(
I
Section
ffi
Words to Know
bribe
money paid to get someone to do Something
against the law
civil service
system that includes most govemment workers
who are appointed rather than elected
kickback
an illegal payment of money made in return forã
favor or service
T
In
the years after the Civil War, the United States grew
strong. Millions of immigrants came to the United
States to find work in factories, in steel mills, and on the
railroad. Yet growth also brought problems. Some
people used their wealth and power to change laws for
their own gain. On the other hand, many Americans
began working to reform, or change and improve,
business and government.
The Power of Big Business
The Gilded Age was a time when wealthy people lived
very well and spent a great deal of money. Gilded means
covered with gold. During this time, many wealthy
people did not care about the problems of poor people
or society. However, there were problems. Comrption, or
dishonesty, was one problem. Comrption spread
through malay areas of the United States.
,!
During the Gilded Age, some leaders of big business
became very rich and powerful. Many of them used
their money to do good things. They created iobs,
helped poor people, and built museums and other
ì
prrlti. ptu."r. Hówever, a number of very wealthy
274
Unit 5
. Becoming a V$rtC
$t
Leader
businesspeople tried to use the government for
their own gain. Some of them even gave bribes to
government officials to get what they wanted. A bribe
is money paid to get someone to do something
against the law.
''L
'!l
Leaders of big business felt that they should have
laws that helped their businesses. Usually, they were
successful in having laws passed. Some people ioked
that John D. Rockefeller owned the best legislatures,
or lawmaking groups, money could buy. Cornelius
Vanderbilt was a business leader who wanted to
control the railroads. He bribed lawmakers to pass laws
to help his railrciads. He did not care if the laws hurt
other railroads. Someone once told Vanderbilt he was
breaking a law. "What do I care about law?" he aqked.
"Haven't I got the power?" Vanderbilt spoke for many
other leaders of big business.
Remember
John D, Rocl<efeller conlrolled
the oil induslry.
some big business leaders try to get
government to do?
did
ffþVnut
v
Gorruption in Government
During the Gilded Age, from about L870 to 1900,
many government officials were corrupt. In national,
state, and city governments, some officials lied and
cheated.¡ôfficials took bribes from wealthy business
leaders who wanted to control their votes. Officials
also bribed voters to vote for their candidates.
t
1
There was a lot of corruption in the government of
New York City. Some city leaders were called political
bosses because they controlled city government.
William Tweed was a political boss in New York City.
He was called Boss. Like other bosses, Tweed controlled
elections by giving gifts, jobs, and favors to voters in
exchange for their votes. In return, Tweed got a
kickback. A kickback is an illegal payment of money
made in return for a favor or service.
I
È
'l
q
Chapter 15 . The Reformers .
1870-1920
275
Tweed also padded, or added to, city bills. He took
the extra money himself. In six years, Boss Tweed
cheated New York City out of as much as $200 million
:"1 I
i1
Tweed paid police officers and workers in the
mayor's office to keep quiet about his corrupt
practices. However, he was finally arrested and sent to
jail. After escaping once, he was returned to jail. He
remained there for the rest of his life. In time,
reformers started new forms of city government that
limited the powers of the bosses.
How did big city bosses control elections?
Civil Service Reform
Remember
Presidenl Andrew Jockson used
the spoils system when he wos
Presidenl in lhe 1830s.
Many Americans called for reforms. Some
lawmakers decided to reform civil service. Civil service
is a system that includes most government workers
who are appointed rather than elected. During the
1870s and 1880s, civil service jobs were filled
according to the spoils system. Government jobs were
A Closer Look
POLITICAL CARTOONS
A political c3rtoon is a drawing that shows an artist's point
of view about an issue. Artists use humor to get their
point across. Political cartoons appear in newspapers
and magazines.
Thomas Nast created political cartoons about Boss Tweed.
Many people in New York City in the late 1800s could not
read. They did not know how dishonest Boss Tweed was.
Nast's cartoons were easy to understand. After the people
in New York City saw Nast's cartoons, they demanded that
the police stop Boss Tweed.
GriticalThinking Are political caftoons a good way to
show opinions? Explain.
276
Unit 5
. Becoming a! iorld
qc.
Leader
J,#
In this political
cartoon, Boss lweed
shows that he is not
afraid of the policel
q
given to supporters. For example, a new President would
give jobs to people who helped the President get elected.
'';i¡'.
'' i"
'f1
In the late 1870s, President Rutherford Hayes
decided to speak out against the spoils system.
However, some lawmakers in Congress decided that
they did not want to reform the system
In 1880, James Garfield was elected President.
During his first few months in office, people kept
asking him for government jobs. In L881, a man was
angry because Garfield did not give him a job. The
l|¡onomics
Çou
licday writers, artists,
printers, scientists,
air traffic controllers,
geographers, park
rangers, historians,
and others have civil
service jobs.
man shot and killed Garfield.
After Garfield died, Vice President Chester Arthur
became President. In 1883, Congress passed the
Civil Service Act, which Arthur eventually supported.
The act said that people who wanted government jobs
had to take a test. The test would show whether or not
iob seekers had the skills needed for a certain iob. The
act provided the basis for the civil service system in
place today.
-What was the Civil Service Act?
Section 1 Review
L. Hoi¡r did Rockefeller and Vanderbilt try to
change laws?
2. How did bosses like Boss Tweed cheat cities
and make themselves rich?
l}
3. GriticalThinking Why do you think some
leaders of big business thought they had a right
to get what they wanted from government?
4. Write About Economics Write a paragraph
about the Civil Service Act of 1883. Explain why
you think the law is fair or unfair.
I
,}
'r
!rÞ;
Chapter 15. The
Reformers.1870-1920 277
,$il
'{í
BUILDING YOUR SKILLS
ldentifying Gause and Effect
When you study history, it is important to understand
the difference between a cause and an effect. A cøuse is an
action that leads to an event. An effect is the outcome of
the action. Here is an example of cause and effect.
European explorers wanted to ftnd ø shorter route to Asia.
This is a cause.
European explorers lønded
in the Americas. This is
an effect.
To understand cause and effect, ask why it happened
and what happened. Why it happened tells you the cause.
What happened tells you the effect.
Read the following pairs of sentences. In each pair,
decide which sentence gives the cause and which
sentence gives the effect.
o. Cornelius Vonderbilt wonted to control the roilroods.
b. Cornelius Vsnderbilt bribed lowmokers to moke lows thot helped
his roilroods ond hurf olhers,
c, Thomos Nosf drew cortoons to show his opinions obout Boss
Tweed
d. Mony people in New York City could not reod.
e. President Gorfield wos ossossinoted.
f.
A mon wos ongry becouse President Gorfield did not give him o job
CHALLENGE Choose the effect
from sentences e and f. Write what
happened next.
Ç
¡|
'f
r3t.
Apply the Skill
Find another cause and effect in thissection. Write a.pair-of sentences o-n
aseparatesheet of paper. Exchange
papers w¡th a partner. D-iscuss w-hat
you have-written,