Period - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Period 6 Quiz

William Jennings Bryan

Stalwarts and Half-Breeds

Hearst and Pulitzer Circulation War

Populist Party/Populism

Boxer RebellionSlide2

Chapter 19From stalemate to crisisSlide3

My country, ‘is of thee, Once land of liberty, Of thee I sing.

Land of the Millionaire; Farmers with pockets bare;Caused by the cursed snare—The Money RingAlliance Songster, 1890Slide4

Politics of the gilded ageEra of stalemate and inactivity after end of Reconstruction

The causes of the limited achievements and the failure of politicians to address the growing problems related to industrialization and urbanization are often as instructive as periods of political achievementsSlide5

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main factors accounting for complacency and conservatism of the era?

Prevailing political ideology of the timeCampaign tactics of the two partiesParty patronageSlide6

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main factors accounting for complacency and conservatism of the era?

Prevailing political ideology of the timeBelief in limited governmentIdea of “do-little” government was in tune with two other ideas of the time:Laissez-faire economics

Social

D

arwinismSlide7

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main factors accounting for complacency and conservatism of the era?

Campaign tactics of the two partiesCloseness of elections between 1876-1892Goal to get out the vote, not alienate votersAvoided taking strong positions

Democrats won 2 presidential contests, but controlled House after 8/10

Divided government in WashingtonSlide8

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main factors accounting for complacency and conservatism of the era?

Campaign tactics of the two partiesBrass bands, flags, campaign buttons, picnics, free beer, crowd-pleasing speechesIssue-free campaigns brought out nearly 80% of eligible votersProduct of strong party identification and loyalty

Connected to regional, religious, ethnic tiesSlide9

Politics in the gilded Age

What were the 3 main factors accounting for complacency and conservatism of the era?Party PatronagePolitics were chiefly a game a winning elections, holding office, providing jobs to party faithfulEx. New York, (R) Senator Conkling dictated who in R. ranks would be appointed to lucrative jobs in customs house

Conkling/supporters know was Stalwarts (loyal, hardworking supporter)

Rivals known has

Halfbreeds

(James Blaine)

Who got the job was more important than policy

“

Mugwumps

”: those not involved in patronageSlide10

Politics in the gilded Age

Presidential PoliticsRutherford B. Hayes: ended Reconstruction, temperance reformer w/ “Lemonade Lucy”James Garfield “Halfbreed” & VP Chester A. Arthur “Stalwart”Garfield chose

halfbreeds

for government jobs = war with Conkling and Stalwarts

Stalwart shot him in the back, Arthur is president

Chester A. Arthur: distanced himself from stalwarts, supported bill expanding number of

gov.

employees based on qualifications rather than connectionsSlide11

Politics in the gilded AgePresidential Politics

Grover Cleveland (D): Blain is (R) nominee but suspicions about honesty cause Mugwumps to switch allegianceFrugal and limited government (like Jefferson)New civil service system

Signed into law: Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, Dawes ActSlide12

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main issues that the

Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Patronage/Civil Service ReformMoney SupplyTariff IssueSlide13

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main issues that the

Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Patronage/Civil Service ReformPendleton Act of 1881

Applicants for classified federal jobs would be selected on the basis of their scores on a competitive examination

Result: Politicians adapted by depending less on armies of party workers and more on the rich to fund their campaignsSlide14

Politics in the gilded Age

What were the 3 main issues that the Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Money SupplyHow much to expand the money supply? Growing tension b/n haves/have

nots

Group A: More “Easy”/”Soft” money= debtors, farmers, start-up businesses

Enable to borrow money at lower interest rates

Pay of loans more easily with inflated dollars

After Panic of 1873, blamed gold standard for restricting money supply and causing depression

More printing of paper money, unlimited minting of silver coinsSlide15

Politics in the gilded Age

What were the 3 main issues that the Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Money SupplyHow much to expand the money supply? Growing tension b/n haves/have

nots

Group B: More “Sound”/”Hard” money= bankers, creditors, investors, established businesses

Currency backed by gold stored in

gov.

vaults

Argued these dollars would hold value against inflationSlide16

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main issues that the

Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Money SupplyGreenback party: paper money not backed by specie was emergency financing for civil war

