Changes

On the SAT II, about 20% of the test concerns ''economic'' history.  That's a big portion of the exam.  This includes questions about unions, money standards (gold or silver or paper), inventions, trade, taxes, farming, court decisions about economic disputes, and anything else effecting the economy.  Economic trends influence the course of human events more than students realize.   

On the SAT II, about 20% of the test concerns ''economic'' history.  That's a big portion of the exam.  This includes questions about unions, money standards (gold or silver or paper), inventions, trade, taxes, farming, court decisions about economic disputes, and anything else effecting the economy.  Economic trends influence the course of human events more than students realize.   

In the time period after the end of Reconstruction (1877) until the key presidential election of 1896, economic issues were particularly important.  Nothing much else was going on: the presidents were unremarkable, social disputes like slavery no longer existed, and there were no wars.  So what's left to study?  The economy.  Many of the 20% of economic questions on the SAT II will come from 1877-1896 because nothing else was happening then.  But if like economic issues, this is an exciting time period to study.

In the time period after the end of Reconstruction (1877) until the key presidential election of 1896, economic issues were particularly important.  Nothing much else was going on: the presidents were unremarkable, social disputes like slavery no longer existed, and there were no wars.

 

The Supreme Court ruled in 1883, in the Civil Rights Cases, that the Fourteenth Amendment was limited to prohibiting racial discrimination by government.  These decisions held that the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to racism by private groups.  This ended the civil rights movement until the 1950s.  So there is nothing to learn about civil rights concerning the late 1800s.

 

So what's left to study about 1877 to 1896?  The economy.  Many of the 20% of economic questions on the SAT II will come from 1877-1896 because nothing else was happening then.  But if like economic issues, this is an exciting time period to study.  The economy was ''booming''.  The greatest inventions in the history of mankind occurred during this period.  Our prosperity today is party a result of the tremendous breakthroughs of that era.

But first, a little review.

But first, a little review.

== Review ==

== Review ==

== The Election of 1880 ==

== The Election of 1880 ==

The “spoils systems” was an important part of these political machines, and even the Republican Party U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, supported it.  Under the “spoils system” or “patronage system”, the winner of an election gets to hand out government jobs to his supporters.  “To the victors go the spoils,” is the famous saying.  The “Stalwarts” in the Republican Party favored this system, which insured that holdovers who disagreed with the winner would be fired and everyone in the new administration would agree with the new leader.  Against the Stalwarts were moderates who wanted a civil service system where a government employee would keep his job even after a new leader is elected.  They sought “reform” of the spoils system.

The “spoils systems” was an important part of these political machines, and even the Republican Party U.S. Senator from New York, Roscoe Conkling, supported it.  Under the “spoils system” or “patronage system”, the winner of an election gets to hand out government jobs to his supporters.  “To the victors go the spoils,” is the famous saying.  The “Stalwarts” in the Republican Party favored this system, which insured that holdovers who disagreed with the winner would be fired and everyone in the new administration would agree with the new leader.  Against the Stalwarts were moderates who wanted a civil service system where a government employee would keep his job even after a new leader is elected.  They sought “reform” of the spoils system.

Slavery was no longer an issue from the end of Reconstruction through 1900.  With the exception of one politician (Democrat Grover Cleveland, who looked like a Republican because he was from New York, favored the gold standard and opposed unions by sending in troops to put down the Pullman Strike in Chicago in 1894), Republicans controlled the White House.  During the Gilded Age, there were business scandals and there were political scandals.  But there was also tremendous prosperity.

Slavery was no longer an issue from the end of Reconstruction through 1900.  With the exception of one politician (Democrat Grover Cleveland, who looked like a Republican because he was from New York, favored the gold standard and opposed unions by sending in troops to put down the Pullman Strike in Chicago in 1894), Republicans controlled the White House.  During the Gilded Age, there were business scandals and there were political scandals.  But there was also tremendous prosperity.

== Economics  

== Economics ==

This was the “Gilded Age,” a term coined by the extremely successful writer from Missouri, Mark Twain (his real name was Samuel Clemens).  

This was the “Gilded Age,” a term coined by the extremely successful writer from Missouri, Mark Twain (his real name was Samuel Clemens).  

:“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it. …

:“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it. …

:If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

:If they dare to come out in the open field and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of the nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”