Politics in
the Gilded Age
A. The Gilded Age
Samuel
Clemens
“Mark Twain”
Charles
Dudley
Warner
1.Gilding: coating something
in a thin layer of gold.
2. The nickname “The Gilded Age” was
coined by Mark Twain and Charles
Dudley Warner in their fictional book
The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873).
It referred to the period of time in
American history stretching from
roughly 1870 – 1900…
3. What made it Gilded?
a. America, despite its appearance
of promise and prosperity, was
plagued with corruption and
scandal.
b. Two themes caused dissention:
i. Laissez Faire – “hands off”
ii. Government gained new authority and
power at all levels- especially local
level.
4. Democrats & Republicans
a. After the Civil War, both parties
appeased special interest groups.
b. Neither party had clear control
of the government
i. Republicans maintained the
presidency from 1868-1912 (except
for Cleveland’s presidencies)
ii. Democrats controlled Congress and
most state legislature
c. Each struggled to find clear platforms
d. When all else failed, Republicans
quickly jumped waving “The
Bloody Shirt”, reminding voters
of the South’s dishonor of seceding
and causing the Civil War (Southern
states were Democrat).
*This tactic painted all Democrats
as traitors.
Political Parties of the Gilded Age
Democratic
Bloc
Republican
Bloc
 White southerners
(preservation of
white supremacy)
 Northern whites
(pro-business)
 Catholics
 Northern
Protestants
 Recent immigrants
(esp. Jews)
 Urban working
poor (pro-labor)
 Most farmers
 African Americans
 Most of the middle
class
5. Political Machines
a. As city officials gained more power,
they increased taxes to pay for city
up-keep. Competition among groups for
control of city government grew
intense.
b. Political machines: unofficial
city organizations designed to keep a
particular party or group in power
(arose due to clashing interests among
groups of politicians)
c. Most political machines were
headed by a powerful “boss” who
may or may not have actually held a
public office.
d. Kickback: promising a job
contract to a company, hiking the
price of the job, and then receiving
a portion of the earnings, which
would be known as graft – funds
illegally acquired through
dishonorable behavior.
e. Most political bosses were corrupt;
however there were a few honest
leaders.
i. Ex. George Cox (Republican) who won
election to Cincinnati’s city council in
1879
aa. He used his machine to
guarantee victories and business
contracts to party faithfuls, but…
bb. He also worked with local
reformers to improve the quality
of the police force and city
services.
f. Most notoriously corrupt political boss
was William “Boss” Tweed of NYC.
i. Led Tammany Hall in the early 1870s
ii. Grew rich off kickbacks/graft from
the city’s construction jobs, which
were padded with fake expenses
iii. Tweed was arrested in 1873 and
died in jail.
B. Election of 1876
1.
Rutherford B. Hayes (OH)-
Repub
a. Promised “home rule” in the South
and civil/ political rights for all
(contradictory).
2. Samuel Tilden (NY)- Democrat
3. Tilden won popular vote, but electoral
college votes from SC, FL, & LA were
disputed.
4. Each party claimed they won.
Election of 1876
C. The Compromise of 1877
1. An electoral commission was set up to
determine who would be awarded the
disputed votes; Congress also had to
approve their decision.
2. Republicans and Democrats agreed
that if Hayes won the election he
federal troops
from the south.
would remove
3. As a result of the compromise, Democrats
regained control of SC, LA, & FL and
Reconstruction in the South officially ended
on May 1, 1877.
4. A political cartoon
by Thomas Nast of
Harper’s Weekly
used a sports analogy
for the Compromise of
1877.
*A brief FYI:
Nast created
today’s symbols
of the
Republican
(Elephant) and
Democrat
(Donkey) Parties
(Dec. 27, 1879).
5. After the removal of the troops
from the South after
Reconstruction, whites are again
free to discriminate against
African-Americans (thus, the
passage of Jim Crow laws…).
D. Political attitude of the
late 19th century…
1. With few exceptions, Washington
(that means federal politicians)
generally ignored the social
consequences of industrialization.
2. However, others throughout the
country forced the issues.
E. Stirrings of Reform…
1. With the presidency of Hayes came
the first stirrings of government
reform.
2. The use of public offices as rewards
for political party work is known as
the "Spoils System." This system
cycled in and out of government
through presidencies from Jefferson
to Grant.
