching (mob violence).
 Congress failed to pass laws to stop the practice
 1900’s= lynching's decreased.
2. Civil Rights : Two African- Americans stood out.
 Booker T. Washington – African- Americans should focus on
economic goals…not political goals ( Atlanta Compromise
Speech)- postpone fight for civil rights —get education &
vocational training.
 W.E.B. Dubois : advocated that African- Americans demand
equal rights now! (1 st African- American to graduate Harvard)