“Underneath the surface of glitter and gold, a world of corruption is revealed”

Mark Twain

1873

•"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." (Shakespeare’s, King John)

•The “ideal” Golden Age compared The “less worthy” Gilded Age

Gilded: having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth

“Unless you can get the ear of a Senator...and persuade him to use his ‘influence’ in your behalf, you cannot get an employment of the most trivial

nature in Washington. Mere merit, fitness and capability, are useless baggage to you without ‘influence…it would be an odd circumstance to see a girl get employment…merely because she was worthy and a competent, and

a good citizen of a free country that ‘treats all persons alike.’”

Society Segregation increased when the northern troops left

-Jim Crow laws-poll tax & literacy test

Immigration increased dramatically-discrimination

-life style

$Economy$

Coinage Act of 1873: • Added silver with gold as the

national currency (bimetallism) • Put more money in circulation

Gold Standard:The government use of

gold as the basis of the nation’s currency

McKinley Tariff:•Protective tariff on imports of manufactured goods and agricultural products•Rose farm equipment prices

President McKinley

The Populist Party1891

Farmer’s Alliance1885

• Abundance of agricultural supply not enough demand

• Prices of produce went down • Competitive world agricultural

market• Farmers were in debt pay off in

cheaper dollars (inflate the currency—make more money available)

Graduated income tax

Restriction on immigration

8 hour work day

Government ownership of railroadsElection of US senators by popular vote

Federal loan program for farmers

Increase in money supply

-Presidents• U.S. Grant (1869-1877) • Benjamin Hayes (1877-1881)• James Garfield (1881) • Chester Arthur (1885-1889)

-Corruption, Spoils system and The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

- Major Political PartiesDemocrats Republicans Dominated by white southerners Northern Whites Catholics Support from African AmericansUrban workers/ farmers Half Breeds and Stalwarts

“One might search the whole list of Congress, Judiciary, and Executive… from 1870 to 1895, and find little but damaged reputation.” – Henry Adams

“One might search the whole list of Congress, Judiciary, and Executive… from 1870 to 1895, and find little but damaged reputation.” – Henry Adams

Primary Source

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Sage, Henry J. “Politics in the gilded age.” Sage History. 2005-6. http://www.sagehistory.net/gildedage/GildedAPolitics.htm

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Clemens, Samuel. "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today." The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. 9 May 2009. Wikipedia. 26 Apr. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=1379823>. Learn About the Gilded Age. 13 May 2009. Digital History. 6 May 2009 < http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/gilded_age/index.cfm>. The Bosses of Senate. 7 May 2009 http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/capitalism/image/bosses.jpg.

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http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/tariff.gifhttp://www.nebraskastudies.org/0600/media/0601_030301.jpg