Download politics of the gilded age populist movement

FARMING DOMINATED THE LIVES OF MOST
AMERICANS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST
DURING TIMES OF DEPRESSION (1873 & 1893)
FARMERS SUFFERED A GREAT DEAL
• FAILURE OF RAILROADS – CONSOLIDATION
BY WEALTHY BUSINESS OWNERS
• COMPETITION OF OTHER FARMERS LOWER
PRICES
• BANKS FAILED – RECALLED LOANS
FARMERS CALL FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO
STABILIZE THE ECONOMY
•REDUCE TARIFFS
-PRICES OF FARM GOODS WAS HIGH
-WORLD MARKET FOR AMERICAN GOODS
WAS LOW
•MONETARY POLICY (MONEY SUPPLY)
-INCREASED MONEY SUPPLY = INFLATION
-DECREASED MONEY SUPPLY = DEFLATION
-FARMERS CALLED FOR INFLATION OF THE
ECONOMY
oCHEAPER LOANS
oHIGH PRICES FOR THEIR GOODS
MONETARY POLICY
GOLD STANDARD (GOLD BUGS)
• REDUCED AMOUNT OF MONEY IN
CIRCULATION
SILVER STANDARD (SILVERITES)
• INCREASED MONEY IN CIRCULATION
- BLAND-ALLISON ACT 1878
o CREATE MORE SILVER MONEY
- SHERMAN SILVER PURCHASE ACT (1890)
o INCREASED LEVEL OF SILVER
PURCHASED BY GOVERNMENT
FARMERS PROTEST GROUPS
THE GRANGE
•FORMING OF COOPERATIVES
•PRESSURED STATE LEGISLATURES TO REGULATE
BUSINESS
FARMERS’ ALLIANCES
• UNITING OF FARMERS IN DIFFERENT AREAS
OF UNITED STATES
- CALLED FOR:
oFEDERAL REGULATION OF RAILROADS
oINFLATION
oANTITRUST LAWS
oINCREASED FARM CREDIT
GOVERNMENT ACTION
INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT
- GOVERNMENT COULD REGULATE
RAILROADS (SET PRICE LIMITS)
SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT
- ENABLED GOVERNMENT TO BREAK UP
CERTAIN TRUSTS
- PROVED VERY INEFFECTIVE
- USED AT TIMES TO BREAK UP LABOR
UNIONS
FORMATION OF POPULISTS (PEOPLE’S PARTY)
GROUP FORMED OUT OF THE CONSOLIDATION
OF MANY FARMERS’ ALLIANCES
GOALS:
• INCREASING CIRCULATION OF MONEY
• UNLIMITED MINTING OF SILVER
• PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX
• GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND RAILROADS
• EIGHT –HOUR WORK DAY
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
o STRONG SUPPORTER
OF SILVER
o GAVE FAMOUS
“CROSS OF GOLD”
SPEECH
o NOMINATED FOR
PRESIDENT BY THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
THREE TIMES
POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE OF GILDED AGE
• ERA OF LITTLE SUBSTANCE
• ERA OF “FORGETTABLE” PRESIDENTS
• TIME OF BOTH URBAN AND RURAL
PROBLEMS
CLOSE ELECTIONS BETWEEN 1876-1892
• REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
UNWILLING TO TAKE STRONG STANCES ON
MAJOR ISSUES
• CONGRESS VERY DIVIDED (FEW
LEGISLATIONS PASSED)
CORRUPTION IN THE GOVERNMENT
* CREDIT MOBILIER SCANDAL
- OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR – CHARGED
LARGE SUMS FOR WORK DONE
- GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TOOK
BRIBES
REPUBLICANS
-CIVIL WAR VETERANS/AFRICAN
AMERICANS/BIG BUSINESS/
MIDDLE CLASS/PROTESTANT
DEMOCRATS
-SOLID SOUTH/POLITICAL
MACHINES/IMMIGRANTS/
URBAN WORKERS
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
- ENDED RECONSTRUCTION
(REMOVAL OF TROOPS)
- SOME CALL HIS ELECTION A “CORRUPT
BARGAIN”
JAMES GARFIELD
• SUPPORTED USE OF SPOILS SYSTEM
• REPUBLICAN PARTY DIVIDED INTO FACTIONS
STALWARTS AND HALF-BREEDS
•ASSASSINATED (JULY 2, 1881) BY CHARLES
GUITEAU (STALWART)
- GUITEAU UPSET OVER NOT RECEIVING
GOVERNMENT JOB
- SHOWED PROBLEM WITH PARTY
PATRONAGE
- ASSASSINATION LEADS TO PUBLIC
CRITICISM OF SPOILS SYSTEM
CHESTER A. ARTHUR
• VICE-PRESIDENT UNDER GARFIELD
• PASSAGE OF PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT
- TESTED ALL GOVERNMENT APPLICANTS
- SET STANDARDS FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS
- PRESIDENTS COULD NOT FIRE OFFICIALS FOR
POLITICAL REASONS
GROVER CLEVELAND
• FIRST DEMOCRAT TO WIN ELECTION SINCE
1856 (JAMES BUCHANAN)
• FIRST AND ONLY PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED TO
TWO NON-CONSECUTIVE TERMS
•SUPPORTED THE LOWERING OF TARIFFS AND
GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF RAILROADS
- PASSAGE OF INTERSTATE COMMERCE
ACT 1887 (LIMITED SUCCESS)
• PASSAGE OF DAWES SERVILITY ACT
• SERVED SECOND TERM DURING PANIC OF
1893
- FAILED TO WIN SUPPORT OF WORKING
CLASS AND FARMERS
- UNEMPLOYED MARCHED ON
WASHINGTON TO PROTEST
(COXEY’S ARMY)
- REPEALED SHERMAN SILVER PURCHASE
ACT
- SENT TROOPS TO CHICAGO TO END
PULLMAN STRIKE
BENJAMIN HARRISON
•WINS ELECTION OF 1888 WITH HELP FROM BIG
BUSINESS
•FIRST “BILLION DOLLAR” CONGRESS
•ACTS PASSED:
-MCKINLEY TARIFF OF 1890
-CIVIL WAR VETERANS PENSIONS ACT
-SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT
-SHERMAN SILVER PURCHASE ACT
WILLIAM MCKINLEY
•DEMOCRATS DIVIDED IN WHO TO NOMINATE
FOR ELECTION OF 1896
-PRO-GOLD – GROVER CLEVELAND
-PRO-SILVER – WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
•BRYAN NOMINATED AND RUNS AGAINST
MCKINLEY
-MCKINLEY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF BIG
BUSINESS MONEY TO CAMPAIGN