6.13 - politics in the gilded age

what contributed to the political stalemate after the compromise of 1877

the way parties conducted campaigns, the importance of party patronage, beliefs about political strategy

mugwumps

for sitting on the fence (who didn't pay the patronage game) mugs: sitting on one side of the fence, wumps: sitting on the other

bloody shirt politics

reminding the millions of veterans of the union army that their wounds had been caused by southern democrats + lincoln being killed by a democrat. kept the votes of reformers + african americans, strength came from anglo-saxon protestants, supported pro-business economic program of high tariffs

three similarities between antebellum era republicans/whigs and gilded age republicans

kept votes from reformers + african americans, supported high protective tariffs, supported strong government

three similarities between antebellum era democrats and gilded age democrats

counted upon winning every election, argued for states rights, limited federal power

people's or populist party

delegates from different states met in omaha, nebraska in 1892 to draft a political platform + nominate candidates. they were determined to do something about the concentration of economic power held by trusts + bankers

omaha platform (politically)

demanded an increase in the power of voters through direct popular election, use of initiatives + referendums procedures that allowed citizens to vote directly on proposed laws

omaha platform (economically)

advocated for unlimited coinage of silver to increase money supply, graduated income tax (higher income=higher tax), government ownership of railroads, telegraph lines, telephone systems, loans + federal warehouses for farmers to enable them to stabilize prices for their crops, 8 hour work day for industrial workers

election of 1892 results

grover clevland won, becoming first president to return to the white house

panic of 1893 causes

overspeculation and overbuilding

which groups supported populist party + why was it revolutionary

appealed to poor farmers, attacked laissez-faire capitalism and united white + black people politically

how was populist party successful in the election of 1892 and how were they not

populist candidate james weaver won more than 1 million votes. also failed to attract urban workers in the north + southerners feared that populists would unite poor people

wilson-gorman tariff

provided a moderate reduction in tariff rates + included a 2 percent income tax on incomes of more than $2,000

coxey's army

demanded that the federal government spend 500 million on public works programs to create jobs

how does coxey's army and the march to washington represent a turning point in how the people viewed the role of government in the economy

it showed how people were fed up with how the government was handling the depression, believing that they weren't doing enough to get people jobs

coin's financial school

taught millions of discontented americans that their troubles were caused by a conspiracy of rich bankers + that prosperity would return f the government coined silver in unlimited quantities

william jennings bryan/ cross of gold speech

(supported by populists + democratics) captured the hearts of delegates... "we will answer their demands for a gold standard by.. "you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify. mankind upon a cross of gold"

william mckinley

(republican) best known for support of a high protective tariff

alaska

gold discoveries in 1897 increased money supply under the gold standard, resulted in the inflation that the silverites wanted

dingley tariff of 1897

republican, increased the tariff to more than 46 percent and made gold the official standard of u.s. currency