the community. All in all the gilded age was a time of economic  and industrial expansion throughout the nation.

The Gilded Age was a period in American History of major growth. Industry

saw massive growth with the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Also various other businesses sprung up across the nation causing dramatic

expansion to the West. Ethnic diversity was becoming more and more common

with the immigration of thousands of Chinese among many other groups. The

politics of the time were a corrupt bunch, with sayings such as “pay to

play” being unavoidably true. Also many r social changes occurred. This

was due to the massive wave of immigration that was brought about. There

was also an rise to public organizations that helped

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Gilded Age Newsletter

The Filthiest Years in History

January 1, 1889

Volume 1, Issue 1

Presidents of Gilded Age (1877-1888)

The Gilded Age was home to some of the most hotly contested and corrupted presidential elections of all time. 

                         In 1876, Republicans were rooting for President Ulysses S. Grant to run for a third term.  Because of the deep rift that had formed during Reconstruction between the Executive and Legislative branches, Congress voted to enforce the two term tradition.   In compromise, the Republicans nominated Rutherford B. Hayes.  He ran against Samuel Tilden. 

                         The election resulted in one of the few times that the loser actually won the popular vote.  Hayes won the election but election fraud was discovered in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana.  The commission of the election proposed a Compromise.  The compromise comprised of the conditions that Hayes would become President in return for withdrawing Federal

troops from the South.  The Republicans also assured Democrats of Presidential patronage and support for a bill subsidizing a southern transcontinental railroad route. 

                         The election of 1880 between Republican James Garfield and Democrat Winfield Hancock.  Both of these men rose to fame because of their success as officers in the Civil War.  Garfield  won, but he was assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled Stalwart.  Garfield died a martyr in a corrupt civil service system.  His death advanced Civil Service regulation.  With his death, the Vice President Arthur became President .

                         The election of 1884 was the most political corrupt campaign in the Gilded Age.  James G. Blaine was nominated for the Republican s but he  was  known to be corrupt.  The Democrats in turn nominated Grover

Cleveland who was seen as a reformer and a honest man. 

During the campaign, the Republicans ran a nasty mudslinging campaign.  They claimed that Cleveland was having an illegitimate child.  The Republicans also coined the Republicans as the “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion” Party.  This term insulted all Republicans.  The election resulted in Cleveland winning.  He was the first Democratic President in 28 years. 

                         The Election of 1888  resulted in a new Republican President Benjamin Harrison.  This effectively ended the  Gilded Age.  The election and their subsequent Presidents during the Gilded Age  were extremely corrupt.

People say satire is dead.  It’s not dead.  It’s alive and living in the White House!

-Robin Williams