Chapters 23

1. Chapters 23 Sydney and Sarah

2. Short Answer Essay • What is the “Gilded Age” and why is its name ironic?

3. If there was TV during the Gilded Age…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGq4MPxEwqQ The Syd and Sarah Show!

4. Themes • Post-Civil War America expanded and industrialized, but political life in the Gilded Age was marked by ineptitude, stalemate, and corruption

5. Main Ideas • Grant was a poor politician and his administration was full of corruption • Jim Fisk and Jay gould • Credit Mobilier • Whiskey Ring (Grant’s officials imported whiskey without paying taxes) • Politicians accepted bribes and were “bought” into office • Under the patronage system, politicians offered supporters federal jobs

6. Main Ideas • Railroad promoters, stock-market investors, judges, and legislatures also made deals under the table • Political machines such as “Boss Tweed” emerged and controlled politics on a local level. • Used bribery, electoral fraud, and graft to manipulate their cities

8. Main Ideas • Corruption during Grant’s administration led to the formation of the Liberal Republican Party • These reformers threatened regular Republicans and Congress

9. Themes • Despite the fact that Republicans and Democrats agreed on national affairs, they were split by religion and region. • Both parties practiced patronage and competed for offices

10. Main Idea • Politics in Congress seesawed throughout the Gilded Age (majority in the House often changed) • There was an extreme high voting rate in the Gilded Ages , 80% of eligible voters cast their ballot

11. Themes • The many issues plaguing America during the Gilded age were swept under the rug until economic depression struck the United States in 1893. A demand for reform was voiced.

12. Main Idea • During the Panic of 1893, debtors desired inflation and greenbacks • Creditors, however, remained loyal to the gold standard • Supporters of “hard money” persuaded Grant to veto a paper money bills • The Resumption Act of 1875 stopped production of greenbacks and withdrew paper money from circulating. • Republican support of gold standard led to an election of a Democratic House, but retained American credit

13. Themes • The election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877 resulted in the end of Reconstruction and abandonment of equality for blacks

14. Main Ideas • There was a stall in the election because South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and Oregon returned two outcomes for the election • The Electoral Count Act assembled 15 men to recount the votes • the result was in favor of the Republicans and the Democrats were displeased • The Compromise of 1877 permitted Hayes to become president, but he had to withdraw federal troops from Louisiana and South Carolina • Established republican regimes fell in the south and were replaced by Democratic “redeemers”

15. Themes • After federal troops were completely removed from the south, blacks and poor whites were forced into sharecropping and the crop lien system • The initial segregation of blacks and whites developed into legal codes, Jim Crow laws, that established behavioral codes for blacks

16. Main Ideas • Blacks that attempted to assert their rights were punished through unemployment, eviction, and even physical harm (lynchings) • Crop lien system was when storekeepers loaned supplies and food to blacks in return for a lien (a legal claim) of their harvests • Jim Crow laws validated by Plessy V. Ferguson- “separate but equal”

17. Themes • Strikes against big business were weak due to labor disunity and racial friction. Competition for jobs led to tension and violence.

18. Main Ideas • Main location of racial friction was in California between the Irish and the Chinese • Denis Kearney led his followers to terrorize the Chinese • In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Chinese from entering the U.S. • In the case of U.S. V. Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court guaranteed citizenship to Chinese or any immigrant children born in the U.S.

19. Themes • Political Conflict, and death of Garfield, lead to Reform of the Spoil System during 1881. • The Pendleton Act of 1883 partially divided politics from patronage, but it also drove politicians to seek “deals” from businessmen. • Both candidates were now considered dishonest leaders. The campaign consisted of personality, and not principle and that would determine the outcome of the Presidency.

20. Theme • After Grover became a Democratic President, there were multiple questions raised. • A major question being: how would the “Party of Disunion” govern the Union. • Grover Cleveland felt that the Government should not support the people, but the people should continue to support the Government. • An advocate of the laissez-faire system • Grover favored Democrats over Republicans who voted for him.

21. Theme • The Billion Dollar Congress affected the pricing of goods. • The passing of McKinley Tariff affected farmers and their wealth. • Farmers formed the Populist part, most influential third party.

22. Themes • Many riots broke out over workers income, and the Populist party lacked votes from southern states. • Laws were passed in Southern states to keep blacks from gaining any Political Power. • Depression of 1893 was the first panic in the new urban and industrial age. • The U.S. repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, gold reserve sank to 41 million dollars.

23. Main Ideas • Republican Party consisted of James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur. The Democrat Party included Winfield Scott Hancock. • During the Republican conflict President Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau. He argued not guilty with an “ Insanity defense” due to the fact that he wasn’t able to distinguish right, from wrong.

24. Main Ideas • The Pendleton Act of 1883 banned campaign contributions from federal workers, and stated that Civil Service Commission had to make appointments with federal jobs for competitive examination. • James G. Blaine was considered a clear choice as a candidate, but the “Mulligan Letters” were released, which consisted of a corrupt deal about federal favors to a Southern Railroad.

25. Main Ideas • Democrat candidate was Grover Cleveland who was known for his honesty. Information was later revealed by dirt digging Republicans that he fathered an illegitimate son with a widow. • During 1884 Blaine made a comment insulting Irish voters, which lost him New York and the presidency. • Grover was the first Democratic president since Buchanan. (29 years)

26. Main Ideas • Cleveland brought North and South closer, but was divided between Democrats who wanted jobs, and Republicans who voted for him, wanting Reform. • Cleveland vetoed many bills from Military pension that benefited deserters, former, soldiers, people with disabilities, and nonveterans.

27. Main Ideas • Republicans wanted the rewards of Federal Office from income of High Tariffs. • Thomas B. Reed bent the “ Billion Dollar Congress” under his will. Republicans generously gave money to Civil War Veterans and increased the amount of silver. • Billion Dollar Congress passed the McKinley Tariff Act, which sent tariff rates through the roof.

28. Main Ideas • The Populist party was formed by farmers burdened with tariffs and debt. • Populist platform included: inflation, income tax, government ownership of railroads and telephones, immigration restriction, and one term presidency. • They elected James B. Weaver as their presidential candidate.

29. Main Ideas • Many strikes involving workers rights during the summer of ‘92. One of these strikes was the Homestead strike in PA. • Populist party came short in the voting of the Campaign, because they needed votes from the Black farmers, who were oppressed by the Jim Crow laws. • Still racked a good many votes for being a third party

30. Main Ideas • To keep Blacks from voting Southern whites passed literacy test, poll taxes, and the grandfather clause. Jim Crow Laws were passed in Southern States. • Treasury issued gold for the notes that it paid in the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. • William Jennings Bryan advocated “ Free Silver”

31. Main Ideas • U.S. was in danger of going off the gold standard; gold was rapidly vanishing from the Treasury. This would ruin America’s international trade. • J.P. Morgan agreed to have Wall Street loan the government 65 million dollars in gold.

32. Short Answer Essay at the end What brought Reconstruction to and end and how?