Chapter+19-Samantha+Fularz

National Politics In The Guilded Age 1877-1900

1. Politics in the Guilded Age a. guilded age i. first used by Mark Twain 1873 2. Causes of Stalemate a. prevailing political ideology of the time b. campaign tactics of two parties c. party patronage 3. Belief in Limited Government a. "do-little" government i. laissez-faire economics ii. social darwinism 4. Campaign Strategy a. Democrats i. won 2 presidential elections ii. controlled House of Representatives b. Republicans i. control in presidency ii. two houses of Congress c. Democrats cont. i. figuratively waved the "bloody flag" ii. core strength 1. men in business 2. middle class iii. Whig Past d. Republicans Cont. i. South democratic ii. strength 1. big-city political machines 2. immigrants 5. Party Patronage a. Halfbreeds i. rivals of patronage b. Republicans who did not play patronage i. Mugwumps 6. Presidential politics a. political stalemate and patronage problems 7. Rutherford B. Hayes a. won election of 1876 b. temperance reformer c. cut off flow of liquor in whitehouse d. restricted chinese immigration 8. James Garfield a. Halfbreed b. chose halfbreeds for offices 9. Chester A. Arthur a. distanced from Stalwarts b. questioned the high protective tariff c. denial of renomination of republicans 1884 10. Congressional Leaders a. John Sherman i. congress from 1855-1898 ii. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 b. Thomas "Czar" Reed i. speaker of the house 1890 c. Senator James G. Blaine i. reshaped republicans 11. The Election of 1884 a. Republicans i. nominated Blaine b. Democrats i. nominated Grover Cleveland c. cleveland won 12. Cleveland's First Term a. believed in frugal and limited government b. new civil service system c. vetoed hundreds of pension bills d. signed into law i. Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 1. first effort to regulate business ii. Dawes Act 1. reformers hoped would benefit Native Americans 13. Issues:Civil Service, Currency, and Tariffs a. left states and local governments to deal with the problems 14. Civil Service Reform a. Pendleton Act of 1881 i. applied applicants with federal jobs selected on basis of their scores on conpetitive examination ii. prohibited civil servants from making political contributions 15. Money Question a. debtors, farmers, and start-up businesses wanted money i. borrow money at lower interest rates ii. pay off loans more easily 16. Greenback Party a. Paper money issued for financing the civil war b. Specie Resumption Act i. withdraw last of paperbacks 17. Demands for silver money a. silver discoveries in Navada revived need for silver money b. coinage of $2 million and $4 million each month 18. Tariff Issue a. high tariffs raised prices on consumer goods 19. The Growth of Discontent a. third party (populists) and a major depression in 1893 to shake Democrats and Republicans from lethargy 20. Harrison and the Billion-Dollar Congress a. proposed congress set lower tariffs 21. Election of 1888 a. Democrats i. Cleveland b. Republicans i. Benjamin Harrison c. Harrison Won 22. Billion-Dollar Congress a. Billion-Dollar Budget i. McKinley Tariff 1890 1. raised tax on foreign products ii. increase in monthly pensions iii. Sherman Antitrust Act 1. outlawing "combinations in restraint of trade" iv. Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 1. increased coinage of silver v. bill to protect voting rights of African Americans 23. Return of the Democrats a. midwest replaced Republicans with Democrats 24. Rise of the Populists a. Farmers Alliance elected i. US senators and representatives ii. governers of several states iii. majorites in four state legislators 25. Omaha Platform a. Political Reforms i. direct popular election of US senators ii. enacting state laws by voters themselves b. Economic Reforms i. unlimited coinage of silver ii. a graduated income tax iii. public ownership of railroads by US government iv. telegraph and telephone systems owned and operated by US government v. loans and federal wearhouses for farmers vi. 8 hour day for industrial workers 26. Election of 1892 a. James Weaver i. Populist ii. lost votes of South b. Cleveland won 27. Depression Politics a. one of worst and largest depressions 28. Panic of 1893 a. stock market crashed b. repeal Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 c. Wilson-Gorman Tariff 1894 i. provided a maderate reduction of tariffs ii. included 2% income tax 29. Jobless on the March a. 1894 i. thousands of unemployed led by Populist Jacob A. Coxey b. Jailed 30. Turning Point in American Politics 1896 a. Democrats were burried in congressional election b. populists continued to gain both votes and legislative seats 31. The Election of 1896 a. new era in American Politics 32. Bryan, Democrats, and Populists a. Democrats divided i. "gold" democrats ii. prosilver democrats 1. convention in Chicago 2. hosted by William Jennings Bryan b. populists i. also had Bryan at their convention 33. McKinley, Hanna, and Republicans a. Republicans i. nominated William McKinley 1. Marcus Hanna was financial power behind McKinley 34. Campaign a. Mark Hanna i. raised money for McKinley b. Bryan was hurt i. rise in wheat prices ii. employers telling workers factories would close if Bryan was elected 35. McKinleys Presidency a. Gold discoveries in Alaska i. raised money supply b. helped to make US a world power 36. Significance of Election of 1896 a. ended stalemate and stagnation b. Republicans i. party of business ii. industry iii. strong national government c. Democrats i. defeat as sectional party of South ii. host whatever populist sentiment remained 37. Populist Demise a. declined after 1896 b. leaders gave up trying to equalize poor whites and blacks 38. Urban Dominance a. clear victory i. business, urban centers, conservative economics, and moderate middle class values 39. Beginning of Modern Politics a. US became major player in international affairs b. created model for a successful campaign

So Whats 1. Democrats held onto Whig Past 2. Mark Twain first used term "Guilded Age" 3. Halfbreeds were rivals of patronage 4. Hayes cut flow of liquor in the White House 5. Cleveland won election of 1884 6. governments were left to deal with own problems 7. paper money fininced civil war 8. $2 million to $4 million in silver coinage a month 9. Populists were a third party 10. an economic reform made unlimited coinage of silver