Transcript IMMIGRANTS AND URBANIZATION - Online

Politics in the Gilded Age
City Bosses, Political Machines,
and Populism
Political Machines
 Political machines
controlled the
activities of political
parties in the city.
Ward bosses, precinct
captains, and the city
boss worked to ensure
that their candidates
were elected and that
city government
worked to their
advantage.
Role of the Political Boss
 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
Municipal Graft and Scandal
 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 kickbacks. Because the police
were hired by the boss,
there was no close
scrutiny.
The Tweed Ring Scandal
 William M. Tweed, known as Boss
Tweed, was head of Tammany
Hall, NYC’s powerful Democratic
political machine. Between 18691871, he led the Tweed Ring of
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 Spain.
Civil Service Replaces Patronage
 Nationally, some politicians pushed
for reform in the hiring system, which
had been based on Patronage (giving
jobs and favors to those who helped a
candidate get elected). Reformers
Applicants for
pushed for adoption of a merit system
federal jobs
are required to
(hiring the most qualified for jobs).
take a Civil
Service Exam
The Pendleton Civil Service Act of
1883 authorized a bipartisan
commission to make appointments for
federal jobs based on performance.
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.
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.
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.
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 shortdistance shipment. The
efforts of the Grange played
a big role in the passage of
the 1887 Interstate
Commerce Act.
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.
The Populist Party
 In 1892, Alliance
members helped
found the Populist
Party, which drew
support from
urban laborers as
well as farmers.
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
Proposed Political Reforms
 Populist political reforms included:
 Direct election of senators
 Single term presidencies
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)
Note: Democratic states are red and Republican states are blue.
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%.
The Election of 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.
William
McKinley
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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).
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.
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.
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.
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
would be enacted in the
20th century.