history unit 2

themes present in this unit

• Political activity existed on two front s

  • Nationally: served needs of wealthy people at expense of average person 

  • Locally: it served the need fo the local political boss who cared for specific group of people

    • political boss would almost blackmail you into voting for their way by dangling your job, home, family, etc in front of you 

  • A growing sense of a need for political reform on national level began to emerge

  • Form a modern perspective this reform might appear to be more akin to a retreat from reform 

    • voting is public so “ensured” vote for what the community wanted 

• Agriculture, which has been the backbone of America's economic and social existence, would end. This would result in a political revolt from american farmers

  • A progressive movement would emerge at a local level and eventually take hold of national politics 

• Threat to the american dream- that vision of an american dream was fundamentally wrapped up in the ability of the average white man to determine their own destiny 

  • Self determination or individual sovereignty was the key, therefore to the existence of the American dream

  • By the year 1880s it became apparent to many americans that the ability for the average white american man to practice self determination was increasingly under threat 

The northeast/midwest would dominate the nations politics (gilded age politics)

• Was dominated by the republican party->was split 

  • the radical republicans-those who wished to advance the equality of american specifically african americans- they did possess a strong element of nativism and anti-catholicism 

  • the liberal republicans- promoted the idea of individual freedom and an acceptance that status in society was going to be inherently unequal 

  • beginning after 1877 the liberal republicans would dominate the republican party

•  Democratic party- largely confined to winning local races in urban areas (their supporters were ethnic minorities-catholics) and southern states after reconstruction ended 

  • generally favored by some form of control over the economy- much of their support came from farmers 

  • also largely committed to white supremacy 

• Divided government- democrats could count on votes in major urban areas- providing them an advantage in the HOR

  • Republicans could dominate northern states- and could maintain support in the senate and presidency 

  • Between 1865 and 1900 there were only 10 years total in which one party held both the presidency and the congress

  • Government at the national level did little but serve the needs of the wealthy, this was the perception- but also the reality 

perceived feeling and objectives (gilded age politic)

• The perceived objectives (and maybe the actual objectives) 

  • Accomplish nothing, there is no agenda for the future of the nation 

  • Win elections (by whatever means necessary) hold office and provide government jobs to party faithful 

    • being a postmaster general for a community was a great way to make money (since working on government salary always will be payed) 

• The general feeling about politics- very little got done

  • Government served the needs of the rich and powerful business leaders and classes rather than the average person 

  • Beginning of open rebellion against h political status quo- populist movements 

• The one ironic elements- despite the nature of politics at this time (or maybe because of it0), elections at this time resulted in rather high voter turnout

  • Estimate indicate that in the presidential elections between 1880 and 1900 almost 80% of the eligible voters cast ballots

    • despite this exercise in democracy, very little changes 

the age of forgettable presidents (gilded age)

• New York and Ohio dominance: at least one president or VP from 1877-1925 is from either NY or Ohio

• Rutherdd B Hayees (1877-1881): supported liberal republicans- allowed federal troops to suppress the great railroad strike of 1877

• James Garfiedl (1881): assassinated 

• Chester A Arthur (1881-1885): better president than people expected but no one remembers him- pendleton act

• Grover Cleveland (1885-1889): interstate commerce act of 1887- dawes act 

• Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): mckinley tariff of 1890. Sherman antitrust act, sherman silver purchase act

• Grover cleveland (1893-1897): romance of the populist political party and james weaves or iowa- panic of 1893, coxey's army (1894) 

political machines (gilded age politics)

• tightly organized political parties that operate to run local affairs

  • These organization are dominated by party bosses

  • The machines provide some measure of care for the urban working classes 

  • Most infamous: Boss tweed ring out of NYC

    • but bear in mind, he's dead by 1878. So the machine system outlasts him 

big political issues that divided the republicans and democrats (gilded age politics)

• Civil service reform (or non–reform) 

  • why would you want a government job: 

  • salary- as long as you stayed employed and the guy who gave u the job stayed in power 

  • pension- this allowed you to retire with some degree of security 

  • fees- fee based gov service meant you would make additional money ON TOP of your salary and pension 

    • garfield's death by a deranged federal office seeker supported some degree of support for the reform of civil service professions (pendleton Act of 1883)- you have to take tests in order to get the jobs you want 

• The tariff: the primary way (more than ½) the federal government received its money was through tariffs (there is no income tax) 

  • high tariffs were important to the republican party:

