🗽US History Unit 20 – Politics in the Gilded Age, 1870–1900

Key Political Figures and Parties

• Ulysses S. Grant served as the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877) and was a prominent figure in the Republican Party during the Gilded Age
• Grover Cleveland served as both the 22nd and 24th President (1885-1889 and 1893-1897) and was a leading figure in the Democratic Party
  • Cleveland was known for his opposition to corruption and support for civil service reform
• William Jennings Bryan was a prominent Democratic politician and orator who ran for president three times (1896, 1900, and 1908)
  • Bryan was a key figure in the Populist movement and advocated for issues such as free silver and progressive reforms
• The Republican Party, also known as the GOP (Grand Old Party), was one of the two major political parties during the Gilded Age
  • The Republican Party generally favored high tariffs, a strong federal government, and pro-business policies
• The Democratic Party was the other major political party during this period
  • Democrats typically supported lower tariffs, states' rights, and agrarian interests
• Third parties, such as the Populist Party and the Greenback Party, emerged during the Gilded Age to address issues not adequately represented by the two major parties

Major Issues and Debates

• Tariffs were a significant point of contention, with Republicans generally supporting high tariffs to protect American industries and Democrats favoring lower tariffs to promote trade and lower prices for consumers
• Currency debates centered around the issue of bimetallism (using both gold and silver as legal tender) versus the gold standard
  • Populists and many Democrats supported free silver, arguing that it would help farmers and working-class Americans by increasing the money supply and causing inflation
• The role and size of the federal government was a major debate, with Republicans generally supporting a stronger central government and Democrats advocating for states' rights
• Civil service reform aimed to address corruption and patronage in government jobs by implementing a merit-based system for hiring and promotion
• The regulation of big business and monopolies became an increasingly important issue as industrialization led to the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few large corporations
• Immigration and nativism were significant topics, with some calling for restrictions on immigration and others defending the rights of immigrants
• The rights and welfare of farmers and industrial workers gained attention as these groups faced economic challenges and sought political solutions

Corruption and Political Machines

• Political machines, such as Tammany Hall in New York City, wielded significant power and influence during the Gilded Age
  • These organizations often used patronage, bribery, and voter fraud to maintain control and reward loyal supporters
• Boss Tweed, the leader of Tammany Hall in the late 1860s and early 1870s, became a symbol of political corruption
  • Tweed and his associates embezzled millions of dollars from the city through fraudulent contracts and kickbacks
• The Whiskey Ring scandal (1875) involved a network of whiskey distillers, politicians, and government officials who conspired to defraud the federal government of millions of dollars in liquor taxes
• The Credit Mobilier scandal (1872) involved a construction company that used its connections to Congress to secure lucrative contracts and overcharge the government for work on the transcontinental railroad
• The Star Route scandal (1881) involved corruption in the awarding of postal contracts, with officials receiving bribes and kickbacks from contractors
• Reformers, such as George William Curtis and the National Civil Service Reform League, worked to expose corruption and advocate for reforms to the civil service system

The Rise of Populism

• The Populist movement emerged in the late 19th century as a response to the economic and political challenges faced by farmers and working-class Americans
• The Grange movement, founded in 1867, was an early agricultural organization that sought to promote the interests of farmers through cooperative buying and selling, as well as political advocacy
• The Farmers' Alliance, formed in the 1870s and 1880s, was a larger and more politically active organization that pushed for reforms such as the subtreasury plan and the free coinage of silver
• The People's Party, also known as the Populist Party, was founded in 1892 and nominated James B. Weaver as its presidential candidate
  • The party's platform, known as the Omaha Platform, called for a variety of reforms, including the free coinage of silver, a graduated income tax, and government ownership of railroads and telegraphs
• Populist ideas and rhetoric had a significant influence on the Democratic Party, particularly in the 1896 presidential election, when William Jennings Bryan incorporated many Populist themes into his campaign
• While the Populist Party ultimately declined, many of its ideas and reforms were adopted by the progressive movement in the early 20th century

