Gilded Age Politics, Corruption, and Reform Study Guide
Urban Life and the Emergence of Political Machines
Living Conditions of the Urban Poor:
During the Gilded Age, the urban poor in major American cities were forced into tenements.
Tenements: These were cramped apartment buildings characterized by significant lack of light and fresh air.
Public Health: Such environments were breeding grounds for disease and resulted in extremely high rates of child mortality.
Limitations of Federal Support:
While national political parties held significant importance, the federal government provided very little direct assistance or relief to individual citizens.
Consequently, people turned toward local political officials to address their immediate needs.
The Political Machine and Boss System:
Party Boss: A local political leader who exerts control over the neighborhood or city politics.
Political Machine: The neighborhood network of political supporters and operatives used by the Boss to maintain power.
Distribution of Resources: Bosses maintained loyalty by distributing jobs, awarding government contracts, and providing charity to constituents.
Patronage and the Spoils System: The practice of awarding government positions to political supporters rather than based on merit is known as the patronage or spoils system.
Special Interests:
Captains of Industry: Powerful business leaders frequently influenced political outcomes by "buying" elections and purchasing favors from both Democratic and Republican parties across all levels of government.
Characteristics of Gilded Age National Politics
National Party Power: National political parties were exceptionally powerful during this era.
Congressional Gridlock:
Power within Congress was very closely divided between the Democratic and Republican parties.
Because neither party held a clear dominant majority, politicians tended to avoid controversial issues to keep their narrow margins intact.
Voter Participation:
Voter involvement was remarkably high compared to modern standards.
National, state, and local elections frequently saw a voter turnout of to .
Historical Context: In contrast, the presidential election saw a turnout, and the presidential election saw a turnout.
The Executive Branch:
Between the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln ( president) and Theodore Roosevelt ( president), the presidency was considered a weak office.
Presidents of this era generally viewed their role as simply obeying and enforcing existing laws without initiating major policy shifts or "big moves."
Party Platforms and Coalitions
The Democratic Party:
Core Principles: Advocated for limited government, state’s rights, and white supremacy.
Coalition Membership: Comprised of Southern whites, Northern immigrants, Roman Catholics, Jews, and freethinkers.
Opposition: They stood against what they viewed as "Protestant Republican moralizing."
The Republican Party:
Geographic Strength: Remained strong in the North and West but suffered from significant weakness in the South.
Coalition Membership: Comprised of Northern whites, Union veterans, and Southern African Americans.
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR): A powerful fraternity of Union veterans that supported the Republican cause.
Third Parties:
Greenbackers: Focused on the "money question" and advocated for inflation to help debtors.
Populists: A farmer-friendly party that advocated for more direct democracy and monetary reform.
Prohibitionists: Dedicated to the restriction or total ban of alcohol consumption.
Major National Issues and Republican Factionalism
National Political Priorities:
The Money Question: Debates over how to control inflation versus deflation (e.g., gold vs. silver standards).
Tariff Reform: Legal battles over the level of taxes placed on imported goods.
Corporate Regulation Reform: Efforts to regulate the power of monopolies and large corporations.
Civil Service Reform: The fight to end the corruption inherent in the spoils system.
The Internal Republican Split (Late 1870s):
Stalwarts: Loyal supporters of President Ulysses S. Grant. They were committed to maintaining the traditional spoils system.
Half-Breeds: Termed "half-breeds" because they were only partially loyal to Grant. They were disloyal primarily because they sought to reform the civil service and end the spoils system.
The Compromise of Rutherford B. Hayes:
The Stalwarts and Half-Breeds agreed on Hayes as a compromise candidate.
Once in office, Hayes enraged his fellow Republicans by endorsing civil service reform.
The Fight for Civil Service Reform
The Election of 1880:
With Hayes not seeking reelection, Republicans nominated another compromise candidate, James A. Garfield.
Garfield's Profile: An early opponent of slavery and a strong advocate for the rights of Black Americans.
Assassination of James A. Garfield:
The Assassin: Charles Guiteau, a mentally unwell man who was angry after being denied a federal job he felt he deserved.
Timeline: Guiteau shot Garfield; the president died seventy-nine days later from his wounds and subsequent medical infections.
Public Outcry: Reformers claimed Garfield was "Murdered by the Spoils System!"
Legislative Outcome:
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act: Passed in the wake of the assassination, this law replaced the spoils system with a merit system.
It mandated that government jobs be awarded based on competitive tests, effectively professionalizing government positions.
Economic Policy and the Regulatory State
The Election of 1884:
Republican Candidate: James Gillespie Blaine, the leader of the Half-Breed faction. His campaign was derailed by reports of taking bribes.
The Mugwumps: A group of reform-minded Republicans who refused to support Blaine due to his corruption. They switched their support to the Democratic candidate.
Democratic Candidate: Grover Cleveland won the presidency with the help of the Mugwumps.
The Presidency of Grover Cleveland:
Philosophy: Believed that "A public office is a public trust."
Patronage Conflict: While Cleveland supported reform, he struggled because the general public and party officials still desired the spoils of patronage.
Interstate Commerce Commission (1887): Cleveland signed the act creating the ICC, which was the first federal agency designed to regulate American business activities.
The Tariff Conflict and 1888 Election:
Cleveland argued that high tariffs benefited big business at the expense of competition. He advocated for slashing tariffs.
Outcome: Cleveland lost the Election of to Benjamin Harrison, with the tariff being the central issue.
McKinley Tariff Act of 1890: Under President Harrison, the government raised tariffs to their highest levels in history.