Public Opinion Politics, Technology, and Ideas from Reconstruction to the 1920s

Public Opinion

Politics, Technology, and Ideas from Reconstruction to the 1920s

The “Rise of Public Opinion”

The Newspaper Age

The Decline of Popular Politics

Public Relations, Propaganda, and Civil Liberties

Newspapers Before 1865

Party Papers & Blanket Sheets

The Penny Press

The Civil War

Newspapers After 1865

The “Independent” Metropolitan Daily From party editors to “press lords”

The Newspaper as Big Business Advertising

30% to 50% of content, 1870-1900 Revenue doubles every decade

Economies of Scale Steam presses, wire services, half-tone process, etc.

Newspaper Circulation(per 100 households)

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1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930

A New Reading Public

Urbanization

More Diverse African-American press Foreign language press

Better Educated 1870: 52% of children in school 1900: 72% of children in school

New Journalisms

Newspapers & Urban Life Health and “swill scandals” Political machines and corruption

Thomas Nast vs. Tammany

Other Scandals

“The Beecher,” 1872 Victoria Woodhull and

Obscenity

Comstock Act, 1873 Press liberty v. public

morals

“Yellow” Journalism

Or “Story” Journalism

Hearst, Pulitzer, et al.

Reaching new readers Supplements, Sunday editions, and graphics Women and immigrants News for the working and lower-middle classes

Spanish-American War

Newer Journalisms

“Information” Journalism Adolph Ochs and The New York Times Professionalism “Decency”

The ‘moral wars’ of the 1890s News for the educated middle-classes?

“Muckraking”

“Quality” Magazines and the Middle Classes Harper’s, Century,

Scribner’s, Collier’s, Cosmopolitan

Socialist Press and the Working Classes Appeal to Reason and The

Jungle

From Outrage to Cynicism?

Voter Turnout in National Elections

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1868187218761880188418881892189619001904190819121916192019241928

Politics Before 1865

A “State of Courts and Parties”

Wartime expansion

Shadow of the Civil War

The ‘Bloody Shirt’

Veterans and Politics Pensions and jobs The Grand Army of the

Republic

Militias, Parades, and Political Ballyhoo

Gilded Age Politics

The Apotheosis of Popular Politics

Strong Parties, Weak Presidents

Close Elections, Negligible Mandates

“Special” Legislation and “Corruption” William Seward on the Republican Party:

“a joint-stock company in which those who contribute the most, direct the action and management of the concern.”

Issues

Tariffs

The Currency

Railroad Regulation

Trusts and Monopolies

Civil Service Reform

Cultural Aspects

Republicans ‘Mainstream’ Evangelical moralism

Democrats Outsiders Liturgical / libertarian

Issues Drink, schools,

immigration Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion

Splinter Groups

Anti-Vice RepublicansGrangers and GreenbackersWomen Suffragists“Mugwumps” / Liberal Republicans

Educational Politics

Liberals and Anti-Party Reform Civil Service Australian Ballot Primaries Municipal reform

Voter disenfranchisement Educating Public Opinion

Ex: Currency

The Progressive “Movement”

Progressives and the Educational Style Muckraking (again) Attacking “the interests” Airing the “smoke-filled rooms” Expertise and efficiency

Partisanship in Decline

Emergence of “Pressure Groups”

A Changing Electorate Middle class respectability Women and partisanship

From Popular to Advertised Politics Centralization of party operations Money and campaigning

The Great War & Public Opinion

Disillusionment in the 1920s

The “Propaganda Menace”

The Dissent Cases and Modern Civil Liberties

Walter Lippmann