Insignificant Presidents and
Ineffective Laws: Politics of
the Gilded Age
The Gilded Age
In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles Warner
wrote a book called The Gilded Age.
 Something that is gilded is gold on the
outside, but made of cheap material on the
inside.
 Twain and Warner were saying that society
in the late 1800s looked good, but it was
rotten underneath with corruption, poverty,
and crime.
 Historians have come to refer to this period
of history as “The Gilded Age.”

The Gilded Age
Who?
Mark Twain, Charles
Warner
 What?
 Coined this phrase to say
that society looked good
on the outside, but was
rotten on the inside.
 When?
 1873
 Where?
 America






How?
Twain and Warner said
that gov’t corruption,
poverty, and crime in big
cities was making the
country rotten, although
it looked like a time of
great progress.
So What?
Historians use Twain’s
phrase to describe both
the benefits and the
negative aspects of late
1800s urbanization.
Individualism
The idea that no matter where a person
started in life, they could accomplish
whatever they wanted as long as they
worked.
 Horatio Alger novels demonstrated this
idea.

SOCIAL DARWINISM
Who?
Herbert Spencer (based
off of Charles Darwin’s
theory)
 What?
 The idea that society
progresses because the
fittest people survive.
 When?
 Late 1800s
 Where?
 America






How?
Those who work hard and
succeed will do well and
be successful, while those
who do not will be left
behind to be low paid
workers.
So What?
It was embraced by big
businessmen as a
justification of their
extreme wealth while their
workers made little and
worked in poor factory
conditions.
A softer side of Social Darwinism…
Although Andrew Carnegie believed in
Social Darwinism, he felt that those who
“made it” had an obligation to provide
society something in return.
 This becomes known as the GOSPEL OF
WEALTH.
 Carnegie believed in PHILANTHROPY –
using one’s money to contribute to good
causes.

Problems in the White House
Throughout the 1800s, government jobs
were often given to supporters of the
winning party in an election. This is
known as PATRONAGE or THE SPOILS
SYSTEM.
 In 1878, President James Garfield
attempts to end this system. Some
people like it, others don’t.

STALWARTS and HALFBREEDS
People who supported the Spoils System
were known as STALWARTS.
 People who wanted to reform the system
(mainly Republicans) were known as
HALFBREEDS.

PENDLETON ACT
The Spoils System gets out of hand when
a crazed Stalwart kills President Garfield
(halfbreed) in hopes that new President
Chester Arthur (stalwart) will get him a
job.
 In response, Congress passes the
PENDLETON ACT, which made the hiring
of many government jobs based on
MERIT, not PATRONAGE.

Garfield and Arthur
REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS
During this time, the power of Democrats
and Republicans were almost equal.
 REPUBLICANS had support in New
England and the Midwest (big business
and farmers).
 Democrats had support in the South and
in big cities.
 Presidential elections were close during
this time.

Election of 1884
Democrats nominate GROVER CLEVELAND
 Republicans nominate JAMES G. BLAINE
 Cleveland wins because many Republican
reformers, known as MUGWUMPS, disliked
Blaine and voted for Cleveland.
 Cleveland wins a close race.

Big Pimpin’
Grover Cleveland
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION
Some people believe that the RRs are giving
preferential treatment to big businesses.
 These businesses (like Standard Oil) got lower
rates and REBATES (partial refunds).
 In Wabash v. Illinois, the Supreme Court says
only the FEDERAL gov’t can regulate the RRs.
 In 1887, Congress passes the INTERSTATE
COMMERCE ACT.

– It limited what rates the railroads could charge
– Forbade rebates to big businesses
– Makes it illegal to charge more for shorter routes.
It attempts to even the playing field for smaller
companies
McKinley Tariff





In Congress, Democrats want to lower the tariff,
but Republicans want to keep it high.
Republicans got contributions from businessmen
who wanted the tariffs high.
Due to supporters of high tariffs, Benjamin
Harrison is elected president in 1888.
Congress passes the McKINLEY TARIFF. It
lowers the tariff on some goods, but raises it on
others.
Turns the nation’s budget SURPLUS into a
Budget DEFECIT.
Benjamin Harrison
SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT
Congress also wants to deal with trusts.
 In 1890, they pass the SHERMAN
ANTITRUST ACT.
 It was not effective, because the courts
did not do a great job of enforcing it.
