AP Chapter 19 Study Guide

Politics of the Gilded Age and Populism

1. How were the views and policies of Democrats and Republicans different at this time?

2. What accounts for both the stability and high voter turnout for the age? Why was there significant part loyalty?

3. What were the responsibilities of the federal government during this age? Why were the roles of the president and the federal government so limited?

4. Why was patronage such a controversial issue during the age? How was it involved in the James Garfield assassination?

5. What personal scandal plagued Grover Cleveland's campaign in 1884? Why did he win the presidency in spite of it?

6. How did state legislatures attempt to regulate the railroads? What was the response to these regulations of the Supreme Court in these rulings?:Munn v Illinois; Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railway Co. v Illinois.

7. What factors lead to the rise of the Granger Movement? What were their goals and tactics? How successful were they?

8. What were the goals of the Farmers’ Alliances? What were its successes and failures?

9. What caused the rise of Populism? Who did the movement appeal to and what were its major obstacles for success?

10. What were the major causes of the Panic of 1893? How did President Cleveland respond to this depression?What were its major effects?

11. What accounts for the contrasting positive and negative historical attitude toward Populism and its legacy? (See Where Historians Disagree)

12. What was the “Silver Question”? Where did the major political parties stand on the monetary issue?

13. What was the “Crime of ‘73”? What were the two groups that intended to undo that “crime” and how did their methods differ?

14. What led to the rise of William Jennings Bryan? Why was he chosen as both the Democratic Party and People’s Party candidate in 1896?

15. Why and how did William McKinley win the 1896 presidential election? How did it spell the end of the People’s Party?

16. How did McKinley make good on his campaign promises? What was the end result of the “silver question”?

patronage / Interstate Commerce Act & ICC / Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Rutherford B. Hayes / The Grangers / The Gold Standard
Stalwarts & Half-Breeds / Oliver Hudson Kelley / “Crime of ‘73”
Roscoe Conkling / The Farmers’ Alliances / William H. Harvey
James Blaine / Mary Elizabeth Lease / William McKinley
James Garfield / Ocala Demands / Marcus Hanna
Charles Guiteau / People’s Party / William Jennings Bryan
Chester A. Arthur / Chautauquas / “Cross of Gold”
Pendleton (Service) Act / Populism / “Fusion”
Grover Cleveland / “Free Silver” / Dingley Tariff
Munn v. Illinois / “Colored Alliances” / Currency Act
“Wabash Case” / Omaha Platform
Sherman Antitrust Act / Panic of 1893
Benjamin Harrison / “Coxey’s Army”
McKinley Tariff / “bimetallism”