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Politics of Populism & Reform�

POLITICAL MACHINES�

“In Counting There is Strength”�

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What is a Political Machine?�

!   Well organized political parties run by a “political boss”�

!   Controlled cities governments�

!   Oversaw improvements in public services�

!   “Quid Pro Quo” mentality�

Who did they help?�

!   Immigrants, working poor, working class, union workers�

!   Immigrants = most loyal supporters�

!   Politicians provided jobs and housing for votes�

Positives�

!   Gave political and social voice to minorities & poor�

!   Provided jobs and housing �

!   Improved city’s “services”�

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Negatives�! Election Fraud: �

!   Needed to win elections to keep support & power�

!   Offered jobs, housing & political favors for votes�

!   In extreme cases, turned to Voting Fraud�

!   Philly district = 100 registered voters had 252 votes�

! Graft: �

!   Gaining $$ through illegal or dishonest methods�

! Kickbacks = politician receives $$ for giving certain person/company a contract/job �

Tammany Hall & “Boss” Tweed�

!   Social & Political organization, began in 1789 �

!   During 1860s, William “Boss” Tweed controlled Tammany Hall�

!   Controlled contracts for public projects & gov’t jobs... Gained $$ for jobs & contracts�

!   “The Tweed Ring” collected $200 million from 1865-1871 �

!   Thomas Nast created a series of Political Cartoons revealing “Tweed Ring” corruption... Public opinion drastically turned on Tweed�

!   Tweed convicted of fraud & extortion in 1873 �

Tammany Tiger�

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City Boss in Jail?�

“The Tweed Ring”�

“The Kelly Motor” �

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“American River Ganges”�

Homework �

!   “How did Political Machines gain & maintain support? Did they do more good or bad for their supporters/communities? Explain.”�

!   “What effect did Thomas Nast’s cartoons have on public opinion of NYC Political Machines? What did the cartoons expose about the Political Machines?”�

!   “Do you believe Political Machines were a positive or negative on American politics during the Gilded Age? Today?”�

POPULISM�

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Farmer’s Fall From Grace�!   Urbanization hurt farmers <-- massive population

increase had to be fed�

!   U.S. farmers grew more animals, planted more crops, bought more land & machinery... U.S. began to buy from other countries.... Too much supply not enough demand = prices rapidly fell�

!   Many farmers borrowed $$ or put land up for security for loans... Caused many to lose their land OR were forced to become tenant farmers�

!   “The railroads have never been so prosperous... The banks have never done a better business.... And yet agriculture languishes.” - Unnamed Farmer�

Farmer’s Organize�! Grange Movement: �

!   Focused on economic & political issues�

!   Farmers worked together to produce food & lower costs, sold goods directly to markets = make more $$�

!   Pressured states to regulate RR shipping costs & storage rates�

!   Many midwest states passed “Granger Laws”�

! Interstate Commerce Act (1887) = prevented RR’s from giving secret kickbacks to large shippers & overcharging small/short shippers... “Reasonable & just” shipping rates�

Farmer’s Organize�! Alliance Movement �

!   Farmers wanted more $$ in circulation �

!   Thought they could charge more $$ for goods�

!   Farmers could pay off their bank loans�

!   Before 1873 US $$ was backed by silver & gold... After 1873 US $$ only backed by gold�

!   Why was this bad?�

!   Alliance movement supported EVERY pro-farmer candidate in 1890 Elections�

!   Gained over 40 seats in Congress & 4 Governorships�

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Populist Party�!   Alliance & Grange members, Union leaders &

politicians = The People’s Party aka “Populist Party”�

! Platform: Graduated income tax, bank regulation, nationalization of RR & telegraph companies, free & unlimited coinage of silver, restrictions on immigration, shorter workday & voting reforms�

!   1892 Presidential Election = (D) Grover Cleveland, (R) Benjamin Harrison, (P) James Weaver�

!   Cleveland won Presidency, Populists won over 10 seats in Congress & dozens of state gov’t positions �

!   Weaver won 1 million votes & 22 Electoral votes�

1893 Depression �

!   Economic Depression of 1893 was blamed on the Populists & the Sherman Silver Purchase Act �

Election of 1896 & The End of Populist Party�

!   Ohio (R) William McKinley vs. (D) William Jennings Bryan (a free silver & populist supporter)�

