PeriodVI:1865-1898Part5:GildedAgePolitics

GildedAgePoliticalSystem•  Republican/Democratloyaltyverystable•  AlmostevendividedespiteRepublicandominanceofpresidency

•  78percentvoterturnouts•  Whatcausedpartyloyalty?•  Geography•  Religiousandethnicdifferences•  Culturaldifferences

REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT African-Americans WhiteSoutherners

NorthernProtestants Catholics

OldWASPs(NaNvist) RecentImmigrants

MostofMiddleClass UrbanWorkers(pro-labor)

Pro-Business MostFarmers

Temperance PersonalFreedom

TheNationalGovernment•  Avoidedmajorissues–didn’tdomuchofanything•  ExcepNons:railroadsubsidies,laborintervenNons,CivilWarpensions

•  HadtoavoidoffendingfacNonswithintheparty•  i.e.StalwartsandHalf-BreedsinRepublicanParty

•  Presidency–mostlydistributedgovernmentappointments•  spoilssystem•  mosttopostalservice•  PoliNcsdominatedbypartybosses

JamesA.GarCield(1881)•  Garfield:Half-Breed•  ChesterA.Arthur(Stalwart)chosenasVPcandidate

•  DefeatedCivilWarhero,WinfieldSco]Hancock•  DefiedStalwartsandsupportedcivilservicereform•  ShotonJuly2,1881inWashingtonrailroadstaNon

CharlesGuiteau

ChesterA.Arthur(1881-1885)•  KeptmostofGarfield’sappointeesandconNnuedsupportforcivilservicereform

•  ThePendletonAct:requiredthatsomefederaljobsbefilledbycompeNNvewri]enexaminaNons

Electionof1884•  “mugwumps”–RepublicanswhorefusedtorenominateArthur,supportedtheDemocratGroverCleveland

•  Republicansnominatedthe“PlumedKnight,”JamesG.Blaine•  ReligiouscontroversygaveClevelandthewin•  Democratscharacterizedasthepartyof“rum,Romanism,andrebellion”

GroverCleveland(1885-1889)•  Becamefamousasthe“vetogovernor”–favoredsmallgovenment

•  Tariffissue:wantedtolowerrates•  Republicansdefiantlypassedabillraisingtherates•  Becameanissuein1888elecNon

•  Re-elecNoneffortdefeatedbyBenjaminHarrisonin1888

BenjaminHarrison(1889-1893)•  ShermanAnNtrustAct(1890)–meanttobeananN-trust,hadli]leimpact

•  McKinleyTariff(1890)–highestpeace-NmetariffinU.S.history•  Backfired–manyRepublicanslostcongressionalseats

•  ElecNonof1893–ClevelandagainnominatedbyDemocrats•  DefeatedHarrison

Cleveland’sSecondTerm(1893-1897)•  Samepoliciesasfirstterm–minimalistgovernment•  ModesttariffreducNons•  InterstateCommerceAct(1887):railroadregulaNon•  BanneddiscriminaNoninratesbetweenlongandshorthauls,requiredrailroadstopublishrateschedulesandfilethemwiththegovernment,anddeclaredinterstaterailratesmustbe“reasonableandjust”

•  Hadli]leeffect

AgrarianRevolt–TheGrangers•  FirstmajorfarmorganizaNon:TheGrange•  “Farmers’DeclaraNonofIndependence:”•  “Nmehadcomeforfarmers“sufferingfromlongconNnuedsystemsofoppressionandabusetousealllawfulandpeacefulmeanstofree[themselves]fromthetyrannyofmonopoly”

•  GainedcontrolofmostlegislaturesinMidwesternstates•  PassedGrangerlawstoregulaterailroads

TheFarmers’Alliances•  SuccessortotheGrange–SouthernandNorthwesternAlliances

•  Establishedstores,banks,processingplants•  Prominentroleofwomen:MaryLease

ThePeople’sParty-Populists•  SouthernandNorthwesternAlliancesagreedtoloosemerger

•  HeldnaNonalconvenNon–issuedOlcaDemands,amountedtopoliNcalplakorm

•  CreaNonofnewparty:ThePeople’sParty,be]erknownas“ThePopulists”

PopulistConstituency•  Appealedprincipallytosmallfarmers,sharecroppers,tenantfarmers

•  Failedtoa]ractsubstanNalsupportfromlaborinterests•  ExcepNon:RockyMountainminers

•  “FreeSilver”advocates•  Leaders:ruralmiddleclass

PopulistIdeas•  Systemof“sub-treasuries”•  Establishmentofnetworkofwarehouseswherefarmerscoulddeposittheircrops•  Usingcropascollateral,theycouldborrowmoneyfromthegovernmentandsellgoodswhenpriceswentup

•  AboliNonofnaNonalbanks•  Unlimitedcoinageofsilver•  Endabsenteeownershipofland•  DirectelecNonofsenators•  IniNaNvesandreferendums•  RegulaNonandgovernmentownershipofrailroads,telephones,telegraphs

TheCrisisofthe1890s•  ThePanicof1893•  PhiladelphiaandReadingRailroadsdeclaredbankruptcy,NaNonalCordageCompanyfailed

•  Triggeredcollapseofthestockmarket,bankfailures•  Depressedpricesinagriculture•  DepressioncondiNonsinEurope•  Railroadsandotherindustriesexpandedtoorapidly•  over-speculaNon

•  Ledtosocialunrest•  “Coxey’sArmy”

Coxey’sArmy

TheSilverQuestion•  Whatwouldformthebasisofthedollar?•  1873:officiallydisconNnuedsilvercoinage•  “Crimeof73:”demoniNzaNonofsilver

•  Goldreservesdropping•  “Goldstandard”vs.“FreeSilver”

TheEmergenceofBryan•  WilliamJenningsBryan–“CrossofGold”speech•  DemocraNcconvenNonof1896•  Insupportoffreesilver•  “Youshallnotpressdownuponthebrowoflaborthiscrownofthorns;youshallnotcrucifymankinduponacrossofgold.”

•  BryannominatedbyDemocrats

Electionof1896•  Populists“fuse”withDemocrats•  Birthofmoderncampaigning•  Bryanmadeappearancesacrossthecountry–non-tradiNonalformofcampaigning

•  Antagonizedmany•  WilliamMcKinley(Republican)defeatedBryan

McKinleyandRecovery(1897-1901)•  Oneissue:needforhighertariffrates•  CurrencyAct(1900):confirmedcommitmenttogoldstandard•  Prosperitysoonfollowed•  Assistedbyincreaseingoldsupply

•  ended“ba]leofthestandards”