The Gilded Age: 1870s-1890s
Part 2
C. Rebuilding a Nation (ca. 1877-ca. 1914)
1.Industrialization and Urbanization
C. Identify labor and workforce issues of the
late nineteenth century, including
perspectives of owners/managers and
Social Darwinists
D. Explain the challenges and contributions
of immigrants of the late nineteenth century
E. Explain the causes and impact of
urbanization in the late nineteenth century
The Patronage Problem
-Patronage is the giving of government
jobs to those who helped the elected
leader get in office.
-This is also called the “Spoils System.”
-The idea was that, if you won election,
you should get to hire people for city
jobs regardless of their qualifications.
Patronage vs. Civil Service
-Many argued the Patronage system was
corrupt. The boss could hire unqualified
people merely for supporting his
candidacy.
-These people argued that only qualified
citizens should service in city positions.
-This idea that one had to be qualified for a
job was called “Civil Service.”
President Hayes and Patronage
-Rutherford B. Hayes, elected president in 1876,
attempted to reform the patronage system.
-Hayes fired those who practiced patronage to
attempt to get qualified people in positions of
power.
-Some politicians were Stalwarts who supported
the Spoils System. Other politicians became
Reformers who supported Civil Service.
Rutherford B. Hayes,
elected in 1876,
attempted to Reform
that Patronage
System so that only
qualified individuals
could serve in
government
positions.
Republicans, Patronage, and Civil Service
- In the election of 1880, Hayes did not run again.
-The Republicans knew the nation was becoming
divided over Patronage so they attempted to run
two men on each side of the issue to avoid
controversy.
-James A. Garfield was nominated as the
Republican Presidential candidate and was a
Reformer. Chester Arthur was nominated as
the vice president and was a Stalwart.
The Republicans did not want the fight over Patronage
vs. Civil Service to divide their party, so, in the election of
1880, the Presidential candidate was a Reformer, but
the Vice Presidential candidate was a Stalwart.
Garfield’s Assassination
-On 7/2/1881, Garfield was assassinated by Charles
Guiteau, who was angry that the Patronage system
did not allow him to get a job in Garfield’s
administration.
-Garfield died on 9/19/1881. After this event, Arthur
altered his beliefs on the issue, became Reformer,
and supported the Pendleton Civil Service Act of
1883.
-This act established a merit system for civil jobs;
which meant one had to deserve a government job
based on credentials to be hired.
Charles Guiteau assassinated President Garfield in a D.C. train
station because Guiteau supported the Spoils System, while
Garfield wanted to bring Reform to the Patronage System.
How do tariffs work?
-First, lets say you have an American business in the USA that sets a price for
a product, such as timber.
-Second, lets say you have a French company that also sells timber, but for a
cheaper price.
-The USA government will place a tax on the French company to ensure their
business can’t compete with the USA company. This tax is called a tariff.
A TARIFF PLACED ON
THE FRENCH PRODUCT
MAKES IT MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN THE
AMERICAN PRODUCT.
Battling Over Tariffs
-Some argued tariffs helped big businesses, but
hurt the common consumer. They argued more
competition would decrease market prices and
make things cheaper.
-In 1884, the first Democrat in 28 years, Grover
Cleveland won the presidency. His goal was lower
tariffs to make prices cheaper for consumers.
-In 1888, many big businesses wanted to increase
tariffs and supported the candidacy of Benjamin
Harrison, a Republican, who won the presidency and
supported higher tariffs.
In this political cartoon, President Grover Cleveland is
depicted as “trimming” the tariff “hedge protection” that he
felt only helped big businesses while the consumer had to
pay high prices. Big businesses are complaining to Uncle
Sam about it.
The Issue Over Tariffs Continues
-In 1892, Grover Cleveland was elected
again! He was the first President to serve two
terms that were not back to back.
-Though reelected, Cleveland was unable to
maintain a significant reduction toward tariffs.
-In 1896, William McKinley, a Republican,
was elected President and supported raising
tariffs again.
Democrats vs. Republicans
-The major economic issue of the late 1800s
was this: should the USA use tariffs to help local
businesses keep their prices high or invite
foreign trade to keep prices low for consumers?
-Many Democrats argued against tariffs to help
keep prices low for consumers.
-Yet, many Republicans argued for high tariffs
to protect American businesses. These opposing
viewpoints dominated the political and economic
debates of the era.
The
End
Copyright, USHistoryTeachers.com
All Rights Reserved.