The Gilded Age: 1878 - 1889 "What is the chief end of man?--to get rich. In what way?--dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must.

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The Gilded Age 1878 - 1889"What is the chief
end of man?--to get rich. In what
way?--dishonestly if we can honestly if we
must. Mark Twain

• Period of corruption during the 2nd Industrial
  Revolution
• Tariff were high during the Gilded Age
• Graft Illegally using political power for
  personal gain
• Patronage Giving loyal party supporters
  government jobs
• The Merit System To get a government job, you
  had to take a civil service exam to prove you
  could to the job
• Job promotion based on ability, not who you know,
  who you vote for, or how much money you have

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Political Machines

• Corrupt form of local government that has control
  of a city
• Supported by immigrants
• Offered protection, employment, financial
  assistance etc
• Traded votes for favors
• If the immigrant voted for the political machine,
  the immigrant would receive a job, protection
  etc.
• Headed by a City Boss

3
Boss Tweed

• Head of the New York City Democratic Political
  Machine between the 1860s-1870s
• Tammany Hall was Boss Tweeds headquarters in NYC
• Thomas Nast Political cartoon artists who
  exposed Tweeds corruption in his drawings
• Hated Tweed

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The Tammany Tiger Loose - What are you going to
do about it?
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BUSTED!!!!

• Busted on 200 counts of fraud extortion
• 12 yrs., escaped
• Caught by Spanish police recognized him from
  Nast cartoon

6
Garfield, Arthur Stalwarts

• President Hayes began some reform movements to
  end govt. corruption before he left office
• Angered many Democrats, as these reforms
  prevented them from gaining office
• James Garfield, a Republican, won the 1880
  election with Chester Arthur as his VP
• Ran on a platform of government reform
• Stalwarts Republicans who did not support
  government reforms
• They might lose their job power
• Didnt support Garfield, but like Arthur, as he
  didnt like reforms

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Garfield, Arthur Guiteau

• Within months of his election, Garfield is doing
  away with Patronage the Spoils Systems
• Charles Guiteau was promised a government job,
  which Garfield would not honor
• Shoots Garfield in the back in a crowded train
  station
• Garfield dies within weeks due to doctor caused
  complication

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Chester A. Arthur1881 - 1885

• Finished out Garfields term
• Has a change of heart focused on reform
  movement to stop corruption in government
• Turned on the stalwarts
• Passed the Pendleton Act of 1883
• The merit system would be used to obtain
  government jobs

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Grover Cleveland1885 1889 1893-1897

• Only President to serve non-consecutive terms
• Democrat
• Wanted to lower tariffs, but was unsuccessful
  because Congress did not support him
• Believed that voting should be based on
  opportunity, not ability
• Didnt think immigrants should have to pay the
  poll tax or take the literacy exam

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Benjamin Harrison1889 - 1893

• Lost the popular vote, but won the election of
  1888 through the electoral college
• Supported by big business
• Singed many bills to internal improvements
• Navy
• Statehood of Hawaii
• Signed the Sherman Anti-Trust Law
• Biggest domestic problem during his presidency
  was high tariffs
• Wanted to lower, but couldnt would lose
  support from big business

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Conclusion

• The increase in immigration caused many problems
• Urbanization political
• Political machines government corruption caused
  reforms