17. The Gilded Age

A. Cities – offer jobs, entertainment, plumbing, electricity, phones, department stores, architecture
    1. Immigration – antiforeignism – Nativistist Movement – Know-Nothing Party
        A. Pre 1880 – immigrants came from Germany, British Isles – high literacy
        B. Post 1880 – New Immigrant – Mediterranean, Slavic – poor literacy, arrive impoverished
        C. Reasons for leaving – population explosion, persecution, exaggerated letters – streets paved with gold
    2. City Problems – waste disposal of packaged products, sewage
        A. Criminals, sanitoriums – homeless roaming the streets
        B. Slums – dumbbell tenement – one toilet, poor ventilation, disease spreads – easy to build
    3. Machine Politics – Boss System – a political machine “machine politics” controls who gets elected
        A. Boss Tweed – help immigrants in exchange for votes – government leaders then have to give them kick-backs/money from government projects
        B. Provides services/infrastructure for cities, but above the law – controls judges/politicians

B. Politics – existed for benefit of interest groups – conservative leaders who want to avoid conflict
    1. Conservative Presidencies – 1876-1992 – “Forgettable Presidents” – laissez faire policies
        A. “Rutherfraud” B. Hayes – ended Reconstruction in exchange for votes – election 1876
        B. Garfield – Killed by civil servant – eventually led to civil service reform – who gets what background jobs
        C. Chester Arthur – elected due to strong boss system of New York
    2. Tariff Controversy - $145 million budget surplus per year due to high tariffs
        A. Solution – 1) pork-barrel bills or 2) lower tariffs – politicians and industry both interested
    3. Railroad regulation – hesitant to intervene – building industry – American Dream
        A. Wabash Case – 1886 – states can’t regulate interstate railroads
        B. Interstate Commerce Act – creates Interstate Commerce Commission – supposed to regulate commerce, but hard to enforce – at least it’s a             step to regulate monopolies
    4. Trusts – competition hurts prices so companies unite to control prices/earnings – hurts customer
        A. Veritical Integration – control all areas of production – oil from ground to gas station
        B. Horizontal Integration – competitive companies from same industry form a trust

C. Agrarian Discontent - Land not as productive – grasshoppers, overused soil, droughts
    1. Land easy to tax – other industries can had profits/parts of company
    2. Trusts – barbed wire, fertilizer, harvester trusts push prices too high – hurts farmers
    3. Railroads control price of transportation
    4. ½ population farmers, but can’t organize – consolidation not part of American independence ethos
    5. Rising expenses plus lower prices for goods = can’t pay back debts – want free silver

D. Crisis of 1890s – common man fights back – tired of being abused
    1. Populism – People’s Party (Populists) came from Farmer’s Alliance – big gains in 1892 election
        A. Free coinage silver – 16 to 1 ration
        B. Graduated income tax based on wealth
        C. Government ownership of utilities – railroad, telephone, telegraph – think Monopoly
        D. Direct election of Senators/ One term presidents
        E. Initiatives and Referundums for civilians to control municipal issues
        F. Shorter workday
        G. Immigration Restriction
        H. Solicited black vote – black participation only increased anti-voting laws in South

E. Election 1892 – free silver, William Jennings Bryan –Messiah- Democrat – Cross of Gold – great speaker
    1. Populists have no party since Bryan’s silver views are theirs
    2. Republicans create massive war chest from all industrialists/bankers who fear free silver
    3. Millions show up to vote
    4. Shift in politics – next 30 years, people become apathetic politically, Republicans dominate
    5. Third Phase of Party System eras…