Period 6: 1865 - 1898 | Part IV

Glided Age Politics

due to the alliance between government and big businesses, businesses were able to do what two things?

• influence legislation

• maintain laissez-faire policies

what is gilded?

era of personal greed and corruption

why was there little distinction between Democrats and Republicans at a national level?

• consistent stalemate because nothing gets done

• Congress did everything because of a period of weak presidents

• parties for patronage

what do parties for patronage do?

• patronage: power to control appointments to office and ring to privilege

• favorism basically

• spoils system

who dominated the White House and Congress? why?

Republicans because after the Civil War, Democrats were still being blamed

Gilded Age presidents lacked in ___ and ___ ___.

initiative; dynamic leadership

the Republican Party was mainly?

Union veterans, African-Americans, moralists, protestants, and industrialists

the Democratic Party was mainly? what were they accused of?

• southern whites, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, some northern businessmen, and skeptics

• accused of being the part of rums, Romanisms and rebellion

the Republican Party was split into two factions. explain.

1. half-breeds: general support of reform

2. stalwarts: general support of spoils system (patronage)

there was a major issue in the regulation of what?

• bigotry

• immigrants

• civil service because of patronage

• currency

• farm problems

• tariffs

what was the currency? what changes was wanted?

• gold standard

• wanted bimetallic with silver and gold

what will bring change?

public demand and efficacy of change

which president got assassinated because of the patronage issue?

President James Garfield (half-breed Republican) because Charles Guiteau did not get a job

what was Stalwart Republican President Chester Arthur responsible for?

• Chinese Exclusion Act

• Pendleton Act that established Civil Service Commission that designated jobs awarded based on merit

what was the main issue in the election of 1884? who was elected?

• tariff

• Grover Cleveland who was a Democrat

what did Cleveland promise?

tariff reform, but did not deliver

what did Cleveland do more than his predecessors?

sign and veto

what commission did Cleveland make? what did it do?

• Interstate Commerce Commission which was the 1st attempt to regulate big businesses (railroads) by allowing to set railroad rates to reasonable and just

• weak enforcement

• created due to public demand

the president after Cleveland was Republican Benjamin Harrison. what did he do?

Sherman Antitrust Act

• forbade contracts and combinations that constrained competition

• if this was broken, government can file a antitrust lawsuit against the monopolistic business

what is the US vs. E.C. Knight Company?

• declared manufacturing strictly intrastate, so government regulation was minimized

• overturned the Sherman Antitrust Act

what happened due to the McKinley Tariff that raised rates to an all time high?

political fallout, making Democrats take the house majority in the midterm election and reducing Republican Senate majority

public demand led to reform. was it effective?

no

what did agricultural suffering contrast with? what did this lead to?

• industrialization and business-friendly government

• farmers felt exploited and isolated

farmers suffered from the tariffs. why?

problems with debt and currency

what change did farmers want in the currency?

free coinage of silver and more paper currency

explain the first stage of discontent.

The Granger Movement —> Patrons of Husbandry

• social and education response to isolation was promoting economic needs

• popular in Midwest and South

• “Granger Laws” targeted regulation of big businesses (railroads)

• Munn vs. Illinois — state had right to regulate railroad rates

• court overturned this in Wabash vs. Illinois case saying they cannot regulate interstate commerce

explain the second stage of discontent.

Farmer’s Alliance

• promotion of farmer’s cooperation

• stores owned by farmers for farmers

• education on farm techniques and politics

• mass democratic movement

• no response from government or business

explain the final stage of discontent.

Populist Party — Populism or the People’s Party

• response to uncontrolled progress of economy and no recognition to address the needs of the people

• fight against the money trust, monopolies, and entrenched party system

• centered around issue of currency and the silver question

why did farmers want free coinage of silver?

increase money supply

what was the Sherman Silver Purchase Act?

• required government to get large amounts silver

• increase amount of paper money backed by silver

• failed to solve economic problems, so repealed after a panic

populists used ___ ___ to gain support and power from the farmers.

silver question

what was the Omaha Platform?

• manifesto of Populist Party which states reforms to help farmers and workers

reforms:

• free and unlimited coinage of silver

• bimetallic currency

• graduated income tax that is based on income and meant to replace tariffs

• government ownership railroads, telegraphs, and telephones

• people can propose laws and vote on them directly

• immigration restrictions to protect wages and jobs

what was the Panic of 1893?

• increased populist membership

• issue with currency and gold standard

• Jacob S. Coxey: demanded high employment relief from federal government

• many populists elected to Congress

explain the 1896 election.

• election was the apex of the populist movement

• Republicans: William McKinley (gold standard, protective tariffs, big business)

• Democrats: Willing Jennings Bryan (bimetallic system, free coinage system)

• rural America vs. urban America

• Bryan did not get the support he need, so McKinley won