Section: Reading

121) "The Gilded Age and Rutherford B. Hayes -- The period in American history between the Reconstruction and the Progressive Era is commonly known as the Gilded Age. In this period, the US seemed to be simultaneously abandoning the ideals of the past and failing to anticipate the future; this was in large part due to the confusion of a horrendous Civil War and massive immigration, industrialization, and urbanization. During this period, many Americans sought refuge in community organizations like the Moose Lodge, the Elks Club, and the Masonic Lodge. The politicians of the Gilded Age tended to avoid the major issues of social injustice and inequality, instead focusing on minor issues like public v. parochial schools, and the blue laws (laws restricting commercial activity on Sunday). Foolishly, Rutherford B. Hayes made himself a lame-duck president by announcing soon after taking office that he would not seek a second term. Hayes’ wife was nicknamed “Lemonade Lucy,” because she would not allow any alcohol in the White House. Hayes tried to restore the power of the presidency after the debacle of Grant, but he was weakened by intense struggles over his Cabinet confirmations. One thing Hayes can be credited with is making a gallant attempt to destroy the spoils system. He replaced the Collector of the Customs House after discovering the corruption of that body, and he appointed Carl Schurz Secretary of the Interior on the basis of merit. In turn, Schurz established a merit system in his department, creating an entrance exam for potential employees. One of the failures of the Hayes administration was its handling of the Great Rail Strike of 1877. When over two-thirds of the rail lines were shut down by strikes, Hayes sent in federal troops, and there was considerable bloodshed. This set a bad precedent for how strikes would be handled in the future. Hayes also vetoed an attempt by western labor unions to restrict Chinese immigration, saying that this would be a violation of the Burlingame Treaty. One of the main issues in the Hayes years was monetary policy. Farmers, who were often in debt, wanted a soft currency not backed by anything; they were willing to settle for a silver standard. In Hepburn v. Griswold (1869), the Supreme Court had ruled that there could not be paper money without a gold standard; in the Legal Tender cases of 1871, however, the Court reversed itself. The bickering over these conflicting rulings plagued the Hayes administration. After the Specie Resumption Act of 1875, Hayes worked to minimize the effects of the oncoming “day of redemption,” in which paper money could be exchanged for gold coins. He began a policy of contraction, wherein the government gradually took in paper money and issued gold, and he funded attempts to mine more gold. The Greenbackers were those who wanted Hayes to postpone the day of redemption; he did not, and it ultimately proved anticlimactic, as people assumed their paper money was “good as gold” and didn’t bother to redeem it. Hayes also had to deal with the Silverites. In 1873, the government had enraged silver prospectors by announcing that it would no longer make coins out of silver. In answer to their fury, Hayes pushed through the Bland-Allison Act, which established that a minimum of $2 million of silver had to be purchased and coined by the government every month.


Why do you think many Americans sought refuge in community organizations during the Gilded Age? "