CHP: 23 - Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age VIDEO

Post-Civil War America experienced significant population growth.
- Census in 1870 reported over 39 million people, marking a gain of 26.6% over the decade.
- U.S. became the third largest nation in the western world, following Russia and France.
Despite physical growth, the civic health of the nation did not progress equally.
- Post-war era was marked by waste, extravagance, speculation, and graft.
- Disillusionment among idealistic Americans, who felt betrayed after their sacrifices during the war.

Ulysses S. Grant, a popular war hero, proved to be an inept politician.
- His selection as the Republican nominee in the 1868 election was based on his popularity during the Civil War.
- Grant’s acceptance letter emphasized peace, which became a central campaign slogan.
Democratic Party split over military reconstruction, leading to different factions on monetary policy.
- Wealthy eastern delegates demanded redemption of federal war bonds in gold.
- Poorer midwestern delegates proposed the Ohio Idea, calling for redemption in greenbacks.

Grant won the 1868 election: 214 electoral votes to 80 for Horatio Seymour (Democrat) but had a narrow popular vote margin of 100,000.
Support from 500,000 former slaves was crucial for Grant's victory.
Persistent corruption marked Grant's administration despite some honest officials.
Examples of corruption:
- Tweed Ring: Led by Boss Tweed, who employed bribery to extract $200 million from New York City.
- Credit Mobilier Scandal (1872): Union Pacific executives formed a construction company, inflated costs, and bribed congressmen to avoid scrutiny.
- Whiskey Ring (1874-75): A group that embezzled millions in excise taxes, revealing deep corruption.

Discontent with Grant’s administration led to the formation of the Liberal Republican Party in 1872 advocating for reform and an end to military reconstruction.
Nominated Horace Greeley, a controversial figure, who struggled against Grant's renomination.
Grant was re-elected with an electoral count of 286 to 66.
Liberal Republican failure led to some governmental reforms and the passing of the General Amnesty Act in 1872.

Economic Panic of 1873 triggered widespread bankruptcies and unemployment, impacting mainly poor and black Americans.
Ongoing debates over monetary policy: advocacy for more greenbacks vs. hard money policies.
Grant’s administration adopted contraction, exacerbating economic hardship while attempting to stabilize government credit.
Rise of the Greenback Labour Party, advocating for inflationary measures.

Period characterized by political stagnation and fierce competition between the Democratic and Republican parties.
Political alliances based on ethnic and cultural identities led to high voter turnout (around 80% of eligible voters).
Both parties agreed on many economic issues, yet maintained intense partisanship driven by cultural and religious affiliations:
- Republicans aligned with Puritanical moral codes and governance.
- Democrats largely represented immigrant communities with more tolerant religious values.

In 1892, the Populist (People's) Party emerged from farmers' alliances, calling for radical reforms like free coinage of silver, graduated income tax, and government ownership of utilities.
Faced immense challenges including backlash from racial divisions, leading to reduced black political power in southern states through disenfranchising laws and Jim Crow laws.

Cleveland elected in 1892 faced immediate economic crisis upon taking office following the 1893 depression.
Governance characterized by conflicts over tariffs, civil service reform, and treasury gold reserve depletion issues.
Cleveland’s insistence on fiscal conservatism contrasted sharply with widespread public demand for relief from economic distress.
His response included a controversial bond deal with J.P. Morgan to shore up the gold reserve, which drew criticism from those advocating for silver coinage.

The Gilded Age witnessed a political paralysis among what are often referred to as the "forgettable presidents" (Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, Cleveland).
The dissatisfaction of debtors and workers foreshadowed calls for reform leading into the election of 1896 and beyond, setting the stage for future political dynamism.