Politics in the Gilded Age City Bosses, Political Machines, and Populism

1. Politics in the Gilded AgeCity Bosses, Political Machines,and Populism

2. Political Machines • List five urban problems/needs Ex: police force Led to the emergence of political machines in cities. • Political machines controlled votes by offering jobs, political favors, and services to loyal supporters. By providing services and jobs to local supporters political machines continued to be supported by voters

3. Role of the Political Boss • “I know what Parks is doing but what do I care. He has raised my wages. Let him have his illegal gains.” – City Worker • The “Boss” (typically the mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and influenced the court system. Precinct captains and ward bosses, often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, helped new immigrants with jobs, housing, and naturalization in exchange for votes. Boss Tweed ran NYC • At election time, bosses and precinct captains instructed local resident to vote for selected candidates.

4. Political Boss: Alexander Shepherd They provided public services growing cities needed! Washington D.C. Financed expanded sewer and water systems, paved streets, and provided other public services. In two years Shepherd spent $20 million on civic improvements and new jobs. (1871-1873!) By providing jobs, political favors, and services to local residents, he won support from many poor and working class city dwellers. LEARNING CHECK: What role did political machines play in the growth if U.S. cities?

5. Immigrants and Political Machines It was a mutually cooperative relationship. The immigrants needed jobs and the political machines needed votes • Because political machines helped the urban poor, new immigrants often became loyal supporters. • easily accessible—could be welcomed on arrival • had many needs for housing, jobs, and services • Tammany Hall: political club that led to a powerful Democratic political power. Sent party workers to Ellis Island to meet new immigrants. Helped them become naturalized citizens thus allowing them to vote for Tammany Hall candidates. • Ensured voter loyalty by providing jobs. LEARNING CHECK: Describe the relationship between immigrants and political machines.

6. Graft and Corruption SHORTHAND PRACTICE: Corrupt bosses hired men to “vote early and often.” Bosses took bribes, payoffs, and kickbacks. • Some political bosses were corrupt and their political machines practiced election fraud by using fake names and voting multiple times to ensure victory. Bribes were common and construction contracts often resulted in kick- backs. Because the police were hired by the boss, there was no scrutiny. 100 registered Voters = 252 Votes?

7. Graft and Corruption Graft: the acquisition of money or political power through illegal or dishonest methods. Late 1890s a railway corporation paid Chicago men as much as $25,000 to vote for local ordinances that would grant it special privileges. George Plunkitt: Honest Graft

8. The Tweed Ring Scandal William M. Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, was head of the Tweed Ring - corrupt politicians in defrauding the city. Convicted of 120 counts of fraud & extortion, he was sentenced to 12 years in jail, but released after one. Rearrested, he escaped to Spainwhere he was arrested. Officials recognized him from a Nast drawing. He died in a New York City jail. Thomas Nast Cartoons: Revealed the corruption of William Tweed. In 1871 he published over 50 cartoons sharply criticizing Tweed.

9. Thomas Nast Cartoons “Tweed stands guard at the ballot box” Caption: “As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it? Say?” Tweed demanded, “ Stop them.. Pictures. I don’t care so much what the papers write about me. My constituents can’t read, but they can… see.”

10. “Tammany Ring” One of Nast’s most effective cartoons shows each member of the Ring answering the question “Who stole the people’s money?”

11. President Grant Take out the worksheet from yesterday

12. Financers Jay Gould and James Fisk Gold Broker Abel Corbin (Brother in law) Sept. 24th Black Friday: price of Gold fell sharply Gold Market Summer of 1869, wanted to gain a monopoly on the Gold market. They wanted to drive up the cost of gold. Abel Corbin tried to convince President Grant to not to sell gold from the U.S. treasury. Grant refused but RUMORS spread than he had agreed. To fix it Grant ordered the treasury to sell $ 4 Million of the governments gold.

13. Vice President Schuyler Colfax Members of Congress Railroad construction companies Congress This scandal tarnished Grant Administration Image because Of Colfaxs position as vice president Directors of Union Pacific Railroad formed a construction company. They gave contracts to build sections of the transcontinental railroad. The owners sold or gave shares of stock to congress members responsible for awarding federal land grants to railroads. Congress then issued subsidies for the cost of construction. The U.S. government paid little attention to the operation which totaled to over $20 Million. These excess profits went straight into the pockets of stockholders.

