Gilded Age Flashcards
“Gilded Age” meaning
Coined by Mark Twain’s, it meant the US looked bright and shiny, but underneath there was lots of poverty and corruption.
Gilded age characteristics
- new policies dealing with Native Americans
- rise of political machines running local politics
- the growth of industrialization
Who suffered during Gilded Age and why?
Immigrants; many immigrants were discriminated against and lived in horrible city conditions
Native Americans; had to assimilate to new cultures
African Americans: no basic rights
Farmers; overproductions
Women; low income, less jobs, no voting
Children; most lacked good educations because had to labor
Overproduction
So many of the same thing has been produced theyre not worth a lot of value
- Chester Arthur
- was originally VP for Garfield, and was very self absorbed, but turned reformer when Tom up the presidency, and stopped being a stalwart
- enforced Pendleton act
- procrastinator
- fixed the navy
Pendleton Act
Merit system for federal jobs
Candidates must take a civil service exam tp qualify (10%)
Grover Cleveland
22nd and 24th president
- fathered a child out of wedlock, first to get married in the White House
- first democratic president since James Buchanan
- pensions— had the most vetoes than any other president
- repealed tenure of office act
- tariff issue- existing tariff was responsible for treasury’s surplus (surplus- a sign of overtaxation)
Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican from Ohio
Compormise of 1877
- removal of troops in the south + transcontinental railroad built if he won the election against Samuel tilden
- fired two of top officials customhouse which enraged the republican party
James Garfield
Independent Ohio Congressman “half-breed” union general
VP Chester Arthur “stalwart”
Shot in train station by Charles Guiteau in 1881
Stalwarts
Republicans who supported patronage (supporting spoils system) led by Roscoe Conkling
Ulysses S. Grant
- credit mobilier scandal
- whiskey ring scandal
- smoked a lot
- had a bad legacies from the scandals although he wasn’t involved in either
Credit Mobelier Scandal
A poorly made railroad company overcharged the government to build a railroad around Texas and the pacific. The government supported it especially Schuyler Colfax, Oakes Ames, and James Brooks.
Whiskey Ring Scandal
Several federal employees who grant appointed defrauded the government of liquor tax revenues. They made a deal where they would buy the whiskey and the Secretary of Treasury and Tax Collector would divide the tax money between all the people participating. 238 were involved, and 110 were convicted. Orville Babcock, Grants personal secretary, was also involved.
Political Machines
Powerful organizations that used both legal and illegal methods to get their candidates elected.. controlled mostly by political parties
Mayor William Marcy Tweed
“Political Boss”, he stole money from the city of NY and Tammany Hall. Would buy land since he knew the expansions plans since he was mayor and then the government would buy that land from him for lots if cash. Would also oversell products, and was convicted 120 counts of political corruption
