This document discusses the greed, graft, and corruption that existed in American politics during the Gilded Age. Political machines and bosses controlled cities by distributing government jobs and favors to their supporters. This created a system of patronage and allowed political bosses to demand kickbacks and engage in other corrupt practices that wasted taxpayers' money. Political cartoons by artists like Thomas Nast helped expose scandals and corruption and calls grew for reform to the spoils system and civil service.
Covers key events in the presidency of John Adams, including the Quasi-War, the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the development of strict constructionist and broad constructionist interpretations of the United States Constitution.
Covers key events in the presidency of John Adams, including the Quasi-War, the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the development of strict constructionist and broad constructionist interpretations of the United States Constitution.
Introduction Hi, Im John Green. This is Crash CourTatianaMajor22
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Introduction
Hi, I'm John Green. This is Crash Course U.S. History, and today we're going to continue our look
at the Gilded Age by focusing on political science.
Mr. Green! Mr. Green! So it's another history class where we don't actually talk about history?
Oh, me from the past. Your insistence on trying to place academic exploration into little boxes
creates a little box that you yourself will live in for the rest of your life if you don't put your
interdisciplinary party hat on!
So the Gilded Age takes its name from a book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that was
called The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today. It was published in 1873, and it was not that successful.
But while the Gilded Age conjures up visions of fancy parties and ostentatious displays of wealth,
the book itself was about politics, and it gives a very negative appraisal of the state of American
democracy at the time. Which shouldn't come as a huge surprise coming from Twain, whose
comments about Congress included, "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a
member of Congress. But I repeat myself." And also, "It could probably be shown by facts and
figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."
So when faced with the significant changes taking place in the American economy after the Civil
War, America's political system both nationally and locally dealt with these problems in the best
way possible: by becoming incredibly corrupt.
[Crash Course intro]
Ohhh, Stan says I have to taken off my party hat. Ruh, ruhr ruhrrr.
The Urban Political Machine
So former House speaker Tip O'Neil once famously said that all politics is local, and although that
isn't actually true, I am going to start with local politics today. Specifically, one of America's
greatest inventions: the urban political machine. So a political machine is basically an organization
that works to win elections so that they can exercise power. The most famous political machine
was New York City's Tammany Hall, which dominated Democratic Party politics in the late 19th
century, survived until the 20th, and is keenly associated with corruption.
The Mystery Document
Oh, it's already time for the mystery document? This is highly unorthodox, Stan. Well, the rules here
are simple; I guess the author of the mystery document, I'm usually wrong, and I get shocked with
the shock pen. All right, let's see what we got here.
Mystery document: "My party's in power in the city, and it's going to undertake a lot of public
improvements. Well, I'm tipped off, say, that they're going to lay out a new park at a certain place
and buy up all the land I can in the neighborhood. Then the board of this or that makes its plan
public, and there is a rush to get my land, which nobody cared particular for before. Ain't it perfectly
honest to charge a good price and make a profit on my investment and foresight. Of course it is.
That's h ...
1. Greed, Graft & Corruption of
Politics in the Gilded Age
U.S. History II
Ms. White
2. Bellwork:
⢠Have you ever done a favor for
someone or given a person a gift
with the expectation of getting
something in return for it?
⢠Do you think that this practice is
common among politicians today?
Explain why or why not?
4. Learning Objectives:
⢠Understand the role of political machines and
bosses.
⢠Understand how some politiciansâ greed and fraud
cost the taxpayers millions of dollars.
⢠Understand the measures taken by president
Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur to reform the spoils
system.
⢠Understand the positions taken by presidents
Cleveland, Harrison, and McKinley on the tariff
issue.
5. Gilded Age Political Machines
⢠What does gilded mean?
⢠To cover something with a thin layer of
gold leaf or a substance that looks like
gold.
6. Why is this time period in American
Politics referred to as the Gilded Age?
APPEARANCE REALITY
VS.
THE âSHINYâ EXTERIOR THE ROTTEN CORE
7. The âGilded Ageâ?
There are many young
men in American
society, though well-
educated, who let
themselves drift,
hoping to find the
GOLDEN road to
fortune. In a society of
princes and paupers,
everybody was hoping
to get rich quick.
âTwain & Warner 1873
8. What Factors Paved the Way for
the Gilded Age?
IMMIGRATION â Mass movement of
a group of people from one place to
another.
INDUSTRIALIZATION â
Concentration of machines and labor
to produce consumer goods and
services.
URBANIZATION â Growth of cities
and concentration of population (# of
people) in cities.
9. So What?
--Immigrants pour into cities (urban areas).
--Cities are ridden with problems due to overcrowding, crime,
sanitation, etc.
--Workers endure long hours, low pay, & dangerous conditions.
--Factory Owners and Political Parties look for ways to exercise
power and influence over the ânew arrivals.â
--Political Machines dominate local politics in cities and compete
for votes and power and influence.