    • they protected american businesses from foreign competition 

    • they also provided revenue to fund civil war pensions to (union) veterans (those veterans, in turn, voted heavily in favor for republicans) 

    • they also hurt the southern and western farmers (foreigners did not buy) , who intended to vote democratic 

    • high tariffs were also in demand  industrial workers (made their prices higher but with no tariff) 

• The coinage of money in either gold or silver 

  • pro-business, largely northern republican favored “hard” money stance- a greater degree of gold backing the dollar- low inflation

  • pro-agriculture, largely southern and western farmers favored an increase in silver in the coinage of money- inflating the money supply

  • if you loaned money out- then hard money supply (more gold than silver) was good- it meant that tour money was worth more

  • if you borrowed money- then a sot money supply (increase in silver in a dollar) mean there was more money and easier to pay off debts (so farmers of the south and west waned inflation) 

emergence of new political parties

• The rise of populists: the stresses of southern and western farmers and the failure of either northern republican or southern bourbon democrats to address those issues gave rise to a variety of political responses 

  • By the year 1889 they had emerged as a populist party 

    • at first they were largely dedicated to the farming class

    • as time went on they tried to appeal to working classes 

populist influence (emergence of political parties)

• Grangers: oliver kelly in 1868

  • Successes: 

    • Munn V illinois (1877)- made price fixing and rebates illegal 

    • Interstate commerce Act fo (1886)- weakened with Wabash V Illinois (1886) 

• Ocala platform (1890)- proposed by Farmers Alliance (they had 1 million members by 1890)

  • direct election of US senators

  • lower tariff rates

  • graduated income tax

  • new banking system regulated by the federal government 

• Omaha platform (1892) 

  • Direct election of US senators

  • Use of initiative referendum 

  • Unlimited coinage of silver to increase monetary supply (inflation) 

  • Graduated income tax

  • Public ownership of railroads  (gov control) 

  • Gov control of telephone and telegraph

  • Federal loans for farmers

  • An 8 hour  day for industrial workers 

• Populist on the national stage 

  • Major figure: James weaver, tom watson 

  • Darker forces: anti-semitism, racism- particularly after electoral defeats in the early 1890s 

a decade of crisis

• 1890: by the beginning of the 1890s, american society began to experience fissures from the forces that had stressed american society since the end of the civil war

  • Farmers would begin a nation–wide protest against their changing economic conditions

  • There was wide-spread labor violence

  • A devastating depression in 1893 that would be regarded as “the great depression” until the 1930s 

the panic of 1893 ( a decade of crisis)

• Causes: 

  • Almost all panics in American history are rooted in over-speculation.  In this case, two major corporations went bankrupt in a matter of weeks

  • This was followed by a number of major bank failures- as they had invested heavily in the railroad and wire companies that initially went bankrupt 

  • Additionally, low prices in agriculture resulted in less purchasing power for the largest group of consumers : the farmers

  • The depression was a reflection of the interconnectedness of the american economy; a failure in one area would result in a failure in others 

• The results: 

  • It would last for seven years

  • Twenty percent of the nations workforce was unemployed within 6 months

  • 1894: coxey's army- first march on washington

  • The coinage of silver became a national issue 

  • The emergence of William Jennings Bryan in 1896 election and the “cross of gold” speech 

• Longer results:

  • The election of 1896 became the first modern campaign- which involved both big money and nation wide campaigning 

  • The populist party failed with democratic party and as a result, died out when the republicans won the presidential election of 1896. With that death came the last real political force for thee farmers in the united states

election of 1896 (a decade of crisis)

• the election is won by republican McKinley 

  • Businesses supported the republican party 

  • Bryans “radicalism” caused factory owners to tell their workers to vote for Mckinlyyey or they would close the factory 

  • Mckinley's presidency is noted for two elements: 

    • the spanish american war(1898) 

    • which leads to the rise of theodore roosevelt bc he dies 

    • a commitment to high tariffs 

• The big deal of the election: ended of stalemate and stagnation of the gilded age

  • Republicans would dominate congress for the next 12 years, would win 6 of the 8 next presidential elections

  • The party of free soil and free men was now the party fo business and industry and a strong nation government

  • But…there would be a strong progressive element in the party

  • Populist demise: racism was stronger than economic common interests 

  • Urban dominance (no more farmers) 

• The progressives: into this void would step a group of people collectively known as “the progressives

