Hunter Read
AP US History 2
Ms. Scott
8/13/10
Gilded Age Syllabus
1. Presidents
Rutherford B. Hayes
- 1877-1881
- Did not run for re-election because he originally proposed a one term limit that
lasted 6 years
- Vice President was William A. Wheeler
- Republican
James Garfield
- 1881
- Assassinated in first year of office by Charles Guiteau
- Vice President was Chester A. Arthur
- Republican
Chester A. Arthur
- 1881-1885
- Did not run for re-election because of major health issues at the end of his term
- No Vice President
- Republican
Grover Cleveland
- 1885-1889, 1893-1897
- Defeated by Benjamin Harrison after Cleveland’s first term and lost control of the
Democratic Party after his second term.
- Vice Presidents were Thomas Hendricks and Adlai Stevenson
- Democrat
Benjamin Harrison
- 1889-1893
- Harrison’s first wife, Caroline, died at the end of his term.
- Vice President was Levi Morton
- Republican
William McKinley
- 1897-1901
- Assassinated in 1901
- Vice Presidents were Garret Hobart and Theodore Roosevelt
- Republican
2. The evidence of post-Civil War deterioration of the Democratic Party was very
obvious because there was only one democratic president during the Gilded Age. Grover
Cleveland’s assumption of the Presidency was so overpowered by the Republican Party
that he served two non-consecutive terms.
3. During the Gilded Age, the American political system fell into an ethical abyss from
nepotism, republican factions, and constant scandal, making it the hidden flaw of the
Gilded Age. The Compromise of 1877 effectively ended Reconstruction while giving the
Republican Party the White House and afterwards, the spoils system was in control of
many republican platforms, the ICC was created to fight monopolies, and railroads were
being persecuted in the case of Munn vs. Illinois. The Republican Party was divided into
Stalwarts, Half-Breeds, and Mugwumps, all with their own views on Civil Service
reform.
4. The Compromise of 1877 was a necessary evil because it avoided any post-Civil War
conflicts. Even though it may seem corrupt that Rutherford B. Hayes won the election by
making some compromises with Samuel Tilden, the compromises weren’t actually
terrible. Hayes removed Union troops from the south, industrialized the south, and
constructed another transcontinental railroad. The compromise proved to be a wise move
on the part of President Hayes.
5. Bailey Chapter 23 Outline
Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age
A. The “Bloody Shirt” Elects Grant
1. Grant nominated Republican candidate in 1868
2. “Let us have peace”- Grant
3. Electoral College: Grant had 214 to Seymour’s 80
4. 500,000 former slaves gave Grant the margin to win.
B. The Era of Good Stealings
1. September 24, 1869- “Black Friday” after millionaire partners Jim
Fisk and Jay Gould bid the price of gold skyward until the Treasury
was compelled to release gold.
2. New York City was controlled by the Tweed Ring, which milked as
much as $200 million from the city until the New York Times
published evidence of Tweed’s bribery, graft, and fraudulent elections.
C. A Carnival of Corruption
1. Credit Mobilier Scandal in 1872, in which two congressmen and the
vice president had taken bribes from Credit Mobilier.
2. The Whiskey Ring stole millions in excise tax revenue from the
treasury.
3. “Let no guilty man escape”- Grant
D. The Liberal Republican Revolt of 1872
1. Liberal Republican party urged purification of the Washington
administration and to end military Reconstruction, using the slogan
“Turn the Rascals Out”
2. Electoral College- Grant had 286 to Greeley’s 66
3. Congress moved to reduce Civil War tariffs, passed the general
amnesty act, and cleaned up the Grant administration.
E. Depression, Deflation, and Inflation
1. Resumption Act of 1875- The government continued further
withdrawal of greenbacks from circulation and to the redemption of all
paper currency in gold at face value, beginning in 1879.
2. Crime of 1873- The end of silver coinage that primarily hurt silver
miners
3. Redemption Day- Greenback holders exchanged lighter and more
convenient bills for gold.
F. Pallid Politics in the Gilded Age
1. Extremely close presidential elections had record voter turnouts.
2. Republicans and Democrats differed in culture and heritage even
though they agreed on a lot of their platforms.
3. Republican Party split into Stalwarts and Half-Breeds.
G. The Hayes-Tilden Standoff, 1876
1. Rutherford B. Hayes was dubbed “The Great Unknown”
2. “Some are great. Some achieve greatness. And some are born in Ohio.
3. Tilden had 184 out of 185 necessary electoral votes.
H. The Compromise of 1877 and the End of Reconstruction
1. “Tilden or Blood!” after the Supreme Court couldn’t decide on the
victor.
2. In return for the White House, Hayes agreed to remove federal troops
from the south, presidential patronage, and support a bill for another
transcontinental railroad line.
3. Civil Rights Act of 1875- last gasp of radical Republicans. The act
intended on guaranteeing equal accommodations in public places and
prohibited racial discrimination in jury selection.