IMMIGRATION +INDUSTRIALIZATION+ URBANIZATION
POLITICAL MACHINES
10. POLITICAL MACHINE
An organized group that controlled the activities of a political party
in a city.
Political Machines Controlled:
ďaccess to municipal (government) jobs
Examples: police, firefighters, teachers, post office, town
employees, etc.
ďaccess to permits and licenses
Examples: building permits for construction projects and
liquor licenses
ďcourt systems (judges) and other city organizations
12. The Role of the Political âBossâ
-In charge of a cityâs
political machine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy178zHz
Video clip From Boardwalk Empire
on Atlantic Cityâs political machine
controlled by Nucky Thompson in the
1920âs.
âLEGITIMATEâ GANGSTERS?
13. How a Political Boss stays in Power
Besides being involved in corrupt scandals, some political
bosses held power by:
ďFunding urban betterment projects.
ďEx. Building roads, parks, police force
ďHelping small businesses. Ex. Loans, building permits
ďAssisting immigrants with the naturalization process.
14. Political machines and bosses would
use many underhanded methods to keep
power:
ďVoter fraud-Missing ballots,
Fake voter names, Dead
folks voting,
ďBribery-use of illegal
payments or âkickbacksâ
from activities.
ď Police Force- Control over
city crime and police forces.
15. Graft
⢠The illegal use of political
influence for personal
gain.
⢠Example: By helping a
person find work on a
construction project for
the city a political boss
could ask the worker to
bill the city for more than Create your own example of
the actual cost. The graft.
worker then kickbacks a
portion of the earning to Read the DiMasi found guilty
the political machine. on 7 out of 9 counts in
kickback scheme article &
answer the questions.
16. âBossâ Tweed and Tammany Hall
Head of Tammany Hall New York
Cityâs the Democratic Political
Machine.
1869-1871 led the Tweed Ring
Defrauds NYC of $10 million in
County Courthouse scheme.
Thomas Nast a political cartoonist
helped arouse public outrage
against Tammany Hall.
Tweed ring was broken in 1871,
and Boss Tweed was convicted of
fraud. He escaped to Spain;
captured and imprisoned, but was
later captured when officials
identified him from a Nast cartoon.
17. Tammany Hall Graft
⢠In 1871, the New York Times ran a series of news stories
exposing massive corruption by members of Tammany Hall,
the Democratic political machine in New York City run by
William âBossâ Tweed.
⢠The Times obtained evidence that the Tweed Ring
stole the publics money in the form of inflated
payments to government contractors.
⢠Example: Tweed ran a scheme to defraud taxpayers
out of $10 million by charging the city $13 million to
build a new courthouse when it only cost $3 million to
build
18. Tammany Ring
⢠Who Stole the Peopleâs Money? â Do Tell (NY
TIMES) âT Was Him
19. William âBossâ Tweed
Boss Tweed offered the
owner of theTimes $5 million
not to publish the material
and Nast $500,000 to cease
his cartoon attacks.
Tweed said, I donât care so
much what the papers write
about me-my constituents
canât read; but⌠they can see
pictures!â Both offers were
refused.
Tweed was imprisoned, but
later escaped, only to later be
identified in Spain by
someone who recognized him
from Nastâs caricatured
version.
20. Political Cartoons
⢠Political Cartoons- representative or
symbolic drawings that make a satirical,
witty, or humorous point to influence
government action and public opinion.
Thomas Nast - a political
cartoonist who helped arouse
public outrage against Boss
Tweed and helped bring about
his demise.
21. Elements of Political Cartoons
⢠Use of exaggerated features and or physical
characteristics.
⢠Caricature exaggerates or distorts a personâs
prominent features to allow the viewer to identify a
him or her quickly.
⢠Use of symbols or other recognizable icons to
visually represent abstract ideas.
⢠Use of satire, wit, irony, sarcasm, humor and ridicule
to attack the vices and follies of humankind.
⢠Presence of an opinion or message by the
author.
22. Exaggeration
Identify symbols.
What do the symbols
represent?
Who is the Giant?
What is exaggerated
in the cartoon?
What purpose does
the exaggeration
serve?
What is the message?
Can the Law Reach Him? â The Dwarf & the Giant Thief
23. Symbols
⢠What symbols are
used in this
cartoon?
⢠Who is this
depicting?
⢠What is the
message?
⢠(Hint: Why did the
artist use a money
bag for his head??
âThe Brainsâ
24. Satire, Wit, Humor, Irony, &
Sarcasm
⢠Does the cartoon
use humor to
make its point? If
so, how?
25. Authorâs Opinion or Message
⢠What do you
think the
authorâs The Ballot
message is? In
Counting
⢠How do they There is
Strength
feel about
the topic?
Caption: âThatâs Whatâs The Matterâ
Boss Tweed, âAs long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?â
27. Thomas Nast Political Cartoon
⢠What is the setting of the cartoon?
⢠The female is Columbia a poetic name for the
united States. What is happening to Columbia in
this cartoon?
⢠What does the tiger represent?
⢠Who is watching from the stands on the left?
⢠What is the significance of the town piece of
paper under the tigers paw that reads, âLAWâ?
⢠Who is the tigers next victim?
⢠What effect do you think the cartoonists, wanted
his cartoon to have on his readers?
28. Who is the man in the
cartoon?
What is the man wearing?
What is happening to
everything around him?
What do you think the
message is that the
cartoonist is trying to
convey?
Who created the cartoon?
What are you laughing at? To
the victor belongs the spoils.â
29. Create Your Own Political Cartoon
⢠Create a political cartoon that reflects the
urban political scene during the Gilded
Age.
Suggested Ideas
⢠How a political machine uses graft,
kickbacks, bribes, etc.
⢠How political bosses provided services to
immigrants in exchange for their votes.
⢠How political machines affect taxpayers.
31. Group Work
⢠Arrange yourselves into groups of three.
⢠Teacher will distribute a Gilded Age political
cartoon and cartoon analysis worksheet.
⢠Spend approximately 5 minutes analyzing the
cartoon individually and complete the cartoon
analysis worksheet.
⢠As a group share your findings and discuss the
elements of the political cartoon and how it ties
in with Gilded Age politics.
⢠Share your political cartoon analysis with the
class.
32. Calls for âChangeâ: Political Reform
PATRONAGE â Giving
jobs in government to
political supporters (Not
based on âmeritâ).
Reform in CIVIL SERVICE
â Government jobs; should
no longer be âhanded outâ
to people who supported a
candidate or political party.
33. Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican elected in 1876
No support from Congress to make
âreforms.â
Named independents to his cabinet
& to set up a commission to
investigate nationâs customhouses,
which were big centers of patronage.
Angers the Stalwarts-Republicans
who donât want civil service reform.
Does NOT decide to run for re-
election.
34. The Garfield / Arthur Ticket: A âCompromiseâ?
⢠1880: Republican party
nominates James Garfield,
an independent reformer.
⢠Chester Arthur, connected
to the Stalwarts was
nominated for VP
candidate.
⢠Garfield gives reformers
most of his patronage jobs.
⢠Garfield was shot and killed
in 1881 by a disgruntled
Stalwart lawyer.
⢠Arthur takes the role of
President; takes on the role
of âreformer.â
35. Arthur and the Pendleton Civil Service
Act (1883)
⢠A bipartisan civil service
commission to make appointments
to federal jobs based on merit.
⢠Gets rid of the Spoils System â
Giving government jobs based on
âloyalty.â
⢠Establishes the Merit System â
Jobs now given based on merit-
ability, experience,& qualifications.
⢠Limit on number of family
members that could apply for civil
service jobs.
⢠Preferential treatment for veteran
applications.
36. Big Business & Tariffs
What is a tariff?
Tariff- a tax or fee to be paid on a particular
class of imports or exports.
How does an increase in tariffs (tax) effect the
price/cost of goods?
Which goods would American consumers buy
(American made or foreign imports) if tariffs
were increased and Why?
37. Big Business & Tariffs
US businesses hoped
How do high tariffs the government
(taxes) on imports would preserve or
protect American even raise the tariff
businesses? (a tax on imported
goods) to protect
their domestic
Which group in industries from
society would foreign competition.
supporter lower ⢠Democrats
tariffs and why? traditionally did NOT
Consumers support high tariffs.
38. Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland (1884):
Nominated by the Democratic
party
Lower
⢠Democratic Party supports Tariffs
lower tariffs
⢠Could not get Congressional
support to lower tariffs
⢠Does NOT win re-election.
Consumers, working
⢠Who would vote Democratic? class & poor people
39. Benjamin Harrison Raises Tariffs
⢠Benjamin Harrison(1888):
Nominated by the Republican
party
Tariffs
are
⢠Republican Party supports AWESOME!
higher tariffs
⢠He signs the McKinley Tariff
Act.
⢠Taxes on foreign manufactured
goods to their highest level ever.
Who would vote Republican?
(which group in society would
40. Cleveland Makes His Comeback!
⢠Re-elected as president in
1892.
⢠Refuses to lower tariffs
since it gives tax money to
the Federal Government.
⢠In the end, tariffs remain
high.
Editor's Notes
What is the setting of the cartoon? The female is Columbia a poetic name for the united States. What is happening to Columbia in this cartoon? What does the tiger represent? Who is watching from the stands on the left? What is the significance of the town piece of paper under the tigers paw that reads, âLAWâ? Who is the tigers next victim? What effect do you think the cartoonists, wanted his cartoon to have on his readers?