Politics in the Gilded Age, 1870-1900 – Study Guide Flashcards

21 question-and-answer flashcards covering political corruption, the spoils system, civil-service reform, farmer and Populist activism, and the pivotal 1896 election.

Who coined the phrase “Gilded Age,” and in what 1873 book did it first appear?

Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873).

What post-Reconstruction political agreement awarded the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes and removed federal troops from the South?

The Compromise of 1877.

Which New York City political machine epitomized the era’s corrupt but effective machine politics?

Tammany Hall.

What three issues dominated national politics between 1872 and 1892?

Patronage (spoils system) vs. civil service, high vs. low tariffs, and gold vs. silver monetary standards.

What name is given to the practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs?

Patronage, also called the spoils system.

Which president, upon taking office in 1829, replaced roughly 900 federal officeholders—about 10 percent of all appointments—to reward supporters?

Andrew Jackson.

What 1883 law created the Civil Service Commission and required competitive exams for about 10 percent of federal jobs?

The Pendleton Civil Service Act.

Under the Pendleton Act, could future presidents reduce the number of exam-based civil-service jobs?

No; they could enlarge the list but never shrink it.

Name the two 1890 laws passed under President Benjamin Harrison that aimed to curb corporate power and expand silver coinage but proved largely ineffective.

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

Which economic problems drove farmers to organize in the late 1800s?

Overproduction, high tariffs, and railroad freight rates that reduced farm income.

What coalition of regional groups brought 2.5 million members together to fight for farm reforms in the mid-1880s?

The Farmers’ Alliance.

Who led the Southern Alliance and pushed for a national Farmers’ Alliance?

Dr. Charles Macune.

Which Georgian politician helped organize the Colored Farmers’ Alliance, giving southern Black farmers a political voice?

Tom Watson.

In what year did members of the Farmers’ Alliance found the Populist (People’s) Party?

1891.

Where did the Populists adopt the Omaha Platform and nominate James B. Weaver for president?

At their 1892 national convention in Omaha, Nebraska.

Give two major reforms demanded in the Omaha Platform.

Any two of: subtreasury plan, government ownership of railroads, abolition of national banks, graduated federal income tax, direct election of U.S. senators.

Which 1896 Democratic presidential nominee supported free silver and many Populist ideas?

William Jennings Bryan.

Complete Bryan’s famous warning: Republicans “shall not _ on a cross of gold.”

“crucify mankind”

What campaign style did Republican William McKinley use in 1896, contrasting with Bryan’s whistle-stop tour?

A “front-porch” campaign from his home in Ohio.

Who won the 1896 election, securing both the presidency and continued commitment to the gold standard?

William McKinley.

Approximately how many popular votes did Bryan receive in 1896—then the highest total ever for any candidate?

About 6.5 million votes.