I. The Birth of Jim Crow in the Post-Reconstruction South
1. Blacks and poor whites were forced into sharecropping
2. Plessy v. Ferguson- “separate but equal”
3. A record number of lynchings occurred in the south.
J. Class Conflicts and Ethnic Clashes
1. Irish were constantly harassing the Chinese because of job competition
in California.
2. Chinese Exclusion Act- stopped immigration from China.
3. U.S. v. Wong Kim- protected the citizenship of native-born Chinese.
K. Garfield and Arthur
1. Charles Guiteau assassinated President Garfield.
2. Chester A. Arthur was expected to be a spoils system supporter
because of his connections to New York politics.
3. Arthur passed Pendleton Act of 1883- Outlawed compulsory campaign
contributions from federal employees and founded the Civil Service
Commission to appoint positions based on ability.
L. The Blaine-Cleveland Mudslingers of 1884
1. Cleveland was attacked for his illegitimate son
2. “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”
M. “Old Grover” Takes Over
1. Cleveland was the first Democratic President in twenty-eight years.
2. “Though the people support the government, the government should
not support the government.”
3. Cleveland fired 2/3 of federal employees to hire Democrats
N. Cleveland Battles for a Lower Tariff
1. Wanted to lower tariffs because the federal surplus was against his
frugal beliefs.
2. Cleveland lost to Harrison in the 1888 election.
O. The Billion-Dollar Congress
1. Thomas “Czar” Reed controlled the “Billion-Dollar” Congress
2. Passed the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 that proved painful to
farmers.
3. Republicans lost congressional power.
P. The Drumbeat of Discontent
1. Populist Party demanded unlimited coinage of silver, a graduated
income tax and direct senatorial election.
2. Led by James Weaver.
3. Colored Farmers’ National Alliance complained against the
“Bourbon” elite.
4. “Grandfather clause” to prevent blacks from voting
Q. Cleveland and Depression
1. Cleveland returns to office in 1893.
2. Massive depression that lasted four years.
3. Cleveland repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890.
4. J.P. Morgan lent the government $65 million in gold.
R. Cleveland Breeds a Backlash
1. Cleveland attacked for his dealings with J.P. Morgan
2. Cleveland passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff in 1894.
6. PEDLIGS
Gilded Age- The post-Reconstruction period, from 1877 to 1901, during which the
United States went through an economic and population boom along with a lot of
scandalous political activity.
Solid South- The nickname for the southern United States that electorally voted
completely for the Democratic candidates after Reconstruction.
Roscoe Conkling- Leader of the Stalwart republican faction.
Stalwarts- Republican faction opposed to Rutherford B. Hayes’s civil service reform and
supported the spoils system.
Halfbreeds- Republican faction that supported civil service reform and the spoils system.
Mugwumps- Republicans that did not support the spoils system and often voted with the
Democratic Party because of reform conflicts.
Rutherford B. Hayes- 19th U.S. President that made the Compromise of 1877 with
Samuel Tilden to get the White House, ending Reconstruction, and vetoed
Chinese immigration restrictions.
James Garfield- 20th U.S. President from Half-breed faction and chose Half-breeds for
most offices and was eventually assassinated by a Stalwart named Charles
Guiteau.
Chester A. Arthur- 21st U.S. President that assumed Presidency after Garfield’s
assassination, supported civil service reform, approved the development of a
modern navy.
Thomas Reid- Speaker of the House in 1890 that instituted an autocratic rule.
James G. Blaine- Reshaped the Republicans into a business-oriented party, he was widely
distrusted but nominated Republican candidate.
Grover Cleveland- 22nd and 24th President, first Democratic President since Buchanan
and victim of scandal because of an illegitimate child. Cleveland signed the
Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, Dawes Act, and Pendleton Act, and challenged
the protective tariff. President during Panic of 1893.
“Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion”- The label of the Democratic Party during the Election
of 1884.
Pendleton Act- Set up the Civil Service Commission, created a system that forced federal
job applicants to take an examination, and prohibited civil servants from making
political contributions.
Greenback Party- Opposed to the switch from paper money to gold during the 1870s.
James B. Weaver- Greenback Congressman that would eventually lead the Populist
Party.
Crime of 1873- The nickname for when Congress stopped the coining of silver to
increase the value of gold-backed money.
Bland-Allison Act (1878)- A compromise law to allow limited coinage of silver after the
Crime of 1873.
Benjamin Harrison- 23rd President that passed the McKinley Tariff and the Sherman
Antitrust Act, which formed the “Billion Dollar Congress”.
Billion-Dollar Congress- Republican-controlled Congress that passed the first billion-
dollar budget in U.S. history.
Veteran’s Pensions- Increased by Billion-Dollar Congress for veterans, widows, and
children.
McKinley Tariff (1890)- Raised the tax on foreign products to a peacetime high of over
48%.
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)- Slightly increased the coinage of silver.
Populist (People’s) Party- An anti-elite party that sought for the end of the National
Bank, unlimited coinage of silver, graduated income tax, federal railroad
regulation, and the direct election of senators.