Labor Movements and Strikes

• The Knights of Labor, founded in 1869, was one of the first major labor organizations in the United States
  • The Knights advocated for an eight-hour workday, equal pay for equal work, and the abolition of child labor
• The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, was a federation of trade unions that focused on securing better wages, hours, and working conditions for skilled workers
• The Haymarket Affair (1886) began as a peaceful rally in support of an eight-hour workday but turned violent when a bomb was thrown at police, leading to a controversial trial and the execution of four labor activists
• The Homestead Strike (1892) was a violent confrontation between striking workers and private security agents at Andrew Carnegie's Homestead Steel Works in Pennsylvania
  • The strike ended in defeat for the workers and weakened the power of unions in the steel industry
• The Pullman Strike (1894) began as a protest against wage cuts and poor working conditions at the Pullman Palace Car Company and escalated into a nationwide railroad strike
  • President Grover Cleveland intervened with federal troops, and the strike was ultimately crushed
• The rise of labor movements during the Gilded Age reflected the growing discontent among workers and the challenges they faced in an increasingly industrialized economy

Civil Service Reform

• The spoils system, in which government jobs were awarded based on political loyalty rather than merit, was a major source of corruption and inefficiency in the federal government during the Gilded Age
• The assassination of President James A. Garfield in 1881 by a disappointed office-seeker brought renewed attention to the need for civil service reform
• The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883) established the United States Civil Service Commission and required that certain federal jobs be filled through competitive exams rather than political patronage
  • The act initially covered about 10% of federal jobs, but its provisions were gradually expanded over time
• Reformers, such as Dorman Eaton and the National Civil Service Reform League, worked to promote the merit system and advocate for the expansion of civil service reform at the federal, state, and local levels
• President Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, was a strong supporter of civil service reform and expanded the number of federal jobs covered by the Pendleton Act during his two terms in office
• While the spoils system was not entirely eliminated, civil service reform helped to professionalize the federal bureaucracy and reduce corruption in government hiring and promotion practices

Technological and Economic Influences

• The rapid expansion of the railroad network during the Gilded Age had significant political and economic consequences
  • Railroads facilitated the growth of national markets, encouraged westward expansion, and created new opportunities for corruption and political influence
• The rise of big business and the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few large corporations, such as Standard Oil and U.S. Steel, led to concerns about monopolies and the need for government regulation
  • The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) was an early attempt to address these concerns, though its effectiveness was initially limited
• The invention of the telephone (1876) and the growth of the telegraph industry improved communication and helped to create a more interconnected national economy
• Innovations in agriculture, such as the steel plow, mechanical reaper, and barbed wire, increased productivity and contributed to the growth of commercial farming
  • These changes also led to the decline of small family farms and the rise of agrarian discontent
• The discovery of new mineral resources, such as gold in California and silver in Nevada, fueled economic growth and speculation
  • The demonetization of silver in 1873 (the "Crime of '73") became a major political issue and rallying cry for Populists and free silver advocates
• The rapid industrialization and urbanization of the United States during the Gilded Age created new social and economic challenges, such as income inequality, poor working conditions, and political corruption

Legacy and Impact on Modern Politics

• The Gilded Age saw the emergence of many political issues and debates that continue to shape American politics today, such as the role of government in regulating the economy, the influence of money in politics, and the balance between federal and state power
• The rise of the Populist movement during this period foreshadowed the progressive reforms of the early 20th century, such as the direct election of senators, the graduated income tax, and the regulation of big business
• The debates over tariffs, currency, and the gold standard during the Gilded Age have parallels in modern discussions about trade policy, monetary policy, and the role of the Federal Reserve
• The corruption and influence-peddling of the Gilded Age led to a series of political reforms, such as civil service reform and the secret ballot, which helped to professionalize government and reduce the power of political machines
  • However, concerns about corruption and the influence of special interests in politics remain relevant today
• The labor struggles of the Gilded Age, including the fight for an eight-hour workday and better working conditions, laid the foundation for the modern labor movement and the development of labor laws and protections
• The economic and social inequalities of the Gilded Age, exemplified by the lavish lifestyles of the "robber barons" and the poverty of many workers and farmers, have echoes in contemporary debates about income inequality and the concentration of wealth
• The political realignments of the Gilded Age, particularly the rise of the Republican Party as the dominant force in national politics, set the stage for the partisan divisions and ideological battles of the 20th and 21st centuries