14. Officials in the Treasury Department Whiskey Distillers Reformers pushed to end the practice of granting jobs as political rewards. Whiskey and alcohol industry Officials at the Treasury Department who had received their jobs as a result of the spoils system were charged with accepting bribes from whiskey distillers and distributors. In return, treasury officials reduced the amount of taxes that whiskey distributors had to pay.

15. Civil Service Replaces Patronage • Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system, which had been based onPatronage (giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected). Reformers pushed for adoption of amerit system (hiring the most qualified for jobs). The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on performance. Applicants for federal jobs are required to take a Civil Service Exam

16. The Plight of Farmers • In the late 19th century, farmers struggled to survive. Between 1867 and 1887 the price of a bushel of wheat fell from two dollars to 68 cents, railroads conspired to keep transportation costs artificially high, and farmers were caught in a cycle of debt.

18. The Grange • Farmers demanded help from state and federal governments. When this relief did not come, Midwestern farmers banded together in 1867 to form the Grange. By 1875, the Grange had more than 800,000 members.

19. Education and Fellowship • The Grange offered farmers education and fellowship through biweekly social functions, at which farmers shared their grievances and discussed agricultural and political reforms.

20. Cooperative Action • To increase farm profits, Grangers negotiated deals with machinery companies and set up cooperatives and grain storage facilities. They also fought against railroad companies for hiking prices for short-distance shipment. The efforts of the Grange played a big role in the passage of the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act.

22. The Farmers’ Alliance • By 1880, the Grange had faded and was replaced by the more political Farmers’ Alliance. Beginning as a local group in Texas in the late 1870s, alliances spread throughout the South and Northwest, and by 1890, boasted a membership of 1.5 million nationwide.

23. The Populist Party • In 1892, Alliance members helped found the Populist Party, which drew support from urban laborers as well as farmers.

24. Proposed Economic Reforms • Populist economic reforms included: • An increase in the supply of money • A rise in crop prices • Lower taxes • A federal loan program • An 8-hour workday • Reduced immigration

25. Proposed Political Reforms • Populist political reforms included: • Direct election of senators • Single term presidencies

26. Populists Made Small Gains • In the 1892 Presidential election, the Populist party candidate won only 9% of the vote. However, in the West, the party elected five senators, three governors and 1,500 state legislators. The smallest specimen yet (Populist party candidate’s showing in the election)

27. Note: Democratic states are red and Republican states are blue.

28. Support for Populists Grew • The Panic of 1893 gave the Populist Party new life. Railroads went bankrupt, the stock market lost value, 15,000 businesses and 500 banks collapsed. Three million people lost their jobs – putting unemployment at 20%.

29. WilliamMcKinley The Election of 1896 1896 • The 1896 presidential election, which pitted Republican William McKinley against Democrat William Jennings Bryan, was a crucial turning point in U.S. history. Many contemporaries considered it the most important political event since Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860.

30. Silver or Gold? • The central issue of the campaign was which metal to use as the basis for the nation’s monetary system: bimetallism (gold and silver) or gold alone. The Republicans preferred gold and the Democrats favored free silver (bimetallism at a ratio of 16 units of silver to one of gold).

32. Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech • The Democrats hoped that free silver would increase the supply of money and provide more credit to farmers and workers. But despite Bryan’s stirring words, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” McKinley won the 1896 election.

33. Republican Dominance • Because the Populists had joined the Democrats in supporting William Jennings Bryan, they lost their ability to bring about constructive change. McKinley’s victory established Republican dominance in Washington for over a decade.

34. An Environment for Jim Crow • Bryan’s defeat was a loss for the West and the South, but the realignment of 1896 helped create favorable conditions for Jim Crow segregation and the disfranchisement of black voters in the South.

36. The End of Populism • With McKinley’s victory, Populism collapsed, burying the hopes of the farmer for a better life. The Populist Party was short-lived but left an important legacy: • A message that the downtrodden can organize and be heard • An agenda of reforms that wouldbe enacted in the 20th century.