3. Hayes’s presidency marked the beginning
of Civil Service Reform.
a. Civil
service jobs:
government jobs held by
non-elected workers.
b. Hayes tried to appoint qualified
political independents to Cabinet
posts and fired employees that
were not needed; however, Hayes
did not have Congressional backing
in this endeavor and angered many
politicians.
4. Because of differences over civil service
reform, the Republican party split into
two factions:
a. Stalwarts: conservative Republicans
who opposed Civil Service Reform
b. Half-breeds: moderate faction of
Republicans who supported Civil
Service Reform (which began
under Rutherford B. Hayes)
5. This split caused confusion over who to
choose as the presidential candidate in
1880!
F. Election of 1880
1. Incumbent (current holder of office)
president Rutherford B. Hayes planned to
retire at the end of one term, which
opened wide the door of opportunity!
2. Candidates for the Election of 1880:
a. Democrat: Winfield S. Hancock (P)
William English (VP)
b. Republican: James Garfield (P)
Chester A. Arthur (VP)
G. Republicans and the 1880
Election
Half Breeds
Stalwarts
Compromise!
James A. Garfield (P)
Chester A. Arthur (VP)
H. Issues of the Election
1. Only the tariff question divided the parties
***Tariff = tax on imported goods, used
primarily to protect young American
industries
a. Democrats: Supported tariff for
revenue only (what would pay for the cost
of gov’t)
b. Republicans: Supported a high tariff
to help protect industry in the North
(make Americans buy American
products!!!)
Election Results? Garfield wins!!!
Solid South: term which describes the voting
bloc of the South from 1876 to 1960
I. The 2nd Presidential
Assassination
1. July 2, 1881, 9:30 a.m., Wash,
D.C.- President Garfield was shot
by Charles Guiteau.
a. Guiteau stalked the president for
weeks and had backed down three
previous times.
b. Fired a .44 British Bulldog at the
back of the president in the waiting
room of the railway station.
*2 shots: one grazed the arm, one
entered his back
***Random info***
Alexander Graham Bell
invented a metal-detecting
device he thought would find
the bullet in Garfield’s body.
The results of the experiment
were inconclusive as there was
a humming sound no matter
where the wand was placed on
the president’s body. Bell was
unaware that the White House
bed had a coil spring mattress
(a new invention). If Bell had
moved Garfield off the bed,
the apparatus would have
detected where the bullet was
and, knowing this, the surgeons
may have saved Garfield’s life.
2. Garfield’s Death
a. The bullet didn’t kill him- the
doctors did!!! (Doctors stuck their unsanitized fingers and un-sterilized
instruments into the open wound)
b. In the end, the doctors had taken a
three-inch wound and turned it into a
twenty-inch gouge that was massively
infected. On September 15, 1881,
symptoms of blood poisoning appeared.
On September 19, after a few hours of
unconsciousness, he died.
c. At the autopsy, examiners determined that
the bullet had lodged itself some four inches
from the spine in a protective cyst. Their
conclusion?
Garfield would have survived if the
doctors had left him alone!!!
(At his trial, Guiteau argued that he did not
kill the President – the doctors did. That
argument might get you off today but not in
the 1880's.)
d. Guiteau was hanged a year later.
3. Why did Guiteau shoot the Pres?
“His death was a political necessity”
“It will unite the Republican party”
~Guiteau – written on the
morning of the assassination
a. He thought civil service reform
would end under Arthur.
b. Will be classified as a disappointed
office seeker – yep, he was crazy!
4. Significance of Garfield’s death
a. Pushed Congress to change the
Spoils System
b. Arthur changed course and focused
on creating a modern civil service
system
c. Result? Pendleton Act of 1883
i. Provided for open, competitive exams
for applicants of government civil
service jobs
ii. Banned practice of requiring political
contributions from civil servants
5. Effect of the Pendleton Act??
 1883  14,000 out of
117,000 federal govt.
jobs became civil
service exam positions.
 1900  100,000 out
of 200,000 civil
service federal gov’t.
jobs.
 Much more
accountability in gov’t!
J. Arthur as President
1. Pendleton Act is his most lasting legacy
2. The tariff issue came to the forefront.
a. Wanted to lower the tariff
b. Congress’ compromise: Mongrel
Tariff (1883) reduced the overall tax
by less than 1.5 %- satisfied no one!
c. Beginning of the 2 parties’ tariff
struggle:
i. Repub  high tariff
ii.Dem  free trade