!   Populist Party supported Bryan �

!   McKinley won the election by 500,000 total votes�

!   Populist Party faded as a national party after election �

!   “The seeds we sowed out in Kansas did not fall on barren ground.” - Populist leader Mary Elizabeth Lease (1914)�

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Homework �

!   Can you think of any modern day “Populist Party” or “Populist Movement” in America or any other country? Why do you believe this group is a “Populist” political party? Explain.�

LABOR UNIONS�

Samuel Gompers & “Company Towns”�

!   “Miner’s families… had to make their purchases of all the necessaries of life, meager as they were, form the company stores at double the prices for which they could be had elsewhere… It was a common saying that children were brought into the world by the company doctor, lived in a company house… were buried in a company coffin, and laid away in the company graveyard.” �

!   How does this quote describe the lives of children in Company Towns?�

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Labor Unions �

! AFL �

!   American Federation of Labor�

!   Worked within “system”�

!   Run by Samuel Gompers�

!   Excluded unskilled workers (urban workers, Eastern European immigrants, African Americans)�

Labor Unions �

! IWW �

!   Industrial Workers of the World�

!   Opposed Capitalism, led by William “Big Bill” Hayward�

!   Organized Lumber workers, migrant farmers, miners, texile workers... African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans & Women �

!   In order to “overthrow” capitalism�

Labor Unions �!   “[Union women working] side by side with men in

strikes will soon develop a fighting force that will end capitalism and its horrors in short order.” - IWW Newspaper�

!   Army(L) vs. IWW (R)�

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RACIAL POPULISM�

W.E.B. Du Bois�!   One of the most influential African Americans during

early 1900s�

!   Wrote The Souls of Black Folk in 1903 �

!   Dual identification as Black & American �

!   He organized a series of Pan-African congresses & attracted black leaders from around the world�

!   In 1961, joined Communist Party & moved to Ghana�

!   Black Nationalist, scholar & political activist �

N.A.A.C.P.�

!   National Association for the Advancement of Colored People�

!   Founded by W.E.B. Du Bois�

!   Dedicated to ending racial discrimination �

!   Used court system to fight for civil rights�

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National Urban League�

!   Founded in 1911 by blacks & whites�

!   Also fought for racial equality�

!   Improved job opportunities & housing for urban African Americans�

!   Wanted to help African American migrants from southern states adjust to new northern cities�

URBAN & POLITICAL REFORM�

Tenement Houses�

! New York State Tenement House Act: �

!   Required any new tenement houses be built around open courtyards to allow in light & air�

!   Must have 1 bathroom in every apt �

!   Other states followed NY�

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Election Reform�! Direct Primary: A nominating election where voters

choose the candidates who later run in the General Election (Democratic Party elects their candidate, Republican Party elects their candidate = 2 candidates for General Election)�

! 17th Amendment: 1913 - Voters had the power to elect their Senators directly (NJ voters elected Bob Menendez to Senate = 17th Amendment)�

! Recall: Allows voters to remove an elected official from office by having a special election (usually done if politicians are CORRUPT)�

Election Reform�!   “Today is states having the primary under the state

control the corporation [political machine] candidate for any public office is handicapped.” - William Allen White, The Revival of Democracy (1910)�

!   How did most Americans feel about the new election process?�

!   Most Americans vote now counted... Big Business & Political Machines DO NOT control elections <-- ¡¡¡THIS IS GOOD!!! �

Reforming Government �!   Robert M. La Follette created Wisconsin Idea �

!   Called for: �

!   Direct Primaries�

!   Increase in taxes on RR & public utilities (electric, gas, streetcar companies, etc)�

!   Create panels to regulate companies in the PUBLIC INTEREST �

!   Supported Labor Reforms & Unions�

!   His policies influenced other state leaders�

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Prohibition �!   Anti Saloon League & Women’s Christian Temperance

Union led crusade against alcohol�

!   ASL had branches in 39 states with 200 staff members�

!   Saloons were “the parent of crimes and the mother of sins”�

!   1917 congress proposed 18th Amendment... 1919 states ratified 18th Amendment �

! 18th Amendment = Banned manufacture, sale & distribution of alcoholic beverages