Good, bad and ugly
POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE
THE GILDED AGE

The Gilded Age in United States history is the late
19th century, from the 1870s to about 1900. The
term was coined by writer Mark Twain in
The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), which
satirized an era of serious social problems masked
by a thin layer of gold leafing
THE EMERGENCE OF THE POLITICAL MACHINE
Late 1800’s
 Cities experience rapid growth under
inefficient government
 Influenced by Social Darwinism

1.
2.
3.
Cities receptive to a new power structure
The political machine
Run by the city boss
WHAT IS A POLITICAL MACHINE?
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An organized group that controls the activities
of a political party.
City Boss
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May or may not be mayor
Controlled access to municipal
jobs & business licenses
Influenced courts & other
municipal agencies
Ward Bosses & Precinct
Captains

First or Second generation
immigrants
WHAT IS A POLITICAL MACHINE?


It offers favors to voters in exchange for votes
FAVORS:
Help finding jobs
 Emergency housing after fire
 Help with the law
 Free food and beer at block parties for machine
candidates
 Some help for new immigrants


GRAFT (the illegal use of office for personal gain)
Bosses steal elections (through intimidation & fraud)
 Kickbacks
 Favors to business in exchange for $$$

WILLIAM “BOSS” TWEED
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Head of Tammany Hall’s
“political machine” 1863 –
1871
Tweed Ring stole millions
from NYC
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50% of NYC bills phony
Court house $350,000
estimate, but cost
$13,000,000
Indicted in 1871 on 120
counts of fraud & extortion
Escaped prison ‘73,
captured in Spain ‘75
TWEED VS. THOMAS NAST

Cartoonist Thomas Nast depicts corruption of
Tweed Ring in Harpers Weekly.
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
THOMAS NAST CARTOONS, CONTINUED
PATRONAGE VS CIVIL SERVICE
Patronage- (Spoils system) Gov jobs go to
political supporters.
 Result is some unqualified people in gov.
 Result is some corrupt people in gov.
Reformers- demand merit system
 Civil service jobs to qualified people only
REFORM AT FEDERAL LEVEL
Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 1877— starts civil service
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reform
Couldn’t convince Congress to support reform
Named independents to his cabinet
Fired clerks who had nothing to do
Fired C. A. Arthur (R) at NY Customshouse
These actions enraged NY politicians and Stalwarts
(party bosses)
1881 ELECTION
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Like the Republican Party of today, the G.O.P.
during the 1880's was extremely divided and in
decline
Stalwarts - saw political machines as a good tool
in staying in power
Half-breeds - moderate group / believed in Civil
Service reform
Mugwumps - viewed the single most important
issues being civil service reform, returning from
to the gold standard and reducing or eliminating
tariffs
REFORM AT FEDERAL LEVEL
James A. Garfield (R) 1881- “independent” in

reform debate
A compromise between Stalwarts, Half-breeds and
Mugwumps makes Chester A. Arthur the VP
Gave reformers jobs instead of Stalwarts’ ‘cronies’

Assassinated by spurned office seeker, Charles

Guiteau
Arthur becomes President

CHARLES GUITEAU
REFORM AT FEDERAL LEVEL
C. A. Arthur 1881- patronage guy turns reformer
Pendleton Civil Service Act 1883: federal job
appointments based on exam score
 Few at first – 40% by 1901 - 90% by 2000
 Public administration becomes more honest and
efficient
 Big business influence over gov’t grows
Grover Cleveland 1885- a Democrat! (first time in
28 years)
 Tried to lower tariff. FAILED.
Benjamin Harrison 1889- Republican again
 Signed McKinley Tariff Act – highest tariffs ever
REFORM AT FEDERAL LEVEL
 Grover Cleveland 1893 –
 Elected a second time
 Only President elected to non-consecutive terms
 Supported a bill for lowering McKinley Tariff --- but
refused to sign it since it also provided for a federal
income tax (bill passed even w/o president’s
signature)