Northern farmers prospered during war for receiving higher prices

1875, Congress withdrew all greenbacks

Supporters formed greenback partySlide17

Politics in the gilded AgeWhat were the 3 main issues that the

Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Money SupplyDemand for Silver Money1870s, Congress stopped coining of silver: “Crime of 1873”

Bland-Allison Act allowed limited coinage 16 to 1 silver to gold

Farmers wanted unlimited coinageSlide18

Politics in the gilded Age

What were the 3 main issues that the Congreses were concerned with during the 1870s and 1880s?Tariff Issue1890s, Tariffs provided more than ½ of federal revenue

Western farmers/Eastern capitalists disagree on tariffs on foreign imports should be high or low

During C.W., tariffs protected U.S. Industry

After, Southern Dems objected because raised price of consumer goods

Other nations retaliated with taxes on U.S. farm products

Farmers lost overseas sales, causing surplus of corn and wheat, resulting in lower farm prices and profitSlide19

Growth of Discontent, 1888-1896

What were the political and economic “planks” of the Omaha Platform (Populist Party)?PoliticalDemanded increase in power of common voters throughDirect popular election of U.S. senators (not state legislatures)

Use of initiatives and referendums, direct citizen votes on proposed lawsSlide20

Growth of Discontent, 1888-1896

What were the political and economic “planks” of the Omaha Platform (Populist Party)?Economic (attack on laissez-faire capitalism!)Unlimited coinage of silver to increase money supplyGraduated income tax

Public ownership of railroads by U.S. government

Telegraph and telephone systems owned/operated by

gov

Loans and federal warehouses for farmers to enable them to stabilize prices for their crops

8-hour work day for industrial workers

First party to united poor blacks and poor whitesSlide21

Growth of Discontent, 1888-1896

Depression PoliticsPanic of 1893Stock market crashed: overspeculationFarm foreclosures, 20% unemployment

Cleveland champions gold standard, hands-off policy toward economy

Gold Reserve

Decline in silver encourage investors to trade silver dollars for gold dollars

Gold reserve fell dangerously low

President borrowed $65 million in gold from JP Morgan

Convinced Americans

gov.

was a tool of rich eastern bankers

He also used federal troops to crush Pullman Strike 1894Slide22

Turning point: 1896

Cleveland’s failure discredited the conservative leadership of the Democratic partyRep. dominated congressional election of ’94 & Populists risingElection of 1896Democrats divided: “Gold” democrats w/Cleveland and

prosilver

dems

looking for a leader

National convention: William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold Speech”

Instant nominee for president @ 36 years oldSlide23

“Cross of Gold”

I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of liberty—the cause of humanity…Mr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this was a struggle between the idle holders of idle capital and the struggling masses who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country; …You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country….Therefore, we care not upon what lines the battle is fought. If they say bimetallism is good but we cannot have it till some nation helps us, we reply that, instead of having a gold standard because England has, we shall restore bimetallism, and then let England have bimetallism because the United States have….If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold

.Slide24

Turning point: 1896

Election of 1896Democratic platform:Unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to 1 ratio, not current market rate of 32 to 1 (taken over leading issue of Populist Platform)Populists nominate Bryan and conducted a “fused” campaign for “Free silver”

Conservative faction either voted for National Dem. Party or RepublicanSlide25

Turning point: 1896

Election of 1896Republicans:Nominate McKinley: high protective tariff but friend of laborAfter blaming democrats for Panic of ‘93, offered promise of strong/prosperous industrial nation

Upheld gold standard against unlimited coinage of silver

Campaigning:

Last weeks, Bryan hurt by: 1) rise in wheat prices making farmers less desperate, 2) employers telling their workers that factories would close if Bryan elected

McKinkley

dominatesSlide26

Turning point: 1896

McKinley’s Presidency:Good Timing!Gold in Alaska increases money supply under gold standard, which resulted in the inflation silverites wanted

Farm prices rose, factor production increased, stock market climbedSlide27

Significance of Election of 1896

What were the different short-term and long-term consequences of the Election of 1896 on American politics?End of stalemate/stagnationDefeat of Bryan/Populist free-silver movement initiated era of Republican dominance (7 of next 9 presidential elections, 17/20 Congressional)Once a party of “free soil, free labor, free men”, Republicans became party of business and industry, but continued to push for strong national government

Urban dominance- Rural America’s former dominance is over

Sorry Jefferson and Jackson

:( Slide28

WE’re not in Kansas anymore…