Gilded Age Politics and Progressive Era Politics

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Gilded Age and Progressive Era Politics lecture, including political reforms, labor movements, and Supreme Court cases.

Spoils System

A practice where presidents appoint government officials who are politically loyal, well-connected, or can pay, often resulting in corrupt and/or incompetent employees.

Assassination of James Garfield (1881)

The murder of President James Garfield by Charles Guiteau, who wanted a government job.

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883

Legislation that created a Civil Service Commission to hire workers based on merit instead of patronage, initiating a move towards a professional civil service.

Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890

An act that banned 'trusts' and 'conspiracies' that 'restrain trade or commerce,' though it was initially vaguely worded and often used against striking unions.

Interstate Commerce Commission (1887)

An early reform established to regulate railroad rates, which initially had limited effectiveness.

Knights of Labor

A labor organization open to all workers, which peaked in the 1880s with the eight-hour day as a key demand.

Haymarket Affair (1886)

An incident in Chicago involving a bomb blast and gunfire at a labor rally that led to the charging of eight anarchists and a harsh crackdown on the labor movement.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Founded in 1886, a labor organization that was less radical than the Knights of Labor, restricting membership to skilled workers and organizing into smaller unions with specific goals.

The Grange Movement

A movement representing farmers that organized co-ops and advocated for government regulation of railroads.

People’s Party (Populist Party)

A political party that emerged from the Farmers’ Alliance, prominent in the South and West, which inspired later reformers despite losing the 1892 election.

1892 Populist Platform

A political platform that advocated for farmers and labor unions, nationalizing railroads, government control of the currency, income tax, and direct election of senators.

William Jennings Bryan

The Democratic and Populist presidential candidate in 1896, known for championing 'Free Silver'.

William McKinley

The Republican presidential candidate in 1896 who served as president from 1897 to 1901.

Gilded Age Tariffs

Taxes on imports favored by the Republican Party to protect American industries from foreign competition, primarily benefiting industrial areas in the North.

Anti-Tariff Arguments (Gilded Age)

The Democratic Party's stance against tariffs, arguing that they enrich corrupt monopolies, hurt consumers with higher prices, and negatively impact rural areas in the South and West.

Civil Rights Cases (1883)

Supreme Court cases that invalidated the Civil Rights Act of 1875, impacting Southern racial segregation.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of 'separate but equal,' upholding Southern racial segregation.