  • One could interpret their existence as a reaction to a threatened 19th century concept of what america offered its people and an attempt to preserve that 19th century for the next-generation fo white, middle class, urban americans

the progressive movement

• Defying definition: it is impossible to claim a single definition of “progressives”

  • Theodore roosevelt and woodrow wilson were political rivals boarding on real spit for one another, and both claimed to be progressives 

  • It was a widely diverse movement made up of a whole range mh group of people with goals that weren't always complementary 

    • their primary objective was to reform american society rough increased democracy and democratic government action 

• Two different views on progressives 

  • On one hand they were  reformers  who wanted to preserve the promise of american democracy and republicanism, reformers who wanted to increase access to gov

  • On the other hand they were middle class wasps who were being shut out of great promise of american democracy due to corrupt political bosses and business leaders, promoted practices and legislation that limited access to american government for people unlike them 

• Defying a definition: progressivism, is best defined as an attempt by white, middle class, urban professionals to address the problems facing a rapidly changing america since the end of the civil war 

  • American society, politics and economic had changed too much too soon 

  • Endanger of republicans slipping away 

  • They ,ay have seen their struggle as an attempt to save american republic from:

    • big businesses

    • corrupt political boss who used uneducated immigrant and ethnic voters to line their own pockets 

    • they may have posed a great fear of too much democracy in the wrong hands for their future generations 

• What had changed: America had been shifting from an agricultural nation to an industrial nation 

  • By the year 1900 at least 405 and perhaps as much as 50% of the american population was living in urban areas

  • There was a general feeling at the end of the 19th century that major changes were needed in order to prevent a general collapse of American society (old rules just could not apply anymore) 

• Their philosophy: preserve democratic ideal and republican practices (right to vote is preserves for example) 

  • Promote a largely white, anglo saxon, protestant viewpoint of america and americas role in the world 

  • The dominant idea of “social gospel” comes from this protestant missionary view. This is not necessarily  a racist iea, nut it is certainly could bleed into racist behavior 

  • Control the nature of the forces that were threatening democratic ideals and republican practices and values 

  
  

Four key elements progressive share (progressive movement)

• Increase democracy or at least democracy participation: implied increased education of the populace 

• Promoter democratic or american values: this too implied increased education to provide assimilation into american society 

• Pass legislation designed to improve human condition 

• Utilize pragmatism and scientific management to maximize efficiency in government, Business and society 

people in the progressive movement

• Thinkers, writers, muckrakers: people who spend their time and energy investigating the problems and how they can be addressed

  • Henry Demaret lloyd: wrote about standard oil and the railroads. In 1894, wealth against commonwealth 

  • MCclure's magazine: lincoln steffens and ida tarbell

  • Jacob Rils: how the other half lives 1890 

  • Theodro dreiser the titan 

  • Frank norris wrote the octopus 

  • Upton sinclair wrote the jungle 

accomplishments of the progressive movement

• Australian ballots (private ballot): limiting political bosses

• Direct primary (gain signatures to get elected to run) :limiting political bosses 

• Direct election of US senators (17th amendment 1913): limiting political bosses 

• Initiative (promoter or propose a piece of legislation and force states to vote on them ) , referendum (local and states vote together on issues: wat the people want), and recall (idea that if you elect a politician to office and you don't like them you can un elect them if you get enough signatures) 

• Public control of utilities (water, gas, electric) 

• City managerial system ( ex. A mayo got indicted and people then have the power to remove them from office and put in managers to help) 

• Income tax and regulation (16th amendment 1913) 

• Temperance and prohibition: as much anti-immigrant movement as it is a pro- family: it was strongly linked to women suffrage 

• Increased funding and mandard attendance for public education (also provided for child protective services) 

• Child labor laws( can't work): later declared unconstitutional 

• Liberalization of the criminal justice system

• Increased role for women in public sphere: settlement workers such as jane addams, frances kelly, lilian wad, lobbied for better school, liberalized divorce laws, safety regulations, system of parole, reformatories, limits on death penalty

• Cheap public transportation

the progressive presidents (1901-1921)

• Theodore Roosevelt, William H Taft, Woodrow Wilson 

theodore Roosevelt (the progressive presidents)

• His influence cannot be denied in American History 

• TR was most important male leader and role model for the entire generation of boys becoming men (1891-1913) 

• If not the roosevelt administration- how much of the progressive agenda would have been enacted and how much would have died out is uncertain 

• TR had PLENTY of problems from a modern perspective, but to deny his influence is dangerous

TR personal and political beliefs (the progressive presidents)

• his personal beliefs shaped his politics

  • His experiences as a youth and young man influences what his vision of progressivism should be 

  • his own illness, his relationship with his father, his experience in the Spanish-American war 

  • he concept of “square deal”- that everyone should have an opportunity for economic, political, and social success (the idea that the deck of cards should not be stacked against someone) 

  *he was born with asthma so that shaped him (his body was bad but his mind was good) 

TR administration (the progressive presidents)

*The square deal and the 3C’s (conservation, control corporations, consumer protection) 

• Labor recognition

• Trust-busting 

• Railroad regulation 

• Pure food and drug act

• Meat inspection act

• Conservation (land preservation) 

• Some level of recognition for african americans

William Howard Taft (1909-1913) - he was a reluctant president in many ways 

• His career in politics had been based on appointments- not elections (he really didn't care for the nature of politics) 

• TR tapped him as his replacement- and taft chose o g along with TR rather than oppose is own nomination 

Taft's accomplishments and failures

• Accomplishments 

  • major trust buster

  • increased protected land

  • 16th amendment (income tax) 

• failures

  • payne-aldrich tariff, pinchot controversy, joe cannon and the house, progressive republicans and democrats sought to limit his power…end result was taft was cast as conservative as progressives were rising in power, midterm elections of 1910 

  • Biggest burden of being taft: taft's biggest problems was that he wasn't TR. he was a progressive, but a mild one compared to roosevelt 

  • When it appeared that he was not as progressive as roosevelt, TR openly lobbied to be asked to be the republican nominee

  • The rift with taft destroyed their friendship and the progressive party as well 

Election of 1912:

• there was 3 major candidates, roosevelt (bull-moose party/progressive party), Taft (progressive) and woodrow wilson (democrat) 

• All of them claimed to be “progressive”

• Fourth candidate: eugene victor debs as socialist candidate

• Very quickly the race fell  between TR and wilson 

  • the debate between “new nationalism” and “new freedom”

Woodrow wilson

• there was an element of wilson that was moralizing, sermonizing, presbyterian preacher and teacher

  • For wilson, democracy was a great ideal (much like salvation), but only when “the people” preacher and teacher

  • Wilson was certainly a smart man,  t he had a difficult time relating to an average person

    • he had a very hard time relating to ethnic, racial minorities, which could be a problem in urban democratic strongholds

    • Wilson was governor of NJ, but grew up in civil war virginia. His views of non-wasp americans are formed in that time and place 

    • He was also a regarded a being a very smart man- and an excellent teacher at Princeton- so he was quite used to lecturing to a captive audience and promoting his vision of the world to rapt audiences

Woodrow wilson's administration:

• he tripled the wall of privilege (banks, high tariffs and trusts) 

• Second democratic president since 1861

• Reduces tariff 

• Banking reform 

• Federal trade commission

• clayton -anti trust act

• Child labor law ( later ruled unconstitutional) 

• 17 (direct election of senators),18 (alcohol prohibition), and 19th amendment (voting for women) 

• World war 1 “reaction”

the muckraker, political progressivism, women battle (textbook)

• muckrakers were Reform mined journalists who wrote articles in magazines that exposed corruption and scandal

• progressive reformers were mainly middle class men and women. 2 goals: to state power to control trust and to improve common persons conditions

• women formed clubs and unions for progressivism

TR’S square deal, caring for consumer, the Roosevelt panic of 1907, Taft the trust buster, Taft splits republican party, Taft Roosevelt rupture (textbook)

• The square deal consisted of 3 parts: control corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources

• roosevelt passed many laws about consumers being protected (meat inspection act and pure food and drug act)

• when he was re elected he said he would not run a 3rd term Which caused a short economic panic

• Taft caused many lawsuits against traits as opposed to Roosevelt (Sherman anti-trust act) went after standard oil company and more

• Taft said he would lower the tariff and fired a high cabinet member which caused republican to split up

• when Roosevelt decided to run again it caused Taft harm fro his second term

election of 1912: wilson , Woodrow Wilson minority pres, wilson’s politics, Wilson tackles tariff, , presidents tames the trust

• democrat, he had a progressive platform and people liked him

• Taft and Roosevelt split the Republican part votes so he won

• Wilson tacked the tariff, the banks and the trusts, convinced Congress to reduce tariff and 16 amendment was passed (income tax)

• federal Trade commission Act which oversaw industries engaged interstate commerce , Clayton antitrust act which helped Sherman anti trust act