““THE GILDED AGE”THE GILDED AGE”
United States History and LiteratureUnited States History and LiteratureThe American Experience
UNIT OVERVIEWUNIT OVERVIEW(1865-1900)(1865-1900)
"What is the chief end of man?--to get rich. In what way? --dishonestly if we can; honestly if
we must.“--Mark Twain in 1871
DISRUPTION OF POLITICSDISRUPTION OF POLITICS• Compromise and
failure of compromise
• Importance of rival parties
• Re-emergence of political parties in new America
REPUBLICAN AGENDAREPUBLICAN AGENDA
Post-War Republican
Preoccupations
New tariff walls
National banking system
Program of railroad
subsidies
Policy of currency
stabilization and of gold payment on
governmental obligations
Position of African-
Americans in society
Republicans DividedRepublicans Divided
• Divisions muted during Civil War
• Lincoln then Johnson• “waving the bloody shirt”• Radical Republicans
(“stalwarts”) vs. Moderate Republicans (“half-breeds”)
• Divisions open door to Democratic resurgence President Grant
(1868-1876)
DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Democrats, also known as
"Copperheads," were identified with those who
had left the Union or collaborated with the South. They wanted to
distance themselves from
the war issue and found a new
agenda in the corruption of the
Grant administration.
Henry Adams wrote that
the succession
of presidents from
Washington to Grant was
enough to disprove Darwin.
“That, two thousand years after Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, a man like Grant should be called -- and should actually and truly be -- the highest product of the most
advanced evolution, made evolution ludicrous. One must be as commonplace as Grant's own commonplaces to maintain such an absurdity. The progress of evolution from
President Washington to President Grant, was alone evidence enough to upset Darwin.”
DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Newspapers ran stories
about corruption.
One of the most egregious examples
concerned cots overruns on Boss
Tweed's Courthouse in
New York City, where the exterior
painting alone cost a million
dollars.
In the absence of welfare, corruption was accepted as
one means of meeting the needs
of the poor, but the scale of this corruption was unprecedented.
People became concerned about
honor and responsibility, character traits that had been demonstrated
abundantly during the civil war.
Other corruption, such as selling of railroad contracts, Indian agencies,
and postal routes, was exposed.
“It’s not my enemies but my friends that will do me in!”
DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Samuel Tilden, HeroRich and incorruptible
The Democrats turned to Samuel Tilden, a wealthy railroad
lawyer, to fight the
corruption. He sent Boss
Tweed to prison and gained a national
reputation.
The dual issues of a victimized South and Republican corruption
united northern
Democrats and
impoverished southern.
Democrats back in business!
DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION OF
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATIONS A
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Newspapers ran stories
about corruption.
One of the most egregious examples
concerned cots overruns on Boss
Tweed's Courthouse in
New York City, where the exterior
painting alone cost a million
dollars.
In the absence of welfare, corruption was accepted as
one means of meeting the needs
of the poor, but the scale of this corruption was unprecedented.
People became concerned about
honor and responsibility, character traits that had been demonstrated
abundantly during the civil war.
NY Tammany Hall Political Machine
Civil service reform!
Democrat Samuel Tilden
ELECTION OF 1876ELECTION OF 1876
Republican Rutherford Hayes
• Scandal and more scandal
• Economic depression and liberal Republican revolt
Compromise of 1877 – End of military occupation in south, Jim Crow and Plessey v. Ferguson
ELECTION OF 1880ELECTION OF 1880
• “Rutherfraud”
• Garfield vs. Winfield Scott Hancock
• Assassination in September 1881
• 1884 election
• Democrat Cleveland vs. Republican Blaine
• Mudslinging
• “mugwumps”
• Outcome
Cleveland AdministrationCleveland Administration(1884-1888)(1884-1888)
• Civil service reform
• Tariff reduction
•
President Grover Cleveland
Harrison AdministrationHarrison Administration(1888-1892)(1888-1892)
• Republicans back in White House: ”Billion dollar Congress” and Congressional pork
• Thomas “Czar” Reed
• Rising disgust and populist outbreak in Midwest
• Loses re-election to Democrat Cleveland
President Benjamin Harrison
Cleveland Admin, Part IICleveland Admin, Part II(1892-1896)(1892-1896)
• Depression of 1893
• Even more corruption
• Backlash
President Benjamin Harrison,Part II
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