UNITED STATES HISTORY

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UNITED STATES HISTORY 11.2.4 POLITICAL
MACHINE/ GILDED AGE
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GRAFT
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GRAFT

• ILLEGAL USE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE FOR PERSONAL
  GAIN

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POLITICAL MACHINES
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POLITICAL MACHINE

• A GROUP THAT CONTROLLED A POLITICAL PARTY IN A
  CITY OFFERED FAVORS TO VOTERS BUSINESSES FOR
  POL. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

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kickbacks
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KICKBACKS

• ILLEGAL PAYMENT

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Gilded age
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GILDED AGE

• 1870-1890 PERIOD WHEN WEALTH CONCEALED CORRUPT
  POLITICS GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR GREW

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patronage
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PATRONAGE

• GIVING GOVT JOBS TO PEOPLE WHO HAD HELPED
  CANDIDATE GET ELECTED
• ALSO KNOWN AS SPOILS SYSTEM

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POLITICAL MACHINES

• 1870S- 1890S (Gilded Age) political machines
  controlled municipal (city) govt of most major
  cities
• LED TO GRAFT/CORRUPTION
• CAUSES

• Rapid urbanization
• Social Darwinism

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CORRUPTION

• Graft
• Election fraud
• Kickbacks
• Bribes

• Police forces were hired and fired by political
  bosses.

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• Once in control Members of pol. machine could
  become VERY wealthy through graft

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the pyramid

• Political boss Controlled pol. party in city
• Ward boss secure votes by doing favors for poor
  providing city jobs, contracts, and
  appointments
• Precinct captain gain votes on a city block
  report to ward boss

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ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS

• Controlled thousands of jobs Fire, police, and
  sanitation departments
• Controlled business licenses and inspections
• Influenced courts

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IMMIGRANTS ROLE

• Immigrants supported pol. machines because they
  received favors Jobs, homes, naturalization
• Many pol. boss were first or second generation
  immigrants.

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TWEED RING SCANDAL

• Tammany Hall - New York Citys powerful
  Democratic Party machine
• William Marcy Tweed was early boss of Tammany
  Hall.

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• Tweed Tweed Ring pocketed 200 million in graft
  and bribes

• NY CITY HALL
• cost taxpayers 11 (145) million
• actual cost 3 million
• Tweed Ring pocketed

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(No Transcript)
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• A political cartoon of Thomas Nast

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• What did political bosses have in common with
  the robber barons?

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• Both groups amassed huge fortunes both legally
  and illegally, but also did some social good.

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• Who developed term, The Gilded Age?

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Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons) Charles Dudley
  Warner collaborated to write satirical novel, The
  Gilded Age.

• novel used satire to depict American society
  from 1870 to 1900.
• characterized as obsessed with growing material
  wealth contented poor allowed wealthy to control
  politics, which led to graft and corruption.

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• Characteristics of national pol. in Gilded Age?

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• corrupt and responsive to needs of Corporate
  America

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• Most govt jobs given out through patronage in
  the 1800S

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• What were the effects of patronage?

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• Incompetence
• graft and corruption
• Decreased efficiency
• Led to demand for civil service reform

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• What were demands of civil service reformers?

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• reformers wanted jobs awarded to most competent,
  regardless of political loyalties (bipartisan)

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What was Pendleton Act?
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• Federal jobs would be awarded on merit

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• What were effects of Pendleton Act?

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• Federal jobs filled by more competent and honest
  individuals.
• Federal administration became more efficient.
• Politicians found other ways to raise campaign
  funds political support.
• alliance between government and big business
  became stronger

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• Why did tariffs become an important national
  issue during the Gilded Age?

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• tariffs were needed to protect American industries

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• What Act raises tariffs to highest level ever?

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• President Benjamin Harrison passes McKinley
  Tariff Act which raised tariffs to the highest
  rates ever

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Became first president to serve two non
consecutive terms?
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Grover Cleveland