Gilded Age

• When was the gilded age?

  1876-1890s
• What does the term 'gilding' mean?

  The process of covering a cheap material with a thing gold leaf veneer
• Who were the 4 presidents during the gilded age?

  Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and Cleveland
• What was the political scene dominated by?


  Accusations of corruption, especially in the civil service
• What were the main political problems?

  Patronage, lack of party divisions, no party dominance and weak presidency
• What were the main economic problems?

  Civil service, tariffs, money (gold standard), pensions, regulating big business
• What is the gilded age also known as?


  The industrial age
• What is patronage?


  The process of giving jobs to your political supporters
• What does patronage lead to?

  corruption and elections being rigged
• What is patronage also known as?

  The spoils system
• Why was lack of party divisions a problem?

  Their only difference was slavery views and had the same views on role of big businesses
• Why was weak presidency a problem?

  People realised congress had more power, presidents were figureheads whereas congress held power
• Why was there a problem with there only being 2 parties?

  They only acted nationally at election time and people only got involved for spoils system
• What was the problem with money?

  US was on the gold standard from 1873 so it was difficult if you were poor and many farmers were unhappy
• What was the problem with the civil service?

  Most jobs given by the president, many wanted a merit based system, assassination of Garfield due to not being given a job
• What was the issue with tariffs?

  Divided the USA as farmers hated tariffs but industrialists loved them
• What are tariffs?


  Taxes imposed on imported goods
• What was the issue of pensions?

  After civil war many claimed for pensions but weren't given them. Pensioners were an important pressure group.
• What was the issue with big businesses?

  Dominated politics, the 2 main parties depended on support of big business
• When was Hayes president?

  1877-1881
• What were Hayes' main political events?

  Chinese exclusion act veto and the Hayes compromise
• What was the chinese exclusion act veto?

  Hayes vetoed the bill because it violated US treaty agreements with China
• What were Hayes' main economic events?

  Panic of 1873 and Railroad strike 1877
• What was the panic of 1873?

  financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America
• What was the 1877 railroad strike?

  100,000+ workers striked but it accomplished very little
• When was Garfield president?


  1881
• What was Garfield's view on patronage?

  Wanted to end it
• What did Garfield think about African Americans?

  wanted black suffrage
• Why was Garfield president for less than a year?

  He was assassinated by a man who he refused to give a job to
• When was Arthur president?

  1881-1885
• What was Arthur's main political event?

  Pendlelton Act 1883
• What was the 1883 pendlelton act?

  federal government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that government employees be selected through competitive exams
• What was Arthur's main economic event?

  The tariff of 1883
• What was the tariff of 1883?

  Arthur reduced high tariff rates only maginally
• When was Cleveland president?

  1885-1889, 1893-1897
• Which of Cleveland's terms were more successful?

  1st term
• What was Cleveland's main political event?

  Vetoed 584 bills
• What was Cleveland's main economic events?

  Interstate commerce act, tariffs were 50% on exports and panic of 1893-97
• What and when was the interstate commerce act?

  designed to regulate railroad industry, 1887
• What were Cleveland's main social events?

  Gave 40% of jobs to his